Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, advised investors on Thursday to look into sectors other than tech.
“You gotta be thinking long term because right now, putting new money to work in this scrum of a sector feels a little ill-advised, especially when the best acting tech stocks right now have the worst balance sheets and income statements and the real good ones, crossfire. Again, I’m not turning against tech. I’m simply saying that when I pick stocks, I like easy money and I like to avoid the battlegrounds. Lately, I’ve been trying to direct your attention to the easy money groups like the banks, wow, the transports, woo, and even the healthcare companies, which have been tremendous.”
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Cramer said that with the Federal Reserve in a rate-cutting mode, investors should look for companies that tend to benefit from “easy money,” such as a railroad operator with essentially no real competition, a major credit-card business, travel and leisure-related names, or fast-growing retailers. He also highlighted dollar-store chains, and said that those businesses are “on fire” and there is not a “not a lot of battleground”.
“Here’s the bottom line: I’m not advocating the wholesale abandonment of the best sector in history, not at all. I am saying, however, that there is a fierce competition with enfilading fire and exploding claymores everywhere, and it’s showing no signs of abating, but boy oh boy, is it entertaining. Unfortunately, we don’t value stocks on entertainment per share, which is why you should focus on boring stocks of companies that tend to win big when interest rates come down, aside from just owning a lot of tech.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 11 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on December 4. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them. We also provided hedge fund sentiment for each stock as of the third quarter of 2025, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of 978 hedge funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 427.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 264 percentage points (see more details here).
Jim Cramer Discussed 11 Stocks and the Tech Battleground
11. Five Below, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 60
Five Below, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVE) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. Cramer noted that the company’s CEO “set up Five Below for multi-year growth,” as he stated:
“… It’s Park (CEO Winnie Park) who set up Five Below for multi-year growth, even as the chain already has 1,900 stores across almost every state in the union. And look, the numbers were incredible. In the latest quarter announced last night, Park delivered an astounding 14% same-store sales growth, almost unheard of for a chain like Five Below. Some of the transformation comes from going back to basics.
Park has worked hard to, as she said in the conference call, sharpen the focus on the customer, the kid. Second, she’s using digital channels and social media to help drive people to the stores. Third, she’s developed what Five Below calls curtain-up moments, holiday merchandise for six different occasions. She says this management’s job is to please the boss, which isn’t her; it’s the customer. She killed it in the two most recent curtains-up: Halloween and back to school. They caused sales acceleration throughout the quarter, and now we’re in the biggest shopping season of all. Some of the success came from scrapping the Five Beyond section of the store, which had hobbled stores with a kind of a no-fly zone of expensive merchandise. They’ve taken that space for big-time seasonal merchandise instead.
Now, there’s some secret sauce we don’t know about… We don’t know how they avoided taking a profit hit from tariffs either… All in all, I think Five Below’s story is all about curation. Park uses terms like generation of content, not clothes, content, not toys. She’s basically putting on six shows a year that are driving an immense amount of traffic. The changes, though, are still in their infancy. That’s why I think that Five Below, last year, the butt of many jokes, is firmly in the turnaround mode. A successful turn can generate years of terrific gains for you, the shareholder, meaning the stock might indeed have a lot more room to run.”
Five Below, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVE) sells a wide range of low-priced essentials, decor, tech accessories, toys, crafts, snacks, and seasonal items.
10. Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE:TPR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 60
Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE:TPR) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. Cramer mentioned the stock during the episode and said:
“I love turnaround stories. If you catch a turnaround early, you can make big, long-term money, and that’s especially true in retail, where comebacks are very hard to find. But if you do find them, ooh, they tend to be bountiful. We’re seeing one right now in Gap under Richard Dickson. We’ve seen one in Williams-Sonoma, of course, created by Laura Alber. I like what’s happening in Tapestry under Joanne Crevoiserat. And who can quibble with the work that Patrice Louvet has done, resuscitating Ralph Lauren.”
Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE:TPR) designs and sells handbags, accessories, footwear, and apparel. Its brands include Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. During the December 3 episode, Cramer highlighted the retailers that performed well and mentioned the stock. The Mad Money host said:
“And that’s not all. Consider this list of retailers that performed sharply better than expected: Tapestry, Ralph Lauren, Kohl’s, TJX, Urban Outfitters, and, of course, Walmart. In fact, I can only recall Target, Burlington Stores, and Home Depot being disappointing. That’s extraordinary. It should not be happening when there’s a slowdown in hiring.”
9. NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26
NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. A caller inquired if they should buy more, hold, or sell the stock, and here’s what Mad Money’s host had to say in response:
“The only one I want… to buy is GE Vernova because they actually know how to build one of these things. I want you to scale out on the way up… Sell some at $27. Sell some at $30. Get rid of all of it.”
NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) provides advanced small modular reactor technology centered on its 77-MWe NuScale Power Module. During the June 11 episode, a caller inquired about the stock, and Cramer responded:
“NuScale, okay, here’s the problem with NuScale, it is… really, really high. Here’s the answer with NuScale, if it does an offering here, that’s when I’d buy. I’d wait for the stock offering after what happened with Oklo tonight.”
8. Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RXRX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RXRX) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. Answering a caller’s query about the stock during the lightning round, Cramer said:
“I’m telling you, I am myself confounded by it. The stock has been horrendous. We gotta put that right on the table. I’m talking about horrendous, okay? So I do not like to recommend horrendous stocks. It is so low that it comes in under the category of speculative. As long as you’re willing to take the pain, they can’t, you know, you said it, they have a lot of money, but wow, I have to tell you, bad taste in my mouth. Bad.”
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RXRX) is a biotech company that uses automation, data science, and AI to accelerate drug discovery. The company develops treatments for genetic, infectious, and cancer-related diseases. During the October 20 episode, a caller asked whether the stock is too speculative. In response, the Mad Money host remarked:
“Okay, I had Recursion on when they were 9, 10. They did an equity offering. The stock got clobbered. It’s been down. Now, it’s a meme stock, and I can predict, unfortunately, that when it’s a meme stock, it’s going to go up every day. They’ve adopted this stock. They want to take it higher. I don’t know why, but that’s what they say. And I say they, I’m saying, I see they’re buying early on in the morning. That’s what’s going to happen.”
7. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 114
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. A caller asked Cramer about an optimal entry point into the stock, and he replied:
“I think that people now are getting antsy and thinking that it’s really breaking down. That’s probably when I want to start buying. I think that this, we’re very close to the Medicare payment, and it also has, you know, new indication after new indication, new indication, new readout, new readout. Buy some here and then do what’s known as a scale. Let’s say you buy five here, you buy ten at $900, and maybe you buy twenty at $950, and then you’ll have a really nice pyramid going. That’s what I like.”
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) develops and markets medicines for diabetes, obesity, oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and other chronic conditions. Cramer praised the company’s GLP-1 medication during the November 25 episode, as he remarked:
“I also own Eli Lilly, too, so I can handle that pain. Lilly may have the greatest drug franchise of all time with this GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes medication. Might also be a great treatment for hypertension, even alcoholism.”
6. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 92
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. Cramer highlighted the company’s strategic planning for when Keytruda loses patent protection. He commented:
“The people who run this company are not idiots. They’ve long known that Keytruda would lose patent protection, so, for years, they’ve been making acquisitions to build up their pipeline… Verona is focused on respiratory diseases, and they already have one drug on the market, the first new maintenance treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in more than 20 years. It will be another blockbuster, I predict…So, Merck’s been making ample preparation for a world without Keytruda exclusivity, and the analysts are starting to notice. Last Monday, Wells Fargo upgraded the stock… note entitled, ‘we can see a future beyond Keytruda.’
Given the strength of this pipeline, this analyst sees Merck ‘entering a catalyst-rich period in the next 12 to 18 months with readouts across its pipeline.’ In fact, they said that Merck may have added or de-risked over $20 billion of unadjusted peak sales just in the last three to six months. It sounds good to me. They’re no longer predicting a huge drop off in sales in 2029 through 2031, the first four years where Keytruda will be off patent, and they see Merck returning to growth after 2031. Look, I think it could actually happen sooner than that, which is why I like the stock so much…
So let’s put this together. In general, the big pharma stocks have been doing much better since the end of October, as Wall Street’s gotten a lot more antsy about tech, and RFK Junior hasn’t really cracked down on the industry and health and human services. Meanwhile, the previously downtrodden Merck has become a standout performer. The bottom line: As a long-term admirer of Merck, and I’m talking about decade after decade, I do love to see this new trajectory. Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are setbacks along the way. That’s the nature of the drug business. But for now, Merck’s a very cheap stock that still doesn’t even get nearly enough love for its terrific pipeline, or for that matter, its solid 3.4% dividend yield. Believe me, you could do a lot worse.”
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a healthcare company that provides a wide range of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health solutions.
5. Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 77
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. When a caller inquired about the stock, Cramer said:
“Robinhood goes higher… It goes higher because it’s a proxy for all the young investors. See, young investors, they’re on Robinhood, the app, so they buy Robinhood, the stock, and you know what? They’ve been winning, 267%. That makes other people want to be in.”
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) operates a financial services platform that provides trading in stocks, ETFs, options, gold, and cryptocurrencies. Baron FinTech Fund stated the following regarding Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) in its third quarter 2025 investor letter:
“Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD), a provider of commission-free trading and investing tools, contributed to performance. Shares rose due to higher customer engagement and new product launches. The company continues to gain share in a large and growing market, with customer assets of $304 billion as of August 31, up 112% from a year ago. Trading activity remains robust across equities, options, and cryptocurrencies. During the third quarter, Robinhood expanded its prediction market offering with over 2 billion contracts traded, doubling the total from last quarter. The company also announced new features, such as a social trading platform aimed at boosting user engagement. Robinhood’s young customer base and expanding feature set support multiple avenues for increasing revenue per user over time. We continue to own the stock due to its long-term earnings potential, driven by strong account growth, rising client assets, and rapid pace of innovation.”
4. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 234
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. Cramer reiterated his “own this stock, not trade it” mantra during the episode, as he stated:
“Alright, let’s get to the biggest publicly traded battle… I’m referring to the travails of Jensen Huang and NVIDIA. First, let me say, there must be three or four Jensen Huangs running around… because he is everywhere, the Congress, the White House, Joe Rogan… He’s on the firing line every minute… a firing line that feels more like the firing squad… An unjust execution that Jensen’s going into with his eyes wide open…
I feel it’s his fate every day. I don’t know how he stays sane, honestly…. Knowing that he’s the only person who isn’t allowed to do business in China, banned by both sides. If you believe the critics, somehow his chips are both inferior to the homegrown competition from Google yet so incredibly advanced that we can’t let the People’s Liberation Army get its hands on them.
It’s all a canard, people. NVIDIA semis are superior. Companies are making billions of dollars when they buy them. It’s not a dead weight loss CapEx bunch. If he charges too much… Why have they seen the market capitalization at hundreds of billions of dollars in value… I don’t get it. I mean, why isn’t that ever talked about? You want to own this stock, not trade it, and the stock was up almost four bucks today. But NVIDIA’s become torturous, and there’s friendly fire going off everywhere as Jensen toggles between the globalists and the jingoists.”
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) develops accelerated computing and AI platforms, GPUs for gaming and professional use, cloud services, robotics and embedded systems, and automotive technologies.
3. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 273
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. Cramer highlighted the company CEO’s hiring strategy, as he commented:
“Third example, there used to be some honor among thieves in Silicon Valley, a sort of no-poach rule that led to a lot of rich executives filled with stock-based compensation. Then along comes Mark Zuckerberg from Meta, and he is poaching like mad, building the best roster in the industry. He’s going after some very talented execs from Apple, including one we just learned who ran Apple’s liquid glass portfolio, which I’m very interested in.
What the heck? I know this is how it’s supposed to be in a free market economy, but in practice, the big boys never really tried to compete on salary. Now, they have free agency without a salary cap. Nightmare. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg’s cutting his Metaverse spend, a black hole that I thought might stay a black hole. Because when you’re making as much money as Meta is, does anyone really need to be laid off? Apparently, yes. You know what I’ve been thinking? Zuckerberg makes Elon Musk look like a real softy.”
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) develops social media, messaging, and communication products, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and WhatsApp. Additionally, the company creates virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality hardware and software.
2. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 119
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. Cramer noted that he loved the company’s recent quarter, as he remarked:
“Second is Salesforce… And boy, I love this quarter. When his (CEO Marc Benioff) company reported last night, it was lights out, people, lights out. He laid out a… program for Agentforce that suggested Salesforce might have the agentic AI space to itself. This could be one of the largest markets in history. This is the holy grail, people, for customer service. An informed salesperson at the point of contact who knows everything about you and is ready to help you instantly, can’t make mistakes, many languages…
Salesforce now has the holy grail. An Agentforce bot answers your phone call, knows all about you from the get-go, and can service you better than any human, mistake-free, all for a fraction of the cost. And by the way, can I just tell you, no healthcare, no days off, it’s amazing, which is exactly why Costco, the world’s best retailer, and CVS, the biggest drugstore, both chose this technology, and I’m told that they love it.
This is a new business line for Salesforce, just unveiled last year on our show, by the way. And it’s already hit a $500 million run rate. I think Agentforce can redefine this company within the next 12 to 18 months… The reaction, well, the stock immediately jumped more than 20 points last night… But then it gave it all up, I mean, every penny of it. And then of course, it did rebound in the afternoon. It closed higher. But I mean, this thing was down at one point. This was crazy. While investors came to their senses later on, the fact that Salesforce was down even briefly today just shows me, wow, this is one nasty tech market.”
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) provides CRM-focused tools that help businesses manage customer interactions, use AI agents, analyze data, collaborate, and run marketing, commerce, and field service operations.
1. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 332
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer discussed, along with the tech battleground. Cramer highlighted the company’s re:Invent 2025 conference during the episode. The Mad Money host stated:
“This is brutal trench warfare we’re experiencing. I want to walk you through some of the battlegrounds. Let’s start with Amazon Web Services, which is having an incredible conference… It’s called re:Invent 2025. It’s in Las Vegas. It’s ongoing right now. Now, I know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but this was ridiculous. The reaction to this conference didn’t even leave the building, let alone go to Vegas. Nothing. In fact, the stock’s reacted terribly to the conference. Now, this was Matt Garman’s show, who took over AWS job from Cramer fave Adam Selipsky last year.
I’m a generalist not a technologist… Speaking as a generalist, though, I thought that Matt did a great job on this show, showing off all these new gizmos and software and On-Ramps that Amazon Web Services now offers… I thought it was fantastic, frankly, but I think, from the stock, it looks like I’m the only one who thought that.”
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) sells consumer goods and digital content through online and physical stores, provides advertising and subscription services, operates Amazon Web Services for cloud computing, develops electronic devices, produces media content, and offers programs supporting third-party sellers and content creators.
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