Discussing two decades of Mad Money, Jim Cramer took a moment to highlight the top-performing stocks since the show’s debut.
“This week we’re celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary, a little over a month late, but better late than never. Given that Mad Money’s been on the air for more than two decades now, I think it’s worth going over the best-performing stocks during that period.”
READ ALSO: Jim Cramer Recently Discussed These 9 Stocks and Jim Cramer Commented on These 8 Stocks Recently
He pointed out that while the broader markets have posted impressive long-term gains, the Dow rising 272%, the S&P 500 climbing 358%, and the Nasdaq 100 soaring 1,182%, the show’s philosophy has not changed. He said, “I created this show because I believe you can beat the averages by doing the homework and picking great individual stocks.” Two decades later, he feels even more strongly about that belief. According to him, investing in high-quality companies with long-term potential can outperform those indices.
“So, looking at every US-listed stock with a market cap of at least $1 billion and putting aside everything that came public after March 14th, 2005, the day of our first show, what are the biggest winners since Mad Money first went on the air? I’ve gotta tell you what, I love this list.”
He also said the results were unexpected and would surprise viewers. Cramer framed these companies as real-world evidence of the show’s long-held thesis, that investors who commit to studying individual businesses and hold onto strong performers over time can generate significant returns. Cramer noted that since Mad Money’s launch in March 2005, “These winners really represent the core thesis of the show that you can make a killing by picking the right stocks, doing the homework and sticking with the great ones.”
“Bottom line: When you look at the 10 best-performing stocks of the last 20-odd years, so many of these were gettable if you simply believed in your ability to pick stocks and stuck with them for the long haul.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 20 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episodes of Mad Money aired on April 28 and 29. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them. We also provided hedge fund sentiment for each stock as of the fourth quarter of 2024, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of over 1,000 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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Jim Cramer Listed 20 Best Performing Stocks of the Last 20 Years
20. O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 63
Cramer placed O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) in the 20th spot on the list of stocks with the most gains over the past 20 years and said:
“The 20th best performing stock in the Mad Money era is the name we know well, it’s called O’Reilly Automotive. It’s up 5,292%. Now, this company, alongside AutoZone, another one I really like, has emerged as a strong duopoly in the auto parts retail space. Why do I like this so much? Okay, you know what I love about it? It’s still fresh.
I recommended it again just three weeks ago. Why? Because I think the auto parts stocks will thrive once the auto tariffs kick in. New cars and used cars will get much more expensive, which means you’ll need new parts to keep your old car on the road. Plus, O’Reilly’s been a voracious buyer of its own stock. Get this, it has shrunk its share count by nearly two-thirds since the end of 2010. Very similar by the way to AZO, AutoZone.”
O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) sells and distributes aftermarket auto parts, tools, and accessories. The company offers both new and remanufactured items, repair services, and support for do-it-yourself and professional vehicle maintenance across a wide range of domestic and imported models.
19. UFP Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:UFPT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21
While Cramer noted UFP Technologies, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:UFPT) gains, he mentioned that he would like to know more, as he said:
“[At] number 19 and 18… a couple companies that we don’t follow very closely. There’s Heico, up 5,364%, and UFP Technologies, up 5,510%. Can you imagine these companies you never heard of, and they made all this money for people? Yeah, they each represent great sectors, aerospace and medical technology…
As for UFP Technologies, okay, this is a tiny $1.5 billion marketing cap company that’s a design, engineering, and manufacturing partner, mainly for medical device makers, but also for the aerospace, defense, and automotive industries. But while UFP is clearly doing something right to have this kind of performance over the past 20 years, I wish I knew more about it. So, UFP, if you’re watching, why not come on the show and tell your story? I know you can do it better than I can. Consider this an open invitation.”
UFP Technologies (NASDAQ:UFPT) designs and manufactures specialized products for medical, automotive, aerospace, and defense applications, including sterile packaging, surgical disposables, molded components, and protective systems for equipment and gear.