During the most recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer shared his thoughts on several key events, including a wave of upcoming Q1 2025 earnings and, more critically, Friday’s all-important payroll report:
“Then Friday, of course, is where we need a Goldilocks labor report. I got to tell you, there is one scenario where it won’t hurt us. Okay? No job growth and no wage growth. Can you believe it? That’s what I’m rooting for. The crazy thing about this whole week is that if we actually get that number, this market could rally so hard that it could make up for any previous losses and we could have a continuation of the great month of May. No job growth and no jobs. That’s something to root for, ain’t it?”
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In addition to the macro setup, Cramer wrapped up his multi-part series on beaten-down retailers, with a particular focus on the unpredictable world of teen apparel. He broke down which companies might still have room to run and which ones are likely to keep sinking:
“It’s time to wrap up our series on fallen retail angels, the stocks and companies you know and haven’t loved, at least not lately. […] Now, let’s take on the last of the fallen Abercombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters. I want to start off by saying that these are both known as teen retailers. Even as Abercrombie has been chasing after its customers as they age, maybe to those as ancient as 40 years old. That’s good because teens are notoriously fickle which makes them very difficult to bet. Hence why these two socks are total sink or swim. Sometimes they’re sink AND swim. […] Bottom line, I want you to limit your downside with these teen retailers. You never know when a company like this may go from sink and swim to just plain sync, at least for the next quarter.”
Finally, Cramer pushed back hard on the idea that AI spending is nearing a peak. Drawing on commentary from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, he made the case that we’re still in the early innings, arguing that massive increases in compute power and competition among leading AI platforms will continue to drive investment across the sector:
“We keep hearing that spending on artificial intelligence will peak soon. Doubters never stop. […] [Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia] says that we need a thousand times more computing power than we have now. I think that means we’re nowhere near the peak in AI. Why the heck do we need so much compute power? Several reasons. First, there are a bunch of these generative AI platforms. ChatGPT, Anthropic, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Metai, Grok to name a handful. They’re all out to prove they’re the best because if any of them becomes the default agentic, they’ll own the market. To win though they have to have differentiation. So they’re all fighting for personality, or they risk irrelevancy.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 15 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money which aired on May 30. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them. We also provided hedge fund sentiment for each stock as of the first quarter of 2025, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of 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).
15. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 145
A viewer called in with a bullish thesis on Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER), suggesting that rising vehicle prices due to tariffs could drive more demand for rideshare services. Here’s what Cramer replied with:
“All right, here’s my deal. Lewis, I’ve got to tell you, David Faber talked about this today. You know, David Faber killed it when he was interviewing Elon Musk and there was this thing underneath his picture that said Tesla’s not going to buy Uber. I say you buy Uber. I think Uber is at the right level. It’s down huge since that interview. Buy buy buy.”
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) operates a global platform for ride-sharing, food delivery (Uber Eats), and freight logistics, with growing exposure to autonomous vehicle partnerships. Optimist Fund stated the following regarding the company in its Q1 2025 investor letter:
“Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) – Uber posted its strongest quarter yet, with gross bookings rising 18% year-over-year to $44.2 billion and revenue growing 20% to $12.0 billion. Adjusted EBITDA jumped 44% to $1.8 billion, fueled by record demand across both Mobility and Delivery, while free cash flow reached $1.7 billion. Exceeding its three-year financial targets, the company heads into 2025 with accelerating momentum and emerging upside from autonomous vehicles. Uber’s growing free cash flow profile is attracting broader investor attention—including a recent investment from renowned value investor Bill Ackman. Our investment thesis remains intact.”
14. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 99
A caller highlighted Pfizer Inc.’s (NYSE:PFE) promising drug pipeline, including multiple phase three candidates and a recent licensing deal with a Chinese biotech company. Cramer agreed and gave his blessing:
“Oh, they are. You know something, David, I’m with you. 7% yield. It’s got to be something big coming out of that Seagen acquisition real soon about some hard to beat cancers. I am with Albert Bourla and I am with you. I think we can own the stock of Pfizer.”
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is a global pharmaceutical company best known for its vaccines and innovative therapies in oncology, immunology, and rare diseases.
13. Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 55
Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) was featured in a dedicated segment following its strong earnings beat and positive stock reaction. Jim Cramer spoke with CEO Padraig McDonnell and sounded very optimistic about the company’s future:
“Now many research institutions are getting in with funding cuts from the Trump administration. But man, on Wednesday night, we heard from Agilent Technologies – letter A – a key member maker of instruments, software, and services for life science, diagnostics, and applied chemical industry. And they reported a very solid quarter response to stock popped more than 2% yesterday. So, has the Agilent found its footing here? […]
[Talking directly to the CEO] I’m glad you brought up PFAS. Your PFAS division is maybe it’s your fastest growing. It’s incredible. […]
[On whether US companies can onshore like Agilent] I deal with a lot of companies who say, you know what? I don’t know why the president thinks we can onshore. It won’t work. Supply chain – no good – don’t have the workers. America can’t do it. Could you please disabuse us of that because you’re doing it really well. […]
So, it sounds like this was just a terrific quarter. It’s going to be a very big year. […] I remember when Agilent wasn’t that interesting of a company, but that’s all right. It’s real interesting now!”
Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) makes advanced instruments, software, and services used in life sciences, diagnostics, and chemical analysis, with growing exposure to biotech and PFAS testing.
12. V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43
V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) was revisited in Jim Cramer’s series on struggling retailers. Here are his thoughts on the stock:
“To recap, we started with VF Corp, the maker of North Face and the unfortunate Vans. And I told you that I don’t see this one making a comeback anytime soon. Although CEO Bracken Darrell recently bought $1 million worth of stock. So, not enough to get me off the sidelines, but certainly enough to encourage me.”
V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) is an apparel conglomerate that owns lifestyle brands such as The North Face, Vans, Timberland, and Dickies, with global retail and wholesale reach.
Here’s Cramer’s full analysis on the stock from May 27:
“The apparel and footwear retailers, they’ve struggled…. Why don’t we start with V.F. Corp?…. For the past couple of years, I’ve been rooting for V.F. Corp ever since they brought in Bracken Darrell from Logitech to take over CEO. I figured he could eventually turn things around, and eventually is the operative word here, and around this time last year, V.F. Corp started to get back on track…
So back to the operative question, can these fallen retailers, and specifically in this case. V.F. Corp, make a comeback? The short answer for V.F. Corp is not quite yet. I think we’re still in a holding pattern with this one despite the fact that the stock had a nice gain amid today’s market rally, climbed nearly 13%… My view, the company absolutely has taken out some big costs as margins have improved meaningfully over the past year… I know that the stock might start moving higher before the turnaround actually arrives. That happened once, right? But in a perfect world, I’d like to see sales growth turn positive before I can declare V.F. Corp officially back, so to speak…
Here’s the bottom line: We saw in the back half of last year just how quickly the stock can climb higher when the news flow gets even just a bit better. But we’ve also been reminded this year about how quickly V.F. Corp can stumble when things get tougher. And at this point, after such a prolonged period of underperformance, I myself do not feel comfortable sticking my neck out before I see some real signs of improvement, especially at Vans.”
11. The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41
The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP) stood out as a surprise bright spot in the retail sector, with Cramer highlighting strong same-store sales and solid profitability. He argued the negativity had gone too far and called the stock undervalued:
“And while we’re on the subject, after speaking to Gap’s Richard Dickson last night, I think the selling there is way, way overdone. There’s too much good happening at this company, including strong same store sales from both Gap and Old Navy. Plus, the company’s gotten immensely profitable, and it’s sitting on a ton of cash. With the stock down over 20% today, I think it’s worth to go just outright, outright buy the stock on Monday. The sellers will be shamed. Fall into the gap. “
The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP) owns well-known retail brands including Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta, serving value-focused and lifestyle-driven shoppers.
10. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF) was examined as a high-risk, high-reward teen retail stock with contrasting performances from its two core brands. Cramer praised the company’s leadership and strategic repositioning, and suggested even buying call options before Tuesday:
“Abercrombie was a disaster until Fran Horowitz took over as CEO in 2017. She’s brought it back from the brink. And we can’t ignore that context when we’re thinking about one bad quarter from a half the business. […]
To me, it’s also the opportunity here. Right now Abercrombie is clearing out the wrong inventory, bringing in fresh product and given Horowitz’ tremendous track record, possibility of a big turnaround. I’m calling it huge! [presses Buy Buy Buy button].
We know she believes in the most recent quarter. She had the company repurchase $200 million worth of stock, 5% of the total outstanding shares. Strong commitment. Now Abercrombie is a small company – market cap of just $3.7 billion – and a huge short position standing at 13.8%.
If you think that Hollister can stay hot for another quarter and the Abercrombie brand can turn, this one could be explosive. Plus, unlike so many other retailers, Abercrombie really got ahead of the tariff issue. […] They source from 16 countries. Nice diversification.
And then here’s the real opportunity. Write this down. Next Tuesday, Matt Boss from JP Morgan on our network today. He’s the best retail analyst in the business. He has a buy on the stock. […]
If there’s any improvement at all in flagship Abercrombie, this stock could go bonkers. As people remember a year ago when this $78 stock stood at $178. […] You got my blessing to buy the stock on Monday. […]
I don’t usually recommend options here, but I can tell you that if I were to buy Abercrombie ahead of the talk on JP Morgan on Tuesday, I actually might even do it with deep in-the-money calls. And I never I never mention or recommend calls.”
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF) is a specialty retailer with two main brands—Abercrombie and Hollister—catering to fashion-conscious teens and young adults.
9. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) was called out for its weak financials, including a steep inventory write-off and disappointing sales. Cramer expressed caution, referencing past missteps and warning investors about trusting turnaround promises from the company:
“Next up, American Eagle. I should say next down American Eagle because this has smaller- This one had a miserable quarter.
Sales down 5% year-over-year. Same store sales down 3%. Gross margin off its target by 1,100 basis points. I don’t even know how you do that. This next quarter looks no better. They’re guiding for a 5% revenue shrinkage again.
Now American Eagle is beset with problems. […] CEO Jay Schottenstein started his conference call by saying the results were disappointing. $75 million inventory write-off which contributed to a $68 million operating loss. They had product misses, too. Too much inventory and were highly promotional to get the stuff off the floor.
Strangely, even though the business is awful, American Eagle initiated a $200 million accelerated share buyback and separately bought $31 million of stock in the open market. If I were them, I’d be a little more cherry with these repurchases.
Company doesn’t have all that much money in the bank, $88 million in cash at the end of April. If you’re a retailer, you need to have some more flexibility. Look, if you’re wrong, I think you’re flushing $200 million worth of flexibility down the drain here.
This is not my first rodeo with American Eagle. My charitable trust took a very big hit in the stock a few years ago when they held on. We held on way too long because they promised one good quarter after another and they could not deliver. It was a nightmare. I am not inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) owns casualwear brands American Eagle and Aerie, targeting teens and young adults with denim, basics, and intimates.
8. Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 50
A viewer asked for Jim Cramer’s opinion on Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST). Cramer responded bluntly, recommending a switch to a better-performing competitor in the same space:
“Yes, I do. I have. My opinion is sell Ross Stores and buy TJX. That’s my opinion. And you know why that I have that opinion? Because I’m right.”
Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) operates off-price retail stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s Discounts brands, offering name-brand apparel at deep discounts.
7. Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE:BROS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 47
A caller asked Jim Cramer to choose between Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE:BROS) and Starbucks as a long-term investment, noting that both stocks had performed well in their portfolio. Here’s Cramer’s pick:
“Oh my god. Brian Niccol will be so mad at me. Oh my god. But I’ve got to tell you at this very moment, Christine Barone has got the mojo. She has got the mojo. And I think that that the Dutch Bros. I think that I happen to like them from the times that my daughter lived in Oregon. Dutch Bros got $100 written all over it. “
Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE:BROS) is a fast-growing drive-through coffee chain known for its youth-centric culture, energy drinks, and strong West Coast customer loyalty. Wasatch Global Investors stated the following regarding the company in its Q1 2025 investor letter:
“Another large contributor was Dutch Bros., Inc. (BROS), a drive-through coffee company in the U.S. that serves customizable hot, iced and blended beverages. Strong fundamentals continue to lift the stock higher. In February, the company announced quarterly revenue and earnings growth that exceeded expectations and announced plans to open more than 150 new stores in 2025. While we like the concept of Dutch Bros.’ stores, the stock has risen substantially in the short time we owned it, and we trimmed the position after those gains.”
6. Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 46
Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) was featured after delivering strong quarterly results that bucked the trend of underperformance among cybersecurity peers. Jim Cramer spoke with the company’s CEO following a big earnings beat:
“When Zscaler reported last night, they knocked it out of the park. This cloud-based cyber security alpha delivered a robust top and bottom line beat with management raising their full-year revenue forecast.
In response, the stock shot up even though it had been up a lot already, up over 9% to the new 52-week high, but it’s still down more than 100 bucks from its all-time high at the end of 2021. So, could this thing have more room to run? […]
Right now, some people say to me how could a stock go straight up like this? It must be something it’s trickery. It’s a short squeeze. Whatever. I come back and say, well, wait a second. If you have total contract value bookings of over 1 billion, if your remaining performance obligations are now nearly 5 billion, that’s what happens! […]
[Talking to the CEO directly] Well, I want to congratulate you for a remarkable post-so-called liberation day. You’re the number one stock that I follow.”
Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) provides cloud-native cybersecurity solutions based on zero trust architecture, securing enterprise users, workloads, and devices across networks.
The company has been on Cramer’s radar since the 23rd of May, when he said the following:
“Oh, and then there’s a… stock, Zscaler, cloud-based cybersecurity company that’s gotten into the habit of reporting upside surprises. It’s unnerving to me that it doesn’t seem to matter what this company reports. It seems to be so loved these days. That’s where the opportunity is.”
5. QXO, Inc. (NASDAQ:QXO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36
A viewer called in to ask for Cramer’s thoughts on QXO, Inc. (NASDAQ:QXO), the latest venture from logistics mogul Brad Jacobs. Cramer was emphatically bullish, backing Jacobs’ leadership.
“All right, listen sunshine. I’m going to tell you this and tell you this, but good. I think this stock actually is going to go higher. Why? Because it’s Brad Jacobs. He will not let it stay down here. The man is when I think of him, I think of billions! Billions!”
QXO, Inc. (NASDAQ:QXO) is a newly formed industrial holding company by Brad Jacobs, aiming to acquire and scale software-driven distribution and logistics businesses.
4. Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ:GNTX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35
A caller asked about Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ:GNTX), highlighting the company’s role in the smart glass market and partnerships with major manufacturers like Tesla and Boeing. Cramer was impressed by the stock’s drop and the company’s tech credentials.
“Oh yea Gentex is down so much I’m actually willing to take a fly. I cannot believe how low it’s gotten. It’s a very good company. It is a tech company. I got to tell you, I’m going to say my highest praise: you got horse sense.”
Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ:GNTX) develops and manufactures dimmable glass, vision systems, and smart tech for automotive, aerospace, and architectural applications.
3. Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36
A caller questioned whether Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) could sustain its 7% dividend amid falling oil prices. Cramer expressed confidence in the company’s operations but mentioned that he prefers another stock as well:
“ET is an absolutely terrific company. I slagged it for the first 10 years of the show. The last 10 years, I’ve liked it a lot. It’s got a good pipe. I think it’s terrific. I do prefer ONEOK more.”
Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) is a major U.S. pipeline operator, transporting natural gas, crude oil, and refined products through its vast midstream infrastructure network.
Earlier in May, a caller asked Cramer if he was still bullish on the stock, to which Cramer replied with:
“Oh yes, I am. 7.6% yield and I tell you, the pipes are a great business here, they really are.”
2. The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 61
A caller shared that their Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) position had surged 50% and asked whether it was still worth buying. Cramer praised CEO Jeff Green and expressed confidence in the company’s momentum.
“Oh, you know, look, I should have told people to pull the trigger after that one unfortunate quarter that Jeff Green had, but I’ve got to tell you, I want Jeff on. Jeff has been elusive of late. I think he’s got the right—he’s got the mojo. Jeff’s got the mojo now. And mojo’s being a technical term for really good stock.”
The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) operates a programmatic advertising platform that helps marketers buy and optimize digital ads across connected TV, audio, mobile, and the open internet. Carillon Tower Advisers stated the following about the company in their Q1 2025 investor letter:
“Trade Desk is one of the largest independent advertising platforms in the world and helps customers place ads on the web, connected TV, mobile devices, and podcasts. The company reported earnings below expectations due to internal reorganizations and execution issues. Management has since outlined clear strategies to address these issues, but shareholders remain concerned about competition and execution. We continue to support the stock due to Trade Desk’s impressive margins and cash flow as well as its strong position in advertising as the only independent player of scale that can compete with large internet companies.”
1. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 212
Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) was the focus of a closing segment in which Jim Cramer addressed doubts about a slowdown in AI spending. He praised the company’s latest earnings and explained why the stock dropped later:
[Talking about the dry-up in AI spending and Jensen Huang] I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Even as the stock has given up everything it made since the bang-up quarter on Wednesday. […] Oh, and when it comes to Nvidia stock, don’t fool yourself. It got hit today because of China. Nvidia would be at $150 instead of $135. It went for our ever-worsening relations with the PRC. But we can’t astray China, at least not yet. Maybe next year, when I sense it’ll be probably a much smaller percentage of Nvidia’s business.”
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) designs high-performance GPUs and AI accelerators that power everything from gaming to data centers and the world’s leading AI models. Impax Asset Management stated the following about the company in their Q1 2025 investor letter:
“Nvidia (Cloud Computing, US) experienced a share price sell-off during the quarter due to disappointing margin guidance and uncertainty stemming from the announcement of an open-source large language model from Chinese AI startup DeepSeek. Nvidia suffered from investor concerns around the potential for reduced demand for high-end graphics processing units (GPUs) as DeepSeek’s efficiency suggests lower computational requirements. Despite the drop in Nvidia’s stock, its advanced chips and proprietary coding language, Cuda, remain industry standards, indicating that it still holds a strong position in the AI market. As long as there is demand for inference there will be demand for Nvidia’s products.”
While we acknowledge the potential of NVDA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVDA and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 10 AI Stocks on Analyst’s Radar Today and 10 AI Stocks on Wall Street’s Radar.
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