Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, on Friday, talked about what he believes investors should pay close attention to this week, including the upcoming nonfarm payroll report and earnings announcements from various companies.
“Thursday, we get a raft of data, aggregate car sales, weekly jobless claims, durable goods, all important, but everything pales in comparison to Friday’s non-farm payroll report. As I’ve told you from day one of this show, more than 20 years ago, I don’t pay much attention to any of these numbers because it’s the Fed that’s scrutinizing this.”
READ ALSO: 16 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar Recently and Jim Cramer Commented on These 10 Stocks Recently.
Cramer explained that if the payroll data indicates wages are rising too quickly, the Federal Reserve could decide to hold off on cutting interest rates, choosing instead to wait and see whether inflation cools on its own. In that scenario, he warned, “a hot number will put Jay Powell back in the box.”
Cramer went on to note that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is in a complicated position. On one hand, he faces ongoing public criticism from the President. On the other hand, Powell is dealing with a mixed economy; there are signs of a slowdown in some sectors, but also areas of rapid growth, especially those linked to the data center construction surge. He added that the data center activity is not being driven by borrowed capital.
“But the bottom line: The employment number lords over all other entries here. Call me concerned because I know that some parts of the economy, anything connected to this data center, are overheating. But another part, autos, homes, retailers, are dreadful. Can Jay Powell save the rest of the economy without taking the data center economy to a boiling point? Well, you know me, I think he’s done a pretty good job so far, let’s hope he can keep it up. And I am an optimist.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 15 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on September 26. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them. We also provided hedge fund sentiment for each stock as of the second quarter of 2025, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of over 900 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 Shared His Recent Takes on These 15 Stocks
15. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 91
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. Cramer highlighted the stock’s return compared to the S&P over the last two decades. He stated:
“Costco’s stock got crushed today, down more than $27 for what I think is actually a pretty silly reason. Its membership increased in the quarter, but not as much as the market anticipated… It didn’t matter that the sales and earnings and same-store sales were all better than expected… The thing is, Costco’s membership fees went up big with no real attrition. And we’re beginning to see a lot of younger members, which is very important because my only real fear with Costco was an age out. Plus, the company was able to mitigate prices on tariff goods…
Past 20 years, Costco’s delivered an annualized return of almost 19% compared with 11% for the S&P 500. Given that nothing’s really changed in the company, even as the stock’s now selling for under 46 times earnings after this pullback, I think you know what? [Buy, buy, buy]. I think it’s cheap for Costco at $915, and well, let’s put it this way, it’s heck of a lot cheaper than it was at $1,078 back in February.
In retrospect, if you’re going to sell, wasn’t that the time to do it? But not us. We’re not going to sell the stock… Costco, always cheap to shop, never cheap to buy. If you can get the stock flat for the year and below its typical price-to-earnings multiple, I think that’s about as good a bargain as you’ll find in any of their stores. If you don’t own any Costco, it’s time to start buying the best retailer on earth.”
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) operates membership-based warehouses providing a wide selection of branded and private-label goods, including groceries, appliances, apparel, and home essentials.
14. ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 44
ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. When a caller asked if they could buy more of the stock during the lightning round, Cramer said:
“Absolutely. Walter Hulse, CFO there is doing an amazing job. So is Pierce Norton. I think that’s a buy. I can’t believe it’s this low.”
ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) is a midstream energy company providing gathering, processing, storage, transportation, and export services for natural gas, NGLs, refined products, and crude oil. The company also engages in marketing, blending, and leasing activities while serving producers, utilities, refiners, and industrial customers. Cramer mentioned the stock in a July episode and commented:
“Now, if you’re looking for another natural gas-oriented pipeline company with some growth, there’s ONEOK. These guys have a particularly strong presence, bringing natural gas to the Gulf Coast, which is where most of our existing liquified natural gas export infrastructure currently sits. Now, the yield isn’t quite as strong here. Right now, ONEOK units pay a dividend that yields just over 5%, but with ONEOK currently down over 30% from its highs late last year, this one could potentially have more upside than Energy Transfer.”
13. American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 53
American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. When a caller asked about the stock during the lightning round, Cramer said, “But you know, I’ve been recommending that one for multiple years, and I’m not backing away.”
American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) generates electricity from diverse sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, solar, and wind, while operating extensive transmission and distribution networks. During the Squawk on the Street episode aired on September 25, Cramer called the company stock “one of the great performers of this period,” as he said:
“Take a look at American Electric Power which is, if you put up the chart of American Electric Power, AEP, you’re going to see, it’s a stock that looks very much like Intel, 1997 to 1999. I mean AEP’s one of the great performers of this period, now it’s starting to come down because people realize, well wait a second, if someone puts a cap on AEP that would be devastating.”
12. D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24
D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. A caller asked what Cramer thinks they should do with their position, and he replied:
“Okay, I want you to take out your cost basis so you can let the rest run. That’s what you have to do with a stock that’s up 200%. Take out cost basis, rest run, and then you will never regret it. Can’t lose.”
D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) provides quantum computing systems, software, and cloud services, including its Advantage platforms, Ocean developer tools, and Leap hybrid solver. During the September 25 episode, Cramer highlighted that it could take a while before the company’s business takes off. He remarked:
“There’s D-Wave, which impressed me when they were on too. It hit a 52-week high today, but it’s up 230% for the year. But again, it could be ages before the business starts to take off. I don’t even know if they disagree with that. Both IONQ and D-Wave are losing fortunes.”
11. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 95
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. Cramer appreciated the company’s research and products during the episode, as he commented:
“Even though it’s been a terrible year for healthcare stocks, there are still a handful of real winners like Johnson and Johnson, up more than 24% year to date. I think that’s because of their incredible research work and their remarkable pipeline. It’s differentiating itself from the pack.”
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products across pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, spanning areas such as immunology, oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular health, and surgery. During the September 11 episode, Cramer remarked that the company’s stock “can keep running” for a while. He said:
“As of last night’s close, JNJ was the 10th best performing healthcare stock in the entire S&P 500, up 21.5% for the year. Now, if you’ve been paying attention to this one, that might come as quite a surprise. J&J still has a major litigation overhang, and more important, it’s primarily a pharmaceutical company in a market that hates pharma, or at least we thought it did…
I also think there’s a feeling that at this point, the plaintiff’s lawyers pursuing these cases have overplayed their hand… And by the way, for what it’s worth, I also think that change in administration has helped J&J on this front as well.
President Trump’s not exactly a big fan of lawsuits… but he does seem to be a fan of J&J… So after a couple years where the stock was in purgatory, JNJ is now having a standout year in spite of the overall weakness in healthcare, especially in pharma. They’re defying the broader group because they have the right portfolio with a robust med tech business supplementing the core pharma business and no over-the-counter business to drag them down.
And because J&J’s drug division has proven to be much stronger than expected across several major areas, especially oncology, Wall Street’s no longer fixated on the talc lawsuits or the fact that their number one drug’s now facing generic competition. And look, despite the nice gain to start the year, JNJ still only sells for 16.5 times this year’s earnings estimates, below the market multiple with a nice yield that’s just under 3%. Very rare triple-A balance sheet.
Bottom line here: With so much momentum but still a reasonable valuation, I think JNJ can keep running, maybe for a while. The next target is the company’s early 2022 all-time high of 186 and change within sight, up less than 10 bucks from here. After that, I say it could go through $200.”
10. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 121
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. A caller inquired why the stock is not performing better despite a strong quarterly report, and Cramer responded:
“Okay, Salesforce has got an issue. We’re going to find out when we go out to Dreamforce. The problem with Salesforce is there are a lot of people, not me because we own it for the Charitable Trust, but there are a lot of people who feel that they’re so successful that they’re actually making it so that their clients don’t use as much product and that also the clients have developed some AI products that they make it so they don’t need Salesforce.
Marc Benioff’s made a tremendous amount of money for people. He is owed more of a viewpoint on this than just that quick and dirty explanation of why the stock’s going down. So even though it’s down 27%, I’m going to reserve judgment until I do more work when I am out there. It’s not a cop out, I gotta do more work.”
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) delivers CRM and AI-powered platforms that integrate data, analytics, communication, and automation tools.
9. MNTN, Inc. (NYSE:MNTN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 22
MNTN, Inc. (NYSE:MNTN) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. A caller expressed that they are unsure whether they should add to their position in the stock, and Cramer replied:
“I’ve looked at Mountain, MNTN. It did not have, the last quarter wasn’t good, but you know what? The product is really good, and the opportunities for them to be able to attract very good small, medium-sized advertisers make me inclined to like the stock here. And when I saw it all the way down here, I said maybe I should gear up. It may be a good story here. It’s a good company.”
MNTN, Inc. (NYSE:MNTN) provides a self-serve platform for performance marketing on Connected TV. The company enables brands to run ads with the ease of digital channels and drive measurable outcomes like conversions, revenue, and site traffic. During the September 18 episode, Cramer mentioned that he did not like the company’s recent quarter and added that “we have to see another quarter.” He commented:
“Well, okay, here’s what happened with Mountain. I mean, the stock took off like a, you know, just, just like a, a giant, colossus, and then it reported a quarter, and the quarter wasn’t that great. Now, we have to see another quarter because that was really a suboptimal situation. I’m not going to back it… I mean, honestly, I thought it was going to be a good quarter. I want to back it. I love the business. I just need a good number.”
8. Rezolve AI PLC (NASDAQ:RZLV)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 8
Rezolve AI PLC (NASDAQ:RZLV) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. During the episode, Cramer said that the risks outweigh the rewards with the stock. He commented:
“I don’t like Rezolve, not one bit. Why? For starters, this is one of the most promotional companies I’ve ever seen… Here’s what makes this even worse: not only is Rezolve hyper promotional, the company’s also a serial seller of its own shares… Honestly, I wouldn’t try to game the quarter either way. But overall, when it comes to Rezolve AI, I just can’t find much reason to chase the stock’s recent rally. The Rezolve story has a lot of sizzle with a yet to be determined amount of steak. Given that the stock’s up more than 450% from its April lows,
I can’t countenance recommending this one, especially with all the red flags we’ve seen from management. Look, I’d love to be proven wrong with this one. Maybe they’ll report something incredible next week, but I gotta go with my gut and my gut says the risks outweigh the potential rewards.”
Rezolve AI PLC (NASDAQ:RZLV) provides generative AI platforms for retail and e-commerce. It enables brands and manufacturers to engage consumers through personalized, multi-channel interactions across devices and locations.
7. Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (NASDAQ:CRDO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48
Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (NASDAQ:CRDO) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. Cramer said that it is an “exceptional” year for the stock, as he remarked:
“After that report, it’s looking like Credo will be able to put up nearly threefold earnings growth this year. It’s like a mini NVIDIA. It’s a rocket ship…. It’s tremendously profitable with breathtaking earnings growth… All that said, I’m going to give you some caveats because it’s up so much. For starters, this company’s level of company concentration for their customers is way too high… Second issue, lately, we’ve seen some insider selling…
For as long as the data center theme remains real hot, I’d be looking at a pullback like this as a buying opportunity, not a bail. Still, we need to pay attention to the levels here. I think the stock’s become irresistible in the low 120s. That’s where I really want to buy it… Credo’s expected to grow earnings at an almost 200% clip this year. So in theory, you could pay 400 times earnings for this one, but that’s not right. It’s an exceptional year for Credo. If you look out to next fiscal year, Wall Street’s only looking for 24% earnings growth. I suspect those estimates will turn out to be too low, but I like to play it a little cautious with a stock that’s up this much…
Credo Technology Group deserves to be talked about along with all the other data centers, semiconductor network winners… This has got great products and even better financials. I don’t love the customer concentration, but the velocity of Credo’s growth is undeniable, and the stock only gets more attractive as it gets dragged down by the sell-off in all things momentum.
Unlike the speculative plays that are getting hit real hard, this one’s got real earnings, which means it genuinely does get cheaper as it goes lower. You can put on a small position here, that’s fine if you really like it. But I suggest waiting for it to come down to the 120s before you really load up. It’s a special company, but you know what? Price still matters.”
Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (NASDAQ:CRDO) delivers high-speed connectivity solutions for Ethernet and PCIe through cables, optical DSPs, SerDes chiplets, IP, and integrated circuits. The company serves hyperscalers, OEMs, and enterprise markets with products, licensing, and support services.
6. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 67
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. During the episode, a caller asked if they should add to their position in the stock, and Cramer commented:
“Well… I have said, and I’ve been abject about it, that I think I might be wrong in Bristol. That’s why I’ve not added to it. J&J is doing a better job than Bristol, and it’s rankling me. Let’s listen to J&J. We’re not afraid to take a loss if we have to, but we’re not giving up yet.”
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) develops and markets biopharmaceuticals across oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular, and neuroscience. The company’s portfolio includes leading therapies such as Eliquis, Opdivo, Orencia, Revlimid, and Yervoy, among others. During an August episode, a caller noted that the stock has been going down and Cramer responded:
“Yes, it does. And let me tell you how I feel about this: I made a mistake here. I bought the stock, I bought it because they have a drug called COBENFY, which I think is going to be really good for severely mentally ill people. It has not worked. The president is very much, because he’s against these drug companies, it’s not been able to stabilize. I’m trying to figure out an action plan for my Charitable Trust. Have not been recommending the stock. I need an action plan. I don’t have it yet. You and I are in the same boat on this one.”
5. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38
Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. Cramer highlighted the company’s high dividend yield, as he said:
“Next, I am concerned when I see outsized dividends versus the rest of the market. UPS, for example, sports a 7.84% yield, which seems darned high, way too high versus the rest of the S&P to make me comfortable. Something’s awry. You know what, I’m beginning to feel the same way about Conagra with its 7.7% yield. It reports Wednesday.
Conagra makes money. It has a lot of solid brands, but the Street’s looking for down earnings, and that would be untenable. It is time for a statement upside surprise, plain and simple from Conagra. That’s the only thing that will reverse that hideous slide of their stock.”
Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) produces and markets packaged food products across grocery, frozen, and foodservice categories. Its portfolio includes well-known brands such as Slim Jim, Duncan Hines, Birds Eye, Marie Callender’s, Healthy Choice, and Reddi-wip.
4. NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 81
NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. Cramer noted that the company’s new CEO is someone he respects. He stated:
“Tuesday night, we hear from the most important company of the week, and that’s Nike. This company’s being reinvented by a new CEO and old Nike hand, Elliott Hill, whom I’ve met and I respect. I don’t know if this will be the breakout quarter, but there will be a breakout for Nike, and you have to buy it ahead of that, as I’ve told members of the CNBC Investing Club.”
NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) designs, develops, and markets athletic and casual footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories under brands like NIKE, Jordan, and Converse. When a caller inquired about the company during a July episode, Cramer replied:
“I think Nike’s going to be a long-term turn. I think that there was a lot of damage done, and a lot of the competitors came in and really like On, and we know that New Balance got strong and HOKA got strong. So it’s going to, there’s more competition. It’s going to take a little longer than expected, but ultimately, I think that Elliot Hill is making all the right moves, and you will be fine.”
3. Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 50
Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. Cramer said that the company’s earnings will reveal the state of the economy, as he remarked:
“Tuesday morning, we hear from a company I think that tells you more about the state of the economy than almost any other, and that is Paychex, which you’re quite familiar with if you watch the show, payroll processor and human resources company for millions of small and medium-sized businesses, proverbial backbone of America. Now, it’s not as important as the non-farm payroll numbers Friday, but I think Paychex tells you, it tells you it straight. I devour the report every quarter.”
Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) provides human capital management solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, covering payroll, HR, benefits, retirement, and insurance services. The company’s offerings include workforce management, compliance, financial wellness tools, and risk management solutions. Cramer mentioned the company during a June episode and said:
“What the heck happened to the stock of Paychex today? Payroll processor and outsource human capital management company that cuts one out of every 11 paychecks in the private sector. This morning, Paychex reported what the Street thought to be a mixed quarter. In-line earnings paired with oh-so slightly lower than expected revenue, which would’ve been fine but… people thought that maybe their full year forecast for revenue, little light…
On the other hand, the earnings forecast was fantastic. It seems crazy to me that the stock plunged 9% today in response to those numbers, making it the worst-performing in the S&P 500. I mean, some of this disturbance might be because the company recently closed on a $4.1 billion acquisition of Paycor, a company, you know I like very much, and maybe that makes their financials a little harder to understand today. 9% still feels excessive to me.”
2. Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE:CCL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 69
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE:CCL) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. Cramer said that he thinks the stock’s “super bull market mode” can continue. He commented:
“Now, we got a game plan. Let’s get to it. On Monday, we’ve got reports from two oddly important companies, Carnival and Jefferies. Carnival, along with the rest of the cruise industry, has been in super bull market mode ever since the end of COVID. Can it continue? I actually think so, led by Royal, by the way, because consumers know that cruises are relative bargains when it comes to leisure travel.”
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE:CCL) operates global cruise lines and leisure travel services under brands such as Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Cunard, and Costa. The company reported its earnings on September 29, posting a non-GAAP EPS of $1.43, outperforming estimates by $0.11. The company’s revenue of $8.15 billion was up 3.2% year-over-year and beat estimates by $40 million. Moreover, it reported record third-quarter customer deposits at $7.1 billion.
1. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 49
Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his take on. Cramer said that the company’s earnings will illuminate if the significant banking deals are “justified.” He commented:
“Now, we got a game plan. Let’s get to it. On Monday, we’ve got reports from two oddly important companies, Carnival and Jefferies… Jefferies is a boutique investment bank that does a ton of financing. The investment houses have been among the best performers in this market… There are just huge banking deals everywhere. Jefferies will help us figure out if these moves are justified.”
Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) provides investment banking, capital markets, and asset management services, including M&A advisory, underwriting, trading, lending, and wealth management. The company offers brokerage, research, and alternative investment platforms serving corporations, institutions, and governments. Cramer discussed the company in a January episode and said:
“Let me just tell you this, I think that Jefferies had a surprisingly bad quarter. I think Goldman Sachs had a surprisingly good quarter. So here’s what we do, even as I just think the world of the CEO of Jefferies, I want you to sell Jefferies and I want you to buy Goldman. Goldman’s cheaper. Goldman’s better.”
Since the above comment was aired, the company’s stock is down around 12.5%.
While we acknowledge the potential of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that 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 JEF and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below.
