On Tuesday’s episode of Mad Money, host Jim Cramer addressed the topic of investing in speculative stocks.
“For years, I’ve hesitated to embrace speculation on the show because so often the most beloved speculative stocks turned out to be nothing more than, well-disguised pump and dump efforts.”
READ ALSO: 10 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar and Jim Cramer Picked 10 Stocks For His Fantasy Stock Portfolio.
Even in the case of meme stocks like GameStop and AMC Entertainment, which saw massive price surges, Cramer said the mechanics behind those rallies often resembled sophisticated pump-and-dump operations. Investors could profit if others bought in at higher levels, but the underlying story rarely justified the valuations. He said his view started to shift when Palantir went public.
Furthermore, Cramer pointed out that in the current market, investors need to pay attention to speculative names that actually gain traction. He noted that there is a significant amount of money chasing these kinds of stocks, and when a company puts out a strong headline, its share price can skyrocket beyond what anyone would reasonably expect.
“There’s never been a market like this, people. It’s certainly going much higher than anyone would reasonably expect, and that money can be yours for the taking.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 9 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on September 9. 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 Weighed In on These 9 Stocks
9. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 159
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. A caller asked what Cramer thought of the stock, and he commented:
“Okay, UNH reminds me, I don’t want to say analogize too much to Google, but you know, when the government gets involved, you do get very, very nervous that something’s really wrong, but UnitedHealth has been going up. If there’s something really wrong, I think the CEO at this point would’ve disclosed it. They did talk about the rankings today. The rankings are good. What can I say? I don’t like to buy stocks that are under investigation, but it does seem to be that, well, I don’t want to say the worst is over because it might not be, but there are some people who seem to know that the worst is over. How about that?”
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) provides health benefit plans, Medicaid and Medicare services, and coverage for underserved populations. Moreover, it delivers care management, health technology, consulting, and pharmacy benefit services.
8. AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28
AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. During the lightning round, when a caller asked about the company, Cramer said:
“No, I don’t like AGNC. I think you’re going to find, over time, you’re just going to get your money, you get the dividend, you’re never sure what they really own. It is not a growth vehicle. I like growth.”
AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) is a real estate investment trust that invests in residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations backed by U.S. government agencies. On September 4, the company launched a $300 million offering of 12 million depositary shares, each tied to its 8.75% Series H preferred stock, and underwriters may buy up to 1.8 million more within 30 days. The shares are expected to trade on Nasdaq as “AGNCZ,” and the funds will go toward buying mortgage and real estate-related assets, hedging tools, and other general uses.
7. Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 47
Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. Cramer said that he remains “very much in the bull camp” for the stock, as he remarked:
“Now, I have been a big unmitigated fan of Casey’s for a couple of years now because they found this great niche. There’s a reason this stock’s up almost 2400% over the past 20 years. These guys intentionally target smaller markets where their gas stations and convenience stores with fresh hot food can become a big draw, and that’s what’s turned Casey’s into a spectacular regional to national growth story… The stock’s now up 94% since I started pushing this thing two years ago, trouncing the S&P 500, which is why I keep going back to the well with this one…
I wasn’t deterred at all, viewing this negative response to Casey’s overwhelmingly positive quarter as a potential buying opportunity for you, as I said on Squawk on the Street this morning, when it was down. Why? First, let’s tackle that unchanged guidance issue head-on. While I obviously would’ve loved to see Casey’s raise its full-year forecast, the company’s only one quarter into its 2026 fiscal year… It’s the chance to buy it without the, what I think is going to be a guide up next quarter… And after this quarter, I remain very much in the bull camp on Casey’s, and it seems like the market agrees…
Okay, so here’s the bottom line: Last night, we got another terrific quarter from Casey’s General, one of my absolute favorite under-the-radar growth stocks. You can buy this one and put it away. While the stock initially did react because management left their full-year forecast unchanged, I think they only did that because they feel it irresponsible to raise their guidance after just one quarter, as many companies do. They don’t want to get ahead of themselves, but everything’s going great in Casey’s, and the market eventually got this one right. Still, after today’s gains, you know what? I think there’s much more upside to come.”
Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) operates convenience stores providing prepared foods like pizza, sandwiches, and baked goods, along with beverages, snacks, alcohol, household items, and fuel. The company’s locations also provide services such as ATMs, lottery, prepaid cards, car washes, and distribution support.
6. CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. Noting that cybersecurity stocks seem to be under fire lately, a caller asked if the club’s price target of $520 is still valid on the stock. In response, Cramer said:
“You bet it is, and I think George is doing, I’m speaking here of George Kurtz, there’s a great interview by the way, Yahoo Finance, just tells you all that you need to know. I think CrowdStrike is in, I think it’s a crouching tiger. That’s what I think it is, and I’m thinking this stock is a $500 stock. That’s how much I like CrowdStrike.”
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) delivers cybersecurity through its Falcon platform, and it provides cloud-based protection for endpoints, workloads, identities, and data through a subscription model. The company’s services include threat intelligence, vulnerability management, identity protection, AI-driven automation, and security operations tools. Cramer mentioned the stock in the last week of August. He commented:
“The market often gets things wrong during earnings season, but sometimes it self-corrects pretty quickly. Take CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity play that we own for the Charitable Trust. Last night, CrowdStrike reported what I thought was a very good set of numbers. Aside from a slightly soft revenue outlook for the current quarter, everything else was just terrific. Yet the stock plunged in after-hours trading to the point where we told members of the CNBC Investing Club, buy, didn’t even wait, just buy. Sure enough, after opening down hard this morning, CrowdStrike came roaring back, finishing the session up more than 4%. It was the fifth best performer in the entire S&P.”
5. Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45
Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. Cramer mentioned the company during the episode and said:
“Sometimes, though, you have a winner right in front of your face and you don’t realize it. When I was at NVIDIA’s big GTC conference… I was checking out the booth of all those companies that were working with Nvidia installing product into the data centers… At the end of the hall in what seemed to me to be a pretty empty booth… this company, Nebius, is a data center builder like CoreWeave. I felt bad for them, like no one was paying any attention to them, so I asked what they did. I sauntered it over there. They filled me in. They were going to be a part of the power solution. I thanked them. Never really thought about it again until yesterday when the company won a $17 billion contract to build a data center for Microsoft in Vineland, New Jersey… Sure enough, Nebius, which had been creeping up, vaulted from $64 to nearly $96 today in a colossal move. Nebius, it turns out, used to be a part of Yandex, a controversial Russian story. Spun out from Yandex, Nebius is controversial no more. It’s just electric, literally.”
Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) develops AI-focused infrastructure such as GPU clusters, cloud platforms, and developer tools. In addition, the company also provides Toloka for AI data services, TripleTen for tech reskilling, and Avride for autonomous driving and robotics solutions.
4. Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36
Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. Cramer made some bullish comments toward the stock, as he said:
“Then viewers urged me to focus on nuclear power. When I looked up over, when I looked over the group, I found one that seemed like a serious spec, Oklo, which is building small form nuclear reactors. Given the high demand for electricity thanks to the data center buildout, which we heard just again tonight with Oracle, and the fact that Oklo’s a company with significant customer interest, I decided to suspend my critical judgment. And I told you that it might take only one positive headline for this stock to rock, and sure enough, a $33 stock gapped up when it was selected for a DoD contract. I don’t think it’s done going higher.”
Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) designs advanced fission power plants to deliver scalable clean energy and develops nuclear fuel recycling technology that transforms waste into usable reactor fuel.
3. Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. Cramer highlighted how his view on the company shifted after noticing well-known names exploring similar technology. He said:
“After Palantir, I got hit with a host of spec stocks and blessed them all. There was Joby, the flying car company. It was in the sevens. I dismissed it earlier, but I discovered that Boeing’s been working on a flying car too. So, who was I to dismiss the idea? The stock almost tripled soon after that.”
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to provide air transportation services, aiming to launch an app-based ridesharing platform for booking aerial trips. When a caller inquired about the stock in an August episode, Cramer responded:
“Okay, I know Joby. I recommended it [at] 7. Now, remember Joby did buy a part of Blade that I think is an expensive part, which is consumer. I do believe that what they should do is raise money. If I were them, I would do a gigantic equity offering. And if you did that, then I would say that… that’s what you have to do. You have to strike when the iron’s hot. Let them, they offer some stock, or let it come in. But I’m with you… I see where it’s going. Let’s go buy it.”
2. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 78
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. Cramer reiterated his $200 price target on the stock, as he stated:
“Everything changed when the stock of Palantir arrived. The defense-oriented software company that relies heavily on artificial intelligence saw its stock rally from… $35 a year ago to $162 today on the strength of a series of very strong reports that vastly exceeded projections. Real stuff. I’ve been around for a while, and… it really isn’t easy to spot new patterns, but as I say in How to Make Money in Any Market, the speculative plays do deserve a place in your portfolio. One, Palantir, which I continue to say will go above $200, can supercharge your entire returns and not just for days or months, but even for years.
When I saw the saga of Palantir unfold, I realized there’d been a sea change in this market. A new cohort of investors welcomes stocks with fantastic stories, and they keep buying those stocks for a long time after the news broke. Historically, good news would produce a ripple in a stock, but now it’s a flood, and it’s almost like an endless flood.”
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) develops software platforms that help organizations integrate, analyze, and act on complex data. The company provides tools like Gotham for intelligence and security, Foundry for enterprise data operations, Apollo for deployment, and Palantir Artificial Intelligence Platform for large-scale data use.
1. Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (NASDAQ:COKE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (NASDAQ:COKE) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer weighed in on. A viewer called in to ask if Cramer had a change of heart about the company, and he replied:
“Well, see here’s the problem: Coca-Cola Consolidated, yeah, it’s a bottler, it’s good, but you know what? I like to buy Coca-Cola. I think James Quincey, his stock is actually coming down. It’s now selling at a market multiple. Quincey’s a really great CEO. It’s one of the few consumer packaged goods stocks that work. That’s my pick.”
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (NASDAQ:COKE) manufactures, markets, and distributes a wide range of nonalcoholic beverages, including Coca-Cola products, Dr Pepper, and Monster Energy, supplying retailers, foodservice outlets, and vending channels across diverse markets. When a caller asked about the stock in an August episode, Cramer replied:
“No, no… no, we’re not going there. That’s just, doesn’t have it. It’s down 10% for the year, and that actually makes sense. It does not have, a technical term that I like to use periodically that I learned at Goldman Sachs, the mojo. It doesn’t have it.”
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