Jim Cramer, the host of Mad Money, offered his insights into the market’s recent performance, highlighting why the tech-heavy Nasdaq failed to make a strong rebound. He pointed to a unique combination of factors contributing to the setback: the influence of the U.S. government and the actions of Mark Zuckerberg. Cramer drew a parallel between the tech sector and the pharmaceutical industry, which similarly faces increasing scrutiny and restrictions from federal authorities.
After attending the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, Cramer expressed his optimism about the future of medicine. Despite the promising developments in the healthcare space, he pointed out that the U.S. government doesn’t appear to be particularly favorable toward executives in the industry, who are investing heavily in research and development. He noted that while these companies are spending billions on R&D, they still find themselves under fire, with the Biden administration targeting major drugs as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
“We are in some weird moment where the two best industries we have are in the crosshairs of the federal government with Mark Zuckerberg aiding and abetting the prosecution. The drug companies managed to rally today because we heard their side of the story. But tech, the tag team of the government and Meta may have been too much for everyone. At the end of the day though, buyers finally came in to find bargains in the semis and software and the drug stocks, only the drug stocks finished in the green.”
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“At the same time, I sure didn’t like what I saw when I watched the Joe Rogan Experience this weekend when a very unfettered Mark Zuckerberg… took some shots, I would say cheap shots, I mean just terrible, at Apple that made me want to throw a yellow flag 15 yards on sportsmanlike conduct.”
What bothered Cramer even more, however, was the U.S. government’s increasing intervention in the semiconductor industry, which he felt undermined the efforts of experts like Jensen Huang. Over the weekend, new restrictions were put in place that limited the number of GPUs companies could sell, further complicating the situation for the tech sector.
“The bottom line: Are the charges against these two industries just glancing blows? Nah, this was just one day where the bond market didn’t crush every stock.”
Jim Cramer’s Lightning Round: 7 Stocks Under the Spotlight
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 7 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the recent episode of Mad Money on January 13. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment as of the third quarter, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of 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 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Jim Cramer’s Lightning Round: 7 Stocks Under the Spotlight
7. Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16
Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative treatments for chronic Hepatitis B virus infections and antiviral medicines, including for COVID-19. Cramer compared investing in the stock to a risky bet in a casino or a football game.
“Okay, this is the ultimate spec. It’s a $3 stock. It loses money. You know, you could go to the casino, you could play in any kind of touchdown for a series of tight ends for the Eagles or you could buy Arbutus. Take your pick.”
Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS) is looking to address its financial challenges. For 2025, the company projects a significant reduction in net cash burn, expecting it to range between $47 and $50 million, compared to approximately $65 million in 2024, according to unaudited figures.
6. Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE:ASPN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 18
When a caller asked about Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE:ASPN), Cramer called it a “big cyclical stock” and advised to be slow in buying the stock.
“I mean it’s a big cyclical stock that you know, may be good may be bad. You need the Fed to cut rates 17 times for that to happen. Okay, I mean, maybe 42 times. I would be very slow in buying that stock.”
Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) designs and manufactures aerogel insulation products, primarily serving the energy infrastructure and sustainable materials markets. Back in August 2024, Cramer said:
“We all recognize that the cyclical stocks the ones that benefit from rates can go higher, maybe much higher… The rate cut winners are divided into two camps: the stocks with high dividend yields and the cyclical companies with earnings that should go higher because lower rates will bolster all sorts of industries.”
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