On Monday, Mad Money host Jim Cramer addressed the market’s reaction to the recent U.S. debt downgrade by Moody’s.
“Stories like the US debt downgrade story from Friday, they are classic… Stories that scare people out of very fine stocks that could otherwise make them rich. And sure enough, when Moody’s downgraded the debt of the United States on Friday, the last of the three big rating agencies to do so, the market opened hideously as the get out now crowd took action. They fled. Then the market rebounded.”
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Cramer warned that such panic is not a one-off. He mentioned that there will be many other ‘get out now’ calls issued ahead. He said that the warnings often come from sources who either do not fully grasp the situation or are motivated by less transparent reasons. In his view, some are simply uninformed, while others may be experienced short sellers using fear as a tactic to move markets in their favor.
Even if the issues these fear-driven stories point to do materialize, Cramer believes they are manageable. He called out the overuse of the term “stagflation,” often wielded by bearish commentators to provoke anxiety. He acknowledged how difficult it can be to resist the persuasive nature of such arguments. Still, he encouraged investors to stay the course as he added, “You’ll have to stick with me and we’ll sit through this.”
“Let me give you the bottom line: The crucial thing that we in the media can do, and I say this as someone who talks to more individual veterans than almost anyone in the universe, and certainly more than anyone in the media, is simply cool it with the fear mongering and cut off guests who advocate it. A little history and some constructive thought would go a lot further if your goal is not to inflame, but to inform.”
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 May 19. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment 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’s Recent Thoughts on These 15 Stocks
15. eToro Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:ETOR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: N/A
During the episode, Cramer discussed eToro Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:ETOR) and mentioned that he liked it. He commented:
“Then last week, we saw the largest deal since the SmartStop Self Storage offering since weeks ago, and that’s when eToro, an Israeli financial technology company best known for a brokerage platform that’s popular with retail traders, came public in a deal that raised over $600 million in gross proceeds. You can do worse than that… eToro popped nearly 30% on its first day of trading last week. It’s very exciting. It’s coming in a bit now, but remains up more than 20% from its offer price. I like it.”
eToro Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:ETOR) offers a multi-asset platform for trading and investing in various financial instruments, and provides educational resources, investment tools, and money management services designed to improve the overall user experience.
14. CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: N/A
While discussing CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV), Cramer said that it was “priced to move” as he commented:
“Some of the few companies that came public earlier this year have also caught fire. CoreWeave, which looked like a disaster when it barely managed to launch its IPO in late March, has now more than doubled from its deal price. And that’s what tends to happen at the start of a new IPO cycle.
People are skittish, they’re reticent, they hold back, let the good ones go by, then they try to play catch up once they realize they missed out on the IPOs that are being priced to move and have investors win, and that’s what CoreWeave was, priced to move, investors win… CoreWeave… we thought would be terrific…”
CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV) provides a cloud platform that supports and accelerates generative AI workloads through high-performance computing, storage, and networking solutions. It also offers tools for AI model training, rendering, and system observability.
13. Aeva Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEVA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11
Noting the stock’s sudden decline, a caller asked about Aeva Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEVA). Here’s what Cramer had to say:
“Yeah, they got an Airbus contract that’s really good. And I gotta tell you, I think that what’s happened there is people got it. You had to be in it beforehand. Now you’re too late. I have to move on. We’ll find the next one.”
Aeva (NASDAQ:AEVA) develops advanced LiDAR sensing systems and software using frequency modulated continuous wave technology (FMCW), offering high-performance 4D LiDAR solutions for automotive, industrial, consumer, and security applications.
On May 15, Roth Capital raised AEVA’s price target to $17 from $6, after the company reported better-than-expected revenue and a strong outlook for 2025. The firm expressed confidence in Aeva’s (NASDAQ:AEVA) momentum as it begins shipping its 4D FMCW lidar products and expands across major markets.
12. ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 15
Upon receiving a caller’s inquiry about ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX), Cramer stated:
“IBRX is not a great stock, immunity bio. I’ve looked at it for a very, very long time. I don’t like the fact that they are, they’ve been losing money forever. I am not in their camp.”
ImmunityBio. (NASDAQ:IBRX) develops advanced immunotherapies targeting cancer and infectious diseases, focusing on cytokine fusion proteins, DNA and vaccine vectors, and cell therapies. Its lead candidate, Anktiva, is FDA-approved for use with bacillus calmette-guérin in treating certain bladder cancers.
On May 20, Piper Sandler raised its rating on ImmunityBio (NASDAQ:IBRX) to Overweight from Neutral and increased the price target to $5 from $4.25. The firm highlighted the company’s work on Anktiva, t-haNK, and M-ceNK cell therapies, and DNA vaccines aimed at reactivating the immune system to fight cancer. Anktiva has shown a strong start in treating non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, with projected sales of $83.5 million in 2025. Piper believes there is potential for broader use of Anktiva, despite the FDA’s refusal to file a letter for one of its bladder cancer indications.
11. SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21
During the lightning round, a caller inquired about SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN), and Cramer said:
“SoundHound, I gotta look at Professor Ben Stoto, the scientist. He and I often coagulate about SoundHound, there’s a new way to use a bad verb, and it’s not true. Here’s the deal, I think SoundHound is really, it’s not a thing of imagination. They could end up making money, but enough, enough with the SoundHound. Hey, look, I tolerate Palantir. How much can you ask from one person?”
SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN) builds voice AI technology that helps businesses deliver conversational experiences using speech recognition, natural language understanding, and custom voice interfaces designed to serve real-time needs. Earlier in May, Cramer said the following about the company:
“I think it’s a meme stock and I’m just going to call them as meme stocks from now on because… look, you can’t really value it… I can’t help you with something like SoundHound, because it’s a meme stock. It’s going to go wherever the meme people want it to go and good luck with them.”
10. Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28
When a caller asked about Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRL) during the lightning round, Cramer replied:
“Yeah, I was late to this one. This is a very, very good company. I was focused too much on AECOM and Fluor, and Caterpillar. You have a good one there. These are good. We often talk about them. We really like them because that money’s finally coming through.”
Sterling Infrastructure (NASDAQ:STRL) delivers site development, transportation infrastructure, and building foundation services, supporting sectors like e-commerce, transit, and residential construction. The company’s work includes projects ranging from data centers and highways to concrete foundations and plumbing for residential and commercial developments. In December 2024, Cramer made the following comment on the company:
“This stock’s up 120%. Now I will tell you, Sterling infrastructure… It is living off, I think, a lot of the federal money that’s been spent. So, I don’t want to get greedy… Take some off the table and let the rest run.”
9. Zoom Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:ZM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51
A caller asked what Cramer thinks of Zoom Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:ZM), and he replied:
“I think Zoom’s last quarter was actually pretty good. They do have some good apps. My stepson worked there in fairness to fully disclose, and I really like them very much, and I think they’re doing a lot right, but it’s taken them a very long time.”
Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM) offers a comprehensive platform for video meetings, communication, and collaboration, including tools for messaging, workflow automation, event management, and contact centers, designed to enhance connectivity across various industries. In February, Cramer mentioned the company and said:
“Just in 2021, get this, we had roughly 400 traditional IPOs and another 200 SPAC mergers, which originally were meant to be blank check companies that would make a bunch of acquisitions over time. But in 2020, lots of startups began to use SPAC mergers as a way to come public while evading the strict regulations that the SEC, you know, the Securities Exchange Commission places on IPOs.
Now initially there were some very exciting ones that really caught fire. For example, Zoom Video. This one came public in 2019 and then soared to the stratosphere in 2020 once the pandemic made its platform essential, at least during the COVID era.”
8. Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51
Praising the company’s CEO, Kevin Hochman, during the episode, a caller inquired if Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) was a buy. In response, Cramer said:
“Yes, and I’ll tell you what’s most annoying to me, once it started going down, the analysts said, well, you know what, I guess that’s all there, they wrote there, now we’re all bored by how well he is doing. I am never bored by how well a business person is doing…”
Brinker (NYSE:EAT) runs casual dining restaurants mainly under the Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy names. The company also uses a franchise system for some of its locations. Earlier in March, Cramer extensively commented on the company as he said:
“Take Brinker, the parent company of Chili’s and Maggiano’s. We had CEO, Kevin Hochman on the show at the end of January right after Brinker reported one of the best quarters I’ve ever seen. Chili’s had 31% same-store sales growth and the whole company earned $2 and 80 cents per share., nearly a full dollar ahead of the estimates. In response, the stock, shot up more than 16% in a single day, and then it kept running all the way from $154 to $192 in early February. Since then, though, Brinker’s pulled back hard to $141, down substantially from where it was trading before the quarter. So how the heck does the stock collapse like this in a little over a month after reporting a spectacular quarter? Now, some of it’s pure profit taking at the peak. Brinker was up mind boggling 315% over the previous 12 months. Now some of it’s valuation…
We gotta ask, is Brinker worth buying a weakness? Now look, I’ve been a fan of this one for ages. I think the basic story hasn’t changed at all. Brinker’s been able to put up great numbers because it offers customers an incredible value proposition.”
7. McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 67
A caller mentioned that they have had the stock for over 20 years and asked if they should buy more or sell McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD). Here’s what Mad Money’s host had to say:
“No, no. If anything, I would keep buying it every time it dips. I’ve been telling people to buy McDonald’s for years now. We had some people who went, when the stock dipped down to 305, said, oh, it’s over for McDonald’s. They do not understand the strength of McDonald’s, and it’s just an incredible machine. How well it is run. I think management’s terrific. It’s a great stock. Hold on and buy on any weakness.”
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) owns and franchises restaurants that serve a variety of food and drinks. The company’s menu includes burgers, chicken products, sides, desserts, and beverages, with special items introduced through limited-time offers.
6. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 67
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) was mentioned during the episode, and here’s what Cramer said about the company:
“Yeah, they’re now in a good zone. They were in a bad zone for a long time. They’re good. I saw someone recommending, I was watching, you know, Frank’s show this morning, and I was listening to Jensen in one ear trying to, like my third time trying to get it together there, and someone was recommending Edwards Sciences. I looked, I said, smart fella.”
Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) develops medical technologies focused on heart care. The company’s products include transcatheter valve therapies and surgical options for treating valve conditions. On March 27, when a caller asked if the company was a “hold ’em or fold ’em”, Cramer replied:
“I think it’s a hold. It used to be so good. Abbott got some really good news today… and that’s been my favorite. But also Boston Scientific. I prefer Boston Scientific to Edwards Lifesciences, really, really, right now.”
5. Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 69
Inquiring about Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN), a caller asked how investors should digest the news of the company being on the receiving end of a recent cyberattack. Here’s what Cramer had to say:
“Now here’s what I feel about Coinbase: Another stock that I like, and I’m going to give you a twofer, I think that you should also like Robinhood. I like that more than Coinbase because I wasn’t that crazy obviously about the hacks, but Coinbase is doing very well. But Robinhood is doing exceptionally well, and I would be a buyer of Robinhood.”
Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) delivers technology and infrastructure that support the cryptocurrency market. The company provides financial accounts for individuals, a platform for institutional trading, and tools designed for developers. It is worth noting that in February, when Cramer was asked about the company, he commented:
“Listen, sunshine, just go buy coin, just go buy the Bitcoin. Well, yeah. What do we do with the Coinbase? We don’t want the Coinbase, we want the Bitcoin because that could be a, by the way, the, we make that special petroleum reserve slash Bitcoin reserve, that’ll do better than Coinbase.”
4. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 81
Cramer highlighted The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) as the way to “play an uptick in IPOs”.
“If you take a step back for a second and consider the theme in the aggregate, it’s a very easy time to play an uptick in IPOs, just buy the investment bank that’s the best under the sun and that’s Goldman Sachs. Now, of the big banks, they’re the most levered to investment banking, and that includes IPOs and underwriters. We’ve owned Goldman Sachs for the Charitable Trust since late last year, primarily because I thought we’d see an uptick in deal activity this year as the Trump administration replaced the Biden administration.
Now, that got temporarily derailed by the president’s tariffs but now that those have mostly been paused or rolled back, and if they don’t rear their ugly head again, I think the IPO revival is back on schedule, and yes, indeed, I did work at Goldman Sachs in the 80s. Now, Goldman stock’s started this year strong, climbing to a new all-time high in the 670s in mid-February, right around the time the broader market started all over.
But as it became clear that the new Trump administration was going to prioritize tariffs over its more pro business policies, that’s a real negative for both IPOs and M&A, this thing pulled back hard, only falling nearly 35% from peak to trough by the time it bottomed at $440 [on] April 7th. Since then, though, Goldman’s been rallying hard in part because of the IPO market bouncing back and also because there’s been a pickup in mergers and acquisitions….
Of course, the stock got hit today after JPMorgan executives lowered expectations for their investment banking business at an investor day event. But… I’m not worried about that. I think you can buy Goldman on the weakness.”
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is a financial company known for its investment banking expertise. The company provides wealth management and various financial solutions.
3. Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 84
When a caller inquired about Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA), Cramer commented:
“I like it now. You always get it, look, there’s always some guy who wants to take it down. Now those of you who remember, we went long [on] Ernie Garcia, he’s the CEO, in these single digits. I said I had enough. This model’s great. I had bought a car with it.
It was an amazingly smooth transaction. I became a believer, and I have not backed away for one minute, and Ernie knows that. And I’m very proud of it, and we’ve been supporting it, and here it is at 305. Every time it’s gone down, like McDonald’s, we say buy. I mean, it’s just a terrific situation.”
Carvana (NYSE:CVNA) runs an online platform where people can buy and sell used cars. The company provides services like inspections, financing options, shipping, and customer service. The company also manages car auction websites.
2. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 116
Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) was mentioned during the episode, and here’s what Mad Money’s host had to say:
“Was Walmart really supposed to eat all the tariffs that had been put on the goods it carries? It sure sounds like it. Take a look at the President’s posting this weekend, ‘Walmart should STOP trying to blame tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain. Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China, they should, as is said, EAT THE TARIFFS, and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching and so will your customers’…
My understanding is that they negotiated the best deal possible on each item. The company then had to decide how much they could make on these goods when they sold them to their customer. Further, my understanding is that they tried to make it so other items that weren’t tariffed only saw their prices raise a little bit. They blended things to prevent a big increase in price for some specific heavily tariffed products. Good thinking…
I’m willing to wager that given Walmart has price leadership on pretty much every item it sells, the president would most likely end up posting that the other companies should cut their prices to as low as Walmart’s.”
Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is a retail company that sells a broad selection of products. The company provides groceries, health products, electronics, clothing, and store-brand items.
1. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 131
A caller asked if they should add to their position in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) given the announcement of Warren Buffett’s retirement. Cramer replied:
“I think he has got a big bench. Look, who would not have a bigger bench than someone who is his age? He’s got the biggest bench in the world. You know what he has? He has the Jenkins hot seat bench. I like that.”
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-B) operates a diverse portfolio of businesses spanning insurance, transportation, energy, manufacturing, retail, and services. It offers products and services ranging from financial solutions and industrial components to consumer goods and specialty retail. The company’s operations include everything from home construction and aerospace parts to chocolate, apparel, and logistics.
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