Mad Money 07/09/26 | Audio Only
Speakers
Jim Cramer
— Host, Mad Money
Summary
Jim Cramer argues against simplistic comparisons among mega-cap tech stocks, highlighting unique bull cases for Meta, Alphabet, Nvidia, and Apple. He previews the SK Hynix ADR listing with a buy recommendation on the dominant high-bandwidth memory maker. Cramer turns bearish on PepsiCo due to snack pricing pressure, while endorsing a small-cap AI infrastructure play (Preformed Line Products) and discovering a powerful secular theme in senior housing stocks (Welltower, Pennant Group, National Healthcare). Several individual stock calls from viewer calls—IBM, CVS, Marriott, Carpenter Technology, Weyerhaeuser—flesh out his market views.
- Cramer claims comparing megacap AI bets misses each company's unique advantages.
- Meta Platforms: Zuckerberg capex is justified and could yield huge returns; buy the rally.
- Alphabet: Gemini as default on Apple devices could make Google the AI winner.
- NVIDIA remains the most proprietary chip play, still supply-constrained and undervalued vs commodity chip valuations.
- Apple will eventually deliver AI, do not sell; hardware ecosystem and history favor them.
- SK Hynix ADR is a top high-bandwidth memory maker at cheap multiples; recommend building a position on weakness.
- PepsiCo suffers from snack pricing pushback amid high gas prices; stock overvalued, price cuts needed.
- Preformed Line Products is a small but critical AI electrical and fiber hardware supplier, buyable on the pullback.
- Senior housing stocks (Welltower, Pennant Group, National Healthcare) are riding a demographic supply-demand imbalance with strong technical breakouts.
- Cramer also gives bullish calls on IBM, CVS, Marriott Hotels, Carpenter Technology, and Weyerhaeuser from caller questions.
Ideas
Zuckerberg's capex likely pays off big.
Mark Zuckerberg is a genius; Meta's heavy capex on data centers could produce huge returns by cross-referencing data from 3.5 billion users, monetizing WhatsApp, or other profitable plans. The stock's sell-off on the capex news was wrong, and it rallied $28. Investors should stop comparing Meta to other hyperscalers and recognize Zuckerberg's track record.
Google wins AI via Apple default.
Google's Gemini is the default AI on Apple's installed base of 2.5 billion devices, which could make Google the winner in the AI race just as Google search once dominated through default placement. YouTube and Waymo are incredibly valuable but overlooked; the spending on AI is justified because of this massive distribution advantage.
Nvidia proprietary chips remain in shortage.
Nvidia is the most proprietary chip company in history, at the heart of the data center, with a product the industry envies. They are still on allocation and cannot meet demand. It is insulting that commodity chip stocks like Sandisk have higher valuation multiples on next year's earnings. Nvidia's management is exceptional and the stock is a core position.
Apple will eventually perfect AI, hold.
Apple does not need to build its own AI; it already has a superior consumer product. Google's Gemini is the default AI on iPhones. History says Apple will eventually get AI right. Do not sell the stock, as the company will figure it out.
IBM cheap, CEO doing great job.
IBM is inexpensive and CEO Arvind Krishna is doing a fantastic job. The stock has periodic panic dips, which provide buying opportunities. Buy some now and buy more on any pullback.
Top HBM maker at cheap valuation.
SK Hynix is the dominant maker of high-bandwidth memory (56.4% market share), the hottest commodity in AI data centers. Supply won't catch up to demand until at least late 2027 or 2028. It has a very close relationship with Nvidia, including long-term supply agreements. The stock is cheap at 7x this year's earnings and 5x next year's, despite the massive run. Recent pullback provides a better entry; start with a medium-sized position and buy more on weakness.
PepsiCo needs price cuts, stock overvalued.
PepsiCo's domestic snack sales are under pressure because rising gasoline prices are forcing lower-income consumers to cut back on $6 bags of chips. Walmart and other distributors are demanding price rollbacks. The only way to reverse the slide is drastic price cuts, but the company is reluctant. Until then, the stock is too high and faces a slow erosion of pricing.
CVS Aetna advantage, strong buy.
CVS is a strong buy. The competitive landscape has cleared—Walgreens is struggling and Rite Aid is gone. Only real competitor is Amazon, but CVS owns Aetna health insurance, which Amazon lacks. Aetna is crushing it, giving CVS a unique advantage.
Marriott Hotels long-term growth winner.
Marriott Hotels is a long-term winner with much better growth than Marriott Vacations. The stock is not too late to buy; it has excellent long-term prospects.
Small cap hardware play for AI grid.
Preformed Line Products (PLPC) is a small but critical supplier of physical hardware for the AI buildout—connectors, cable holders, transmission line hardware, fiber optic protection. They dominate heavy-duty grid hardware and are needed for both power grid upgrades and inside data centers. The stock has pulled back from $400s to $340s, offering a nice entry point. It trades at 35x earnings, but given the data center boom and potential government infrastructure spending, it's a great derivative AI play. Analysts project nearly $13 per share by 2028.
Bullish on rates declining, buy now.
Weyerhaeuser is a buy if you believe interest rates will eventually go lower, as lower rates benefit the stock. Cramer is more bullish on it than the rest of Wall Street, and recommends starting to buy here if you have that rate view.
Terrific chart, buy now and on dips.
Carpenter Technology is a terrific company with a great chart. Buy some here and add more if it pulls back. It is one of Philly's best companies.
Senior housing landlord, strong uptrend.
Welltower is a senior housing landlord benefiting from a massive shortage of assisted living units as the 80+ population surges. The weekly chart shows a clean three-year uptrend with strong institutional buying on every pullback to the 40-week moving average. Buy here, but leave room to add on weakness.
Senior housing operator, breakout to $55.
Pennant Group is a senior housing operator using AI to improve efficiency. The stock has broken out above $37 resistance on high volume after a long base, and based on the pattern could run to $55 by year-end. Cramer agrees with the technical call and wants to be in for that move.
Buy on 50-day pullback, senior housing.
National Healthcare Corp is another senior housing operator with a reliable pattern: the stock repeatedly pulls back to the 50-day moving average and then institutional buyers step in. Seven times in the past year this has created buying opportunities. Wait for the next shallow pullback to that average for an excellent entry point.
Up Next
This CNBC video, published July 09, 2026, features Jim Cramer discussing META, GOOGL, NVDA, AAPL, IBM, SK Hynix ADR, PEP, CVS, MAR, PLPC, WY, CRS, WELL, PNTG, NHC. 15 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers: Jim Cramer · Tickers: META, GOOGL, NVDA, AAPL, IBM, SK Hynix ADR, PEP, CVS, MAR, PLPC, WY, CRS, WELL, PNTG, NHC