JIM CRAMER SAYS THIS EARNINGS SEASON HANDED HIM 5 THEMES THAT WILL PRODUCE THE MARKET'S BEST BUYING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE REST OF 2026
"I love themes. They help you craft a portfolio of stocks with the wind at their backs, not in their faces."
Here are his 5 themes and the names he likes in each:
- Resilient consumer: banks, travel, and retail earnings are showing a consumer that's holding up, not stretched thin like everyone assumed. "We've been told over and over that the consumer's totally stretched. The companies are saying otherwise."
His picks:
Capital One $COF
American Express $AXP
Ralph Lauren $RL
Williams-Sonoma $WSM
- AI infrastructure, the equipment side: memory chips are in shortage everywhere in the data center, so he'd rather own the companies supplying the equipment than the ones scrambling to buy scarce memory. "There is a shortage of every kind of memory in the universe of the data center."
His picks:
Lam Research $LRCX
KLA Corp $KLAC
Applied Materials $AMAT
- Cybersecurity: some thought AI would shrink demand for dedicated security software, but rising cyber threats have reinforced why these companies still matter.
His picks:
CrowdStrike $CRWD
Palo Alto Networks $PANW
- M&A pickup: companies are moving fast on deals while the regulatory environment stays favorable, which is a tailwind for the banks running them.
His picks:
Goldman Sachs $GS
Morgan Stanley $MS
- Healthcare and medtech: a way to diversify away from tech and AI concentration without giving up exposure to innovation.
His picks:
Eli Lilly $LLY
Johnson & Johnson $JNJ