Apr 17, 2026 · 44 min
Cramer makes the case for NVIDIA as AI rally laggard
Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer 4/17/26
The episode tests whether a broad market rally can extend while identifying which companies may still benefit from AI infrastructure demand.
- 1Cramer sees improving consumer signals supporting Chipotle after a weak quarter.
- 2Alternative consumer data frames Claude’s enterprise momentum within a crowded AI platform race.
- 3NVIDIA emerges as Cramer’s prospective catch-up trade after other AI infrastructure stocks rallied.
Don't miss
Cramer begins making the case for NVIDIA after surveying the recent gains of other AI-infrastructure stocks.
The brief
A broad rally across technology, banks, retail, and home builders raises the episode’s central question: can momentum continue, or has optimism outrun the market?
Viewer calls move from FICO’s AI-disruption fears to SanDisk and Snowflake, while alternative consumer data helps frame Claude’s enterprise momentum against ChatGPT and other platforms.
Rob Pace of 100X and Cramer find improving purchase intent at Chipotle, linking the recovery to better value and operational changes after a weak quarter.
The AVEX drone IPO extends the defense-technology discussion, while aerospace and natural-gas calls connect domestic energy supply to AI data-center demand.
The standout turn comes when Cramer surveys AI infrastructure winners and begins making the case for NVIDIA as the major laggard poised to catch up.
A lightning round adds sharper judgments on Vertex, ODD Technology, ImmunityBio, AEHR, and Copart, separating conviction from caution across biotech and technology.
What was said on this episode
49 statements · 39 positive · 8 negative · 2 neutral
The market rallied 4% during the week.
“we actually rallied 4% this week”
Listen at 0:40
JetBlue may become an acquisition prospect or be bought outright.
“I think JetBlue will be considered a prospect, if not just an outright buy.”
Listen at 2:21
UnitedHealth will begin a series of major earnings reports while recovering credibility.
“I bet it's going to be the first in a series of big ones from this once pristine health insurer that's fighting its way back to legitimacy.”
Listen at 2:38
Federal Reserve rate cuts would cause housing activity to surge.
“My hope post-war is that interest rates come down. The new Kevin Marsh-led Federal Reserve cuts rates and housing explodes.”
Listen at 2:52
D.R. Horton stock will rise if rates fall and housing surges.
“If that happens, D.R. Horton's stock will react well.”
Listen at 2:59
Cramer recommends buying RTX before its earnings report.
“I buy the stock ahead of the quarter.”
Listen at 3:11
The Trump White House will approve United Airlines acquiring a rival.
“I bet the Trump White House will actually OK it”
Listen at 3:20
GE Vernova will receive firm turbine-engine orders in later years.
“And I think you're going to get them.”
Listen at 4:00
Positive ServiceNow news will lift its stock.
“I think good news will move the stock higher”
Listen at 5:10
IBM will reverse its prior decline with strong quarterly results.
“I think Big Blue will reverse that move with a strong quarter”
Listen at 5:26
Lam Research may deliver the strongest quarter of the day.
“Perhaps the strongest quarter of the day will be from Lamb Research”
Listen at 5:34
Investors should consider selling Honeywell before its earnings report.
“So maybe you sell some this day so you don't get hurt this day.”
Listen at 6:09
Blackstone’s private credit fund performance will be good.
“The answer is going to be pretty darn good”
Listen at 6:24
Investors should wait until after earnings to buy American Express.
“you wait till the end of the day or maybe the next morning to buy American Express.”
Listen at 6:42
Lockheed Martin may report exceptionally strong quarterly results.
“Lockheed Martin's quarter could be a blockbuster.”
Listen at 7:04
Cramer recommends buying Lockheed Martin despite war ending.
“It's a buy here, even if there is no more war.”
Listen at 7:11
Investors should wait for Intel’s quarter before buying shares.
“Don't buy it until you see the quarter, okay? And then you can pick some up.”
Listen at 7:39
Procter & Gamble will report weak quarterly results.
“I think the quarter's going to be weak.”
Listen at 7:45
FICO is less vulnerable to disruption than the market believes.
“I think FICO is not as easily. disrupted as the market thinks.”
Listen at 8:26
SanDisk demonstrated unusually strong staying power after its rise.
“It turned out that it had the rare staying power that I've... Almost never seen in my career”
Listen at 9:43
Snowflake is available at its first attractive price in a long time.
“if you start buying Snowflake down here, you're buying it at what is the first decent price I've seen in a long time.”
Listen at 10:53
Investors should buy Chipotle because its improvement may continue.
“The answer is yes, because this can continue to go this way.”
Listen at 20:00
Drones will be central to future warfare.
“drones are indeed the future of warfare.”
Listen at 21:19
AVEX stock is too cheap and investors may buy at current levels.
“I think the stock's too cheap here, which is why you have my blessing to buy it at these levels”
Listen at 27:27
Boeing is preferable to ancillary aerospace investments.
“I think that one of the things that I find when I'm trying to buy these ancillary plays is I say, why not go with the Big Daddy?”
Listen at 28:07
The proposed Cotera merger is favorable because domestic natural gas is valuable.
“It's a good deal because we want that gas.”
Listen at 28:56
A hyperscaler will eventually acquire a natural-gas company.
“one of these hyperscalers is going to go in. They're going to buy a company”
Listen at 29:06
Bloom Energy is a legitimate investment opportunity.
“BE is the real deal”
Listen at 32:08
Parabolic stock moves rarely persist through the next three or four weeks.
“Almost no parabolic move survives the next three or four weeks.”
Listen at 32:23
Investors should buy General Motors because Mary Barra will manage its powertrain strategy.
“You buy the stock of General Motors and don't worry, she'll take care of whether it should be electric or not.”
Listen at 33:26
Companies will provide enough information despite reduced quarterly reporting.
“they're still going to give you enough information to be able to make decisions.”
Listen at 34:01
Cramer recommends dividing the remaining $25,000 among five investment buckets.
“Then we're going to divide the other twenty five thousand into five five buckets.”
Listen at 34:34
Honeywell is a very good investment.
“I think Honeywell is very, very good.”
Listen at 35:10
Alphabet is an excellent investment choice.
“why not do Alphabet? I think Alphabet's terrific.”
Listen at 35:17
Gold no longer reliably serves as a geopolitical hedge.
“Gold no longer does represent that role.”
Listen at 35:33
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is financially or operationally strong.
“I think Vertex is very strong.”
Listen at 37:01
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a good purchase.
“It's a good buy.”
Listen at 37:09
ODD Technology’s investment thesis failed to materialize.
“the story did not pan out.”
Listen at 38:08
Investors should wait for ImmunityBio to resolve its problems before reassessing it.
“I got to see how they get out of trouble. And then we'll take a hard look at it.”
Listen at 38:45
Investors should wait before buying AEHR after its parabolic rise.
“the stock has run too much. It went parabolic. We have to wait.”
Listen at 39:09
Copart is undervalued and worth buying.
“I want to buy that stock. It's too cheap.”
Listen at 39:27
NVIDIA is the biggest laggard among recent AI infrastructure winners.
“the biggest laggard in the group is the company that invented it all, NVIDIA.”
Listen at 40:33
NVIDIA addresses many problems faced by hyperscaler companies.
“NVIDIA is the answer to so many of the problems that these big hyperscaler companies have.”
Listen at 40:38
Anthropic may currently be NVIDIA’s best customer.
“Anthropic may be the single best client to have right now.”
Listen at 41:39
Anthropic is currently an exceptionally valuable NVIDIA customer.
“You could not have a better client right now than Anthropic.”
Listen at 41:44
Investors should own NVIDIA before earnings and buy on dips.
“I think you want to own it ahead of time. Buy it on any dip.”
Listen at 42:12
Google and Amazon will remain major NVIDIA customers.
“both companies are huge NVIDIA clients. They aren't going anywhere.”
Listen at 42:23
NVIDIA’s total addressable market continues to expand.
“The total addressable market for NVIDIA's products keeps expanding.”
Listen at 42:34
The fourth industrial revolution depends on NVIDIA.
“there would be no revolution without NVIDIA.”
Listen at 43:11
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
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