Apr 29, 2026 · 44 min
Cramer tests tech spending, nuclear power and restaurant resilience
Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer 4/29/26
The episode weighs whether ambitious growth stories and familiar consumer brands can justify their valuations as costs, rates and expectations shift.
- 1Tech companies now need durable growth and spending discipline, not merely earnings beats and raised forecasts.
- 2Brinker pairs sustained Chili’s traffic growth with value pricing while absorbing inflation and operating-cost pressure.
- 3X Energy’s nuclear opportunity is tied to data-center demand, but its volatile debut and distant revenue sharpen valuation risks.
Don't miss
X Energy’s volatile public debut becomes a test of whether data-center power demand can justify a long wait for meaningful revenue.
The brief
Cramer opens by arguing that major technology companies must offer more than beat-and-raise results, examining cloud growth, spending and revenue at Amazon, Meta and Microsoft.
Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman explains how Chili’s reached 20 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth through traffic, value pricing and promotions despite rising costs.
The episode’s sharpest valuation debate centers on X Energy, whose advanced reactors could serve data centers but whose volatile IPO precedes meaningful revenue by years.
SoFi CEO Anthony Noto defends the company’s loan performance and platform strategy while explaining why strong growth did not produce higher guidance.
Cramer closes with rapid-fire stock calls and a critique of restaurant analysts, using Starbucks’ strong quarter and raised forecast as a case study.
What was said on this episode
43 statements · 28 positive · 12 negative · 3 neutral
Oil rose 7% to $160 during the session.
“oil soared 7% to $160 today”
Listen at 1:49
No rate cut will occur despite Kevin Warsh becoming Fed chief.
“there won't be any, even under the incoming Fed chief, Kevin Warsh”
Listen at 2:20
Seagate cannot produce enough disk drives to meet demand.
“they can't make their product fast enough”
Listen at 3:21
Intel lacks enough CPUs to alleviate shortages affecting AI-agent growth.
“it doesn't have enough CPUs to help alleviate the shortages”
Listen at 3:40
Energy supply for data centers is constrained.
“there is a shortage of energy that goes into data centers”
Listen at 4:07
Bloom Energy’s data-center fuel cells are in short supply.
“its fuel cells for the data center are in short supply”
Listen at 4:16
NXP Semiconductor is essential for software-defined vehicles.
“NXP is a must”
Listen at 4:36
Alphabet delivered exceptionally strong results across its businesses.
“Alphabet crushed it”
Listen at 5:07
Amazon Web Services grew 28 percent.
“Amazon Web Services had incredible growth, 28 percent”
Listen at 5:40
Cramer views Meta’s 33-percent revenue growth favorably.
“I absolutely like that the revenues were up 33%”
Listen at 6:42
Domino’s missed quarterly expectations.
“they missed the quarter”
Listen at 8:00
Cramer recommends holding Viking Holdings rather than trading it.
“We do not trade Viking holdings”
Listen at 8:58
Viking Holdings’ $78 stock feels worth approximately $100.
“That one, $78 stock, it feels a lot like $100”
Listen at 9:13
Chili’s achieved same-store sales growth for 20 consecutive quarters.
“20 consecutive quarters of same store sales growth”
Listen at 11:41
Chili’s oversized chicken sandwich is performing strongly initially.
“that dish is off to a great start”
Listen at 14:08
Chili’s sells 161 percent more sandwiches than before the new platform.
“we're selling 161 percent more sandwiches today than we were pre the new platform”
Listen at 14:11
Chili’s prices are $3–$4 below casual-dining competitors.
“we're three to four dollars less than our casual dining competition”
Listen at 16:25
Nuclear power is the cleanest way to power new data centers.
“Nuclear is the cleanest way”
Listen at 18:12
Small modular reactors take much less time to deploy than traditional reactors.
“they take much less time to deploy”
Listen at 18:32
X-Energy’s first fuel facility should be completed within about two years.
“The first fuel facility should be completed within the next two years or so”
Listen at 18:51
X-Energy has $762 million in potential remaining Department of Energy reimbursements.
“the company's got $762 million worth of potential reimbursements for Uncle Sam still in the pipe”
Listen at 20:46
X-Energy licenses reactor technology and sells fuel rather than operating reactors.
“X-Energy has a very different business model than these guys”
Listen at 21:02
X-Energy generated $109 million in sales last year.
“X-Energy actually has a decent amount of revenue, with $109 million in sales last year”
Listen at 21:20
X-Energy recorded a $213 million loss last year.
“the company's still burning money in terms of profitability. We're talking about $213 million loss last year”
Listen at 21:40
X-Energy has approximately $1.4 billion in cash equivalents after its IPO.
“they now have roughly $1.4 billion in cash equivalents”
Listen at 21:58
X-Energy’s IPO debuted strongly above its offering range.
“X Energy came public with a bang”
Listen at 22:18
X-Energy’s market valuation is approximately $12 billion.
“X Energy is being valued at around $12 billion”
Listen at 22:57
X-Energy is at least a year from substantial revenue and years from profits.
“we're at least a year away from substantial revenues and maybe years away from profits”
Listen at 23:04
If X-Energy succeeds, its stock will offer high rewards.
“if X Energy does pan out and become a major player in America's nuclear energy renaissance, then it is going to be a high reward stock”
Listen at 23:16
Cramer recommends X-Energy for nuclear-power speculation.
“I think X Energy is the way to go”
Listen at 23:52
X-Energy stock could fall sharply after adverse developments.
“this stock will be crushed”
Listen at 24:06
Cramer recommends buying GE Aerospace now.
“I think you should buy it right here”
Listen at 24:44
AT&T provides income but lacks growth.
“the growth side is not there”
Listen at 25:24
Cramer prefers master limited partnerships for growth and income.
“I would prefer you own a master limited partnership”
Listen at 25:31
Cramer plans to research Monarch Casino.
“I think I should check out Monarch”
Listen at 35:41
Cramer recommends avoiding Ciena after its sharp rise.
“I'm going to have to hold off”
Listen at 36:55
Cramer advises against Applied Digital because it is unprofitable.
“I'm going to say no to apply digital”
Listen at 37:47
Cramer rates Flagstar Bank a hold.
“I'm going to give you a hold”
Listen at 38:02
Cramer strongly approves MP Materials.
“I like it very much”
Listen at 39:05
Cramer advises investors to avoid the unnamed survey-related stock.
“I don't want you in that stock”
Listen at 39:38
Improving Starbucks service issues increases customers’ willingness to purchase.
“You fix all the service issues, and then the customer wants to splurge for a Starbucks”
Listen at 41:18
Starbucks stock will become cheap once margins improve.
“Once Brian gets these margins in the right place, which he will, this stock will become cheap, cheap, cheap”
Listen at 42:11
Cramer expects Starbucks stock to continue benefiting from the turnaround.
“that's exactly what I think will happen with the stock. of Starbucks”
Listen at 43:27
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.
Books & mentions
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