Apr 30, 2026 · 44 min
Data-center spending powers rally as earnings season tests investors
Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer 4/30/26
The episode connects infrastructure investment, Big Tech results, payment innovation, and speculative stocks to the challenge of making decisions amid an unusually dense earnings calendar.
- 1Data-center investment remains a central force behind the market’s strong session and technology-stock discussion.
- 2Mastercard’s post-earnings decline raises questions about spending, geopolitical risk, and emerging payment technologies.
- 3Reddit pitches human-generated knowledge, advertising reach, and data partnerships as valuable assets in the AI economy.
Don't miss
Steve Huffman makes the case that Reddit’s authentic human conversations can become a valuable resource for artificial intelligence.
The brief
Cramer opens with a strong market session and argues that the continuing data-center buildout is helping shape the investment landscape, before turning to healthcare and payments.
Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach addresses consumer spending, geopolitical risks, agentic commerce, artificial intelligence, and stablecoins after the stock falls sharply despite a strong quarter.
Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta face the earnings aftermath, while Cramer frames Palantir as a longer-term investment despite the stock’s volatility.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman argues that anonymous communities and authentic human knowledge give the platform value in an AI-driven internet, alongside advertising and data partnerships.
The lightning round covers Oklo, Gladstone Land, and AST SpaceMobile before Cramer describes the concentrated workload created by the most intense weeks of earnings season.
What was said on this episode
31 statements · 24 positive · 5 negative · 2 mixed
Carrier may begin a multi-year upward move after its latest quarter.
“I think this quarter may be the beginning of a multi-year move for the climate control company.”
Listen at 3:03
Investors should continue holding Eli Lilly shares.
“We've been telling people to stick with Lilly no matter what.”
Listen at 4:46
Apple's latest results do not indicate a meaningful iPhone controversy.
“I think that Apple is having no controversy whatsoever.”
Listen at 7:15
Investors should own Apple rather than trade its shares.
“Apple, you own it. You don't trade it.”
Listen at 7:38
The data-center buildout remains in its early stages.
“we're in the early innings of this build out”
Listen at 8:16
Data-center construction benefits nearly every sector of the economy.
“the data center is a windfall for almost every slice of the economy”
Listen at 8:25
J&J or Medtronic may succeed competitively and hurt Intuitive Surgical.
“I am worried that one of those two is going to hit pay dirt, and that is going to hurt Inclusive Surgical.”
Listen at 9:34
Mastercard's post-earnings pullback may offer a buying opportunity.
“Could this pullback be a buying opportunity?”
Listen at 11:05
Consumer spending does not currently warrant concern.
“So I agree. Nothing to worry about the consumer spending.”
Listen at 12:57
Agentic commerce will change consumer purchasing quickly.
“this will change very quickly”
Listen at 15:37
Agentic commerce offers Mastercard substantial upside potential.
“I think it's a tremendous upside opportunity for us as a company.”
Listen at 15:39
Stablecoin technology will create new payment flows for Mastercard.
“this technology, I think, is going to unlock a lot of new flows today that don't even come to MasterCard.”
Listen at 16:38
Stablecoin adoption will occur worldwide.
“you're confident that will happen worldwide”
Listen at 17:08
Mastercard's current stock price appears unjustifiably low.
“I have to go back and look at it because it's just too low. It doesn't make any sense to me.”
Listen at 17:58
Alphabet's data-center spending currently appears highly successful.
“Right now, that's looking like a great investment.”
Listen at 19:20
Amazon's custom-chip annual revenue will rise substantially.
“That's going to go much higher.”
Listen at 21:02
Amazon's stock will rise.
“I think the stock goes higher.”
Listen at 21:23
Microsoft's disclosures did not justify its projected elevated spending.
“I think Microsoft just didn't give investors enough good news to justify the elevated spending levels that they were projecting.”
Listen at 23:10
Meta failed to adequately justify its AI spending to investors.
“I think Meta simply just didn't do a good job of justifying their AI spending.”
Listen at 24:20
Meta's recent sell-off may have been excessive.
“Maybe the Meta sell-off today was overdone.”
Listen at 25:32
Alphabet best explained AI investment returns; Amazon was adequate, Microsoft weak, Meta unclear.
“Alphabet did that very well. Amazon did it okay. Microsoft didn't quite do it. And Meta, I don't know”
Listen at 25:49
Palantir should be viewed as a longer-term investment.
“I'm looking at Palantir as a longer-term investment.”
Listen at 26:29
Palantir's business is currently performing exceptionally well.
“this company is firing on all cylinders.”
Listen at 26:46
Palantir's growth story is not finished.
“it's not done at all”
Listen at 26:54
Reddit remains an attractive investment story.
“I think this remains a terrific story”
Listen at 27:47
Reddit has become an important data source for training AI models.
“Reddit's basically become a database of human conversations on the Internet. And it's essential for training artificial intelligence models.”
Listen at 27:52
Reddit provides meaningful support to many people experiencing loneliness.
“Reddit is a lifesaver for a lot of people.”
Listen at 36:29
Gladstone Land lacks sufficient growth for investment.
“I want growth. I don't think that they have growth.”
Listen at 38:30
AST SpaceMobile is suitable for speculative investment.
“I think there's a lot to recommend for speculating on space, and that's what I've been recommending.”
Listen at 39:20
Heavy spending is acceptable when companies have a credible path to profitability.
“I made up my mind that I'd be willing to excuse heavy spending if these companies had a line of sight to profitability.”
Listen at 41:18
Investors should sell Seagate and Western Digital shares.
“I say sell, sell, sell.”
Listen at 42:20
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
Some links are affiliate links — PodLume may earn a commission if you buy.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.