Jim Cramer's Mad Money Recap: Nvidia, Microsoft

Why does Jim Cramer like tech stocks so much? It's because they're always innovating, he told his Mad Money viewers Monday.

In Monday's session, we saw two more examples of innovation, one from semiconductor maker Nvidia  (NVDA) - Get Report and one from tech titan Microsoft  (MSFT) - Get Report.

There are two ways to excel in tech, Cramer explained. One way is to innovate, something Jensen Huang, CEO at Nvidia is known for. Monday, the company updated analysts with not only new products, but also with a pre-announcement of better-than-expected earnings. Cramer said Nvidia isn't only challenging the likes of Intel  (INTC) - Get Report and Advanced Micro Devices  (AMD) - Get Report, it's become the most valuable semiconductor company of our day. Nvidia remains a value play, even after Monday's 5.6% run in the stock.

Then there's Microsoft, which showed investors the other way to excel in tech -- acquisitions. Microsoft announced the purchase of Nuance for $16 billion. CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft and Nuance will be helping doctors speed through paperwork to improve patient care.

Shares of Microsoft, which trade for 35 times earnings, suddenly seem a whole lot cheaper, Cramer said, thanks to smart thinking and impeccable timing.

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Eyes on the Industrials

Not all industrial stocks are created equal, Cramer reminded viewers. Some are great companies, he said, but others have great stocks.

Case in point, Boeing  (BA) - Get Report versus Honeywell  (HON) - Get Report, two stocks Cramer owns for his charitable trust, Action Alerts PLUS. Honeywell struggled last year during the pandemic, but the company was buoyed by 30% growth in its safety division, which includes personal protective equipment. Now that the economy is reopening, Honeywell stands to gain from increased business in its HVAC, aerospace and specialty chemicals divisions as well. The stock received a pair of analyst upgrades sending shares to new all-time highs.

Then there's Boeing, which announced another grounding of its troubled 737Max planes that only recently got back in the air after 18 months on the ground. While the headlines of this latest recall seem bad at first glance, Cramer said they're exactly what we want to see from Boeing. The electrical issue is minor, and only affects 90 planes, yet the company is advising an abundance of caution, even though the issue can be inspected and corrected in just a few hours.

That's why Cramer said Boeing should be bought on this latest weakness. Like Honeywell, it stands to benefit from the economic reopening with orders that are strong and interest rates that are low. 

Last Restaurant Standing

As smaller businesses have been forced to declare bankruptcy, the larger ones are reaping the rewards, Cramer told viewers. That's how restaurants like Chipotle Mexican Grill  (CMG) - Get Report can receive multiple analyst upgrades and price bumps in a single day.

It's called the "last man standing," Cramer said, and while it's horrific for the American worker, it's great for those businesses with the balance sheets and the technology to pivot into our new world. Hundreds of thousands of restaurant closures have put Chipotle into a strong market position. The company was already a strong digital player, and now as dining rooms reopen, will become even stronger.

The same applies for Yum Brands  (YUM) - Get Report, Darden Restaurants  (DRI) - Get Report and Cheesecake Factory  (CAKE) - Get Report, Cramer added, along with Starbucks  (SBUX) - Get Report, another winner in the digital realm.

In retail, Cramer said Costco  (COST) - Get Report is one of the last businesses standing. The retailer just posted same-store sales that rose 11%, shocking analysts who assumed sales would slow. Cramer also recommended Amazon  (AMZN) - Get Report for e-commerce and Planet Fitness  (PLNT) - Get Report as one of the last fitness players still standing.

Off the Tape

In his "Off The Tape" segment, Cramer sat down with Zach Bruch and Trevor George, co-founders of the privately-held RECUR, a company capitalizing on the new trend of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens.

Bruch explained that NFTs are digital assets that use blockchain technology to prove ownership. They are unique pieces of digital goods that are unique and last forever. George added that NFTs can represent anything collectable but their utility will come later on as communities are being built around these assets.

When asked about the possibility of a bitcoin-style crash in NFTs, Bruch noted that a build-up and crash is likely to occur as NFTs are new assets with lots of speculation. But, he noted, as they mature, brands will begin to figure out how best to use them and they will eventually represent real value.

The Fed vs. Inflation

In his "No Huddle Offense" segment, Cramer opined on the prospect of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates to tamp down inflation. He said sooner or later, the time will come when Jay Powell will have to tighten. But, when that happens, it doesn't mean stocks will be obliterated.

While it's true that when Janet Yellen raised rates prematurely in 2015, the markets were hit hard. But other times, it took months, even years before stocks began to react. That was the case in 2004 and 2008, he said, and that could be the case again this time.

But it's far too early to begin worrying about interest rates. Without tangible signs of permanent, not transitory, inflation, there simply isn't a need to raise interest rates, which is exactly what Powell has been telling us every chance he gets.

Lightning Round

Here's what Cramer had to say about some of the stocks that callers offered up during the "Mad Money Lightning Round" Monday evening:

Cisco Systems  (CSCO) - Get Report: "I think they're going higher."

AT&T  (T) - Get Report: "Sell, sell, sell."

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse  (RUTH) - Get Report: "I'd be a buyer. That's one of the survivors."

Graphic Packaging Holding  (GPK) - Get Report: "No, that is too much of a commodity."

Fuelcell Energy  (FCEL) - Get Report: "No, that one is too speculative."

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At the time of publication, Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS had a position NVDA, MSFT, AMD, BA, HON, COST, SBUX, AMZN.