“Remember, September is the cruelest month,” the “Mad Money” host said. “It’s been okay — not-great — so far. … Here’s hoping we’ll have a relatively sedate couple of weeks.”
The Dow Jones Industrial Average bore the brunt of the Federal Reserve’s quarter-point interest rate hike Wednesday. The blue-chip index fell 1.7% for the week as policymakers signaled that additional tightening could be ahead. The S&P 500 dropped 0.1%. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite held up better, rising 0.7% as investors returned to the AI trade after an early-week sell-off.
Turning to the week ahead, Cramer said the most consequential corporate event comes Wednesday, when cybersecurity company Okta holds its analyst meeting.
Cramer said Okta CEO Todd McKinnon impressed him during an interview this week at Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference by explaining how Okta’s identity-security technology can extend to AI agents. McKinnon argued that the company could identify individual agents and track their activity, potentially providing a way to stop malicious AI systems.
“It got me thinking, how is it possible that we have all these real smart people at these AI companies, and they have us all worried about a practical cyber solution?” Cramer said. “Why don’t they, like, talk to the cybersecurity guys?”
Before that, homebuilder KB Home reports Tuesday. Cramer expects its results to reinforce the challenges facing the housing industry in a tightening interest-rate environment, similar to what investors heard from Lennar earlier last week.
Wednesday brings earnings from uniform rental provider Cintas and payroll company Paychex, which have significant exposure to small and medium-sized businesses. Cramer said both head into their reports with momentum because that portion of the economy remains strong and has historically been able to withstand the onset of a monetary tightening cycle.
General Mills reports on Wednesday as well, but Cramer remains cautious on the packaged-food company. He pointed to higher input costs, the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and pressure on processed foods as challenges weighing on the business. “I can’t recommend it,” he said.
Darden Restaurants reports on Thursday, and Cramer said the Olive Garden parent can move higher on its strong execution. Still, he prefers Brinker International, arguing that Chili’s owner offers stronger growth prospects.
Off-price retailer Costco closes out the week when it reports after Thursday’s bell. Cramer said the stock has been struggling and he will be listening for signs of whether the retailer is having difficulty retaining younger members. Cramer’s Charitable Trust, the portfolio run by CNBC’s Investing Club, owns shares of Costco.
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