Jim Cramer Names 5 Investing Themes and 13 Stocks to Buy for 2026

Jim Cramer named 5 investing themes and 13 stocks to buy on Thursday’s Mad Money. The picks span consumer spending, AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, mergers and acquisitions, and healthcare.

The CNBC host said this earnings season reinforced each trend. Market data shows his selections range from stocks that doubled in 2026 to names carrying double-digit losses.

Momentum Leaders and Contrarian Consumer Bets

Cramer’s cybersecurity names top the group in year-to-date performance. Palo Alto Networks has gained 102.85% in 2026, and CrowdStrike has climbed 89.08%. 

Rising AI-driven threats revived demand after investors questioned the sector earlier this year. Semiconductor equipment ranks close behind. 

Applied Materials has advanced 100.52%, Lam Research has added 68.24%, and KLA has risen 55.44%. Cramer pointed to a shortage of every type of data center memory as the driver.

His consumer theme looks different. Capital One has dropped 12.17% this year, and American Express has lost 8.54%. Ralph Lauren, up 9.10%, also trails the S&P 500’s 13.11% gain. Only Williams-Sonoma outperforms, rising 34.03%.

Cramer argued that earnings from banks, travel companies, and retailers paint a different picture despite persistent concerns about inflation and weaker consumer spending.

American Express, for example, reported a 9% increase in higher card-member spending in the second quarter, marking its strongest growth in three years.

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M&A Revival and the Healthcare Rotation

Cramer also expects dealmaking to lift Wall Street banks. Goldman Sachs posted a 55% jump in second-quarter investment banking fees to $3.4 billion. 

The bank projects global merger volume will reach $3.8 trillion in 2026. Goldman shares are up 18% this year, while Morgan Stanley has gained 22%.

Healthcare rounds out his list as a diversification play. Johnson & Johnson has risen 25% and set record closes in June. His other pick, Eli Lilly, is up 10% this year.

“I just think this quarter’s information is fresh enough that you can pick a travel stock, a semiconductor capital equipment maker, a cybersecurity company, something that works in the M&A world, or medtech, and you’ll greatly increase your chances of making money for the rest of 2026,” he said.

Five of the 13 names sit in Cramer’s own Charitable Trust. That overlap is worth remembering. The themes provide a way to sort a crowded market into five clear bets. The stocks behind them now have to prove the trends hold.

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