When there's no place to hide and every stock is going down at once, that doesn't have anything to do with the companies themselves, Jim Cramer told his Mad Money viewers Monday. All investors care about is inflation, Cramer continued, but if you wait for inflation to be broken, it'll be too late to buy.
Today gave investors a chance to buy shares in great American companies at incredible prices. Shares of American Express (AXP) were slaughtered today, despite the fact the company smashed estimates and told a great reopening story. Shares of Coca-Cola (KO) also beat earnings, but ended the day down 1.8%.
Visa (V) delivered commanding results, but investors were unwilling to reward those results. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) spiked from $177 a share to $186, but quickly slipped back to $177.
Investors are simply paying less for everything, including Goldman Sachs (GS), which now trades for just eight times earnings, down from nine times earnings. Investors don't care that Nike (NKE) or UnitedHealth Group (UNH) had remarkable quarters.
But while the pain in these great American companies isn't over, investors cannot wait forever to buy, Cramer concluded. Once inflation is finally broken, there won't be time to buy. The time to start considering buying is now.
Executive Decision: AeroVironment
In his first "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer spoke with Wahid Nawabi, chairman, president and CEO of AeroVironment (AVAV), the industrial and military drone maker that's playing an important role in the conflict in Ukraine.
Nawabi said AeroVironment has the ability to produce thousands of its Switchblade drones to aid Ukraine, but is limited by shortages of parts and semiconductors. The drones are approved for export to many allies, including Ukraine.
When asked about how the drones work, Nawabi said there is simply nothing like them on the battlefield and their effectiveness is unparalleled. The drones can be operated by a single pilot and are capable of taking out a range of targets, including tanks.
Shares of AeroVironment are up 38% so far this year.
Executive Decision II: Best Buy
For his second "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer also spoke with Corie Barry, CEO of Best Buy (BBY), to discuss the gaming cycle and the company's community initiatives.
Barry said that while some investors are worried about the "gaming cycle," the gaming market has grown far beyond just consoles. Between eSports and social gaming, the gaming market doesn't rely on console sales cycles the way it used to.
Barry also said Best Buy is no stranger to giving back in the communities they serve. The company now operates 46 teen tach centers, which help students learn about technology they wouldn't otherwise get exposed to. Whether it's photography, graphic design, video production or coding, Best Buy's programs, which partners with non-profits, takes students from classrooms to certifications to technology careers.
Best Buy has also been active in responsible technology recycling, having processed over two billion pounds of electronic materials. Best Buy will even come to your home to pickup unwanted electronics and ensure they either get refurbished or recycled in a responsible way.
Executive Decision III Five9
For his final "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer checked in Rowan Trollope, CEO of Five9 (FIVN), the virtual assistant company with shares up 9.4% in just the past week after reporting strong earnings.
Trollope said business at Five9 is still the same and his company continues "kicking butt," as it replaces outdated phone tree systems with modern, virtual assistants powered by artificial intelligence.
Five9 helps clients remain laser-focused on their customer experience, by driving automation and efficiency that ultimately leads to customers getting what they need in the shortest time possible. Trollope said customers no longer want to pick up the phone and wait on hold, they want to interact with companies online and via text, all of which Five9 can provide.
Five9 has partnered with big players like Microsoft MSFT and Google GOOGL to ensure their systems are the best in the world.
Lightning Round
In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on SoFi Technologies (SOFI), NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), ON Semiconductor (ON), Edwards Lifesciences (EW) and Magna International (MGA).
Cramer was bearish on indie Semiconductor (INDI) and Tenneco (TEN).
No Huddle Offense
In his "No Huddle Offense" segment, Cramer offered a different opinion for those who feel inflation is now endemic and will be with us forever. "Don't discount the ingenuity of the Federal Reserve," Cramer said, especially at a time when inflation may have already peaked.
In industry after industry he argued, we're already seeing signs that inflation is peaking. Just look at Nucor (NUE) in steel, Alcoa (AA) for aluminum and Weyerhaeuser (WY) for lumber. All are showing signs that we may have already seen the top. Then there's Freeport McMoRan (FCX), the copper miner that's seeing a slowdown in China. Even in trucking, Both FedEx (FDX) and UPS (UPS) are planning to lay off drivers, which will help with the trucker shortage elsewhere and pull down wage pressures.
Finally, there's used cars, where both Carvana (CVNA) and Carmax (KMX) are showing signs that used car prices may have finally peaked.
IF these early signs are true, that only leaves oil, natural gas and housing as inflationary, and housing is already starting to slow as interest rates on mortgages and home prices both rise.
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