Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer (01/30/26) – Episode Summary
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode dives into the thick of corporate earnings season, with Jim Cramer guiding listeners through a critical week where nearly 20% of the S&P 500 reports results. Cramer breaks down market reactions, weighs in on the new Fed Chair nomination, highlights under-the-radar earnings winners and losers, and features an in-depth interview with Brinker International’s CEO. Listeners also get Cramer’s signature rapid-fire advice in the Lightning Round and his bullish take on Apple in the face of bearish sentiment.
Episode Breakdown
I. Market Overview & Fed Watch
Timestamps: 01:21–09:09
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Volatility & Pullback: The market experienced a bumpy session with a significant pullback ("Dow dip 179 points. SB declining 0.43%. Nasdaq shedding 0.94%." [01:36]), driven by a dramatic collapse in silver, a dip in gold, and weaker tech stocks.
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Fed Chair Nominee:
- President nominates Kevin Walsh as the next Fed Chair, replacing Jay Powell.
- Cramer praises Walsh’s competence but warns of political risks given the President's assertive approach and history with Powell.
- “He’s dealing with a president who acts like he wants to be Walsh's boss… There's no quid pro quo here, but there could be some caustic fireworks bad for stocks if things really go awry.” [02:03]
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Market Catalysts:
- Next week’s employment report could be decisive; taming wage inflation would be bullish for bonds and equities.
- Defensive sectors outperforming; tech weakness remarked on.
II. Upcoming Earnings Calendar & Company Previews
Timestamps: 03:35–09:09
- Disney: Board could name a successor to Bob Iger—potential bullish catalyst.
- Palantir: Anticipation of a "terrific quarter"; CEO Alex Karp is lauded as a "fighter."
- PepsiCo, Merck, Pfizer: Mixed expectations—PepsiCo’s snack division under pressure from weight loss drugs; Merck’s acquisition streak highlighted.
- AMD: Even strong results might not save the stock in semi selloffs.
- Amgen, Western Digital: Amgen’s weight-loss drug prospects; Western Digital’s data center demand and chip shortages; comparison to Nvidia’s foresight.
- Eli Lilly, Alphabet, Amazon, Affirm, Reddit: Key earnings; Cramer especially bullish on Alphabet (“the coolest of them all”—[06:30]) and Affirm (buy ahead of the quarter).
III. Five Under-the-Radar Earnings Winners
Timestamps: 12:08–18:53
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Southwest Airlines (LUV):
- Stock up ~19% after bullish full-year forecast despite challenging weather.
- CEO Bob Jordan and activist Elliott Management credited for turnaround.
- “They made the airline a lot less customer friendly… but it's working.” [13:10]
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Texas Instruments:
- Stock rose 10% on better-than-expected guidance—signs of an industrial market recovery and strong data center business.
- Company “effusive for the first time since like 1985.” [14:35]
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Sysco (food distributor):
- Stock jumped 11% as management called January “out of the gate strong.” [15:03]
- Signals unexpected resilience in restaurants.
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Trane Technologies:
- 8% rally on strong quarter and bullish 2026 guidance, supported by data center demand.
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C.H. Robinson Worldwide (logistics):
- 5% gain despite weak freight environment; company gaining market share and showing resilience.
Cramer’s Quote:
“Here’s the bottom line… we all know about the Disneys, but what we need to talk about are these.” [18:15]
IV. Five Overlooked Earnings Losers
Timestamps: 20:24–29:41
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The Trade Desk:
- Down 68% in 2025, another 20% YTD, 17% just this week after CFO fired.
- “Wall Street hates it when a CFO leaves out of nowhere… does not inspire confidence.” [20:46]
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United Rentals:
- Plunged 13% after weak results, guidance soft across the board.
- "The stock may remain in purgatory… until investors have confidence in a broader construction market recovery." [21:54]
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Las Vegas Sands:
- Fell 14% on disappointing margins in Macao despite top and bottom-line beats.
- “Way too hard to game… you never know when the Chinese Communist Party will do a new crackdown on conspicuous consumption.” [23:10]
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ADP (Automatic Data Processing):
- Down 1.5% despite clean beat-and-raise; Cramer sees Wall Street being prematurely negative.
- “What’s weird about this one is… the quarter didn’t seem all that bad.” [24:19]
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Roper Technologies:
- Transition from industrial to software stalling; revenue miss prompts stock drop.
- “Now Roper looks like a bad house in a bad neighborhood.” [26:44]
Summary:
“I can’t get to every report from this insanely busy week, but at least you’re up to speed on 10… important stories.” [27:58]
V. Brinker International (Chili’s, Maggiano’s) – CEO Interview
Timestamps: 29:41–37:41
- Kevin Hochman (CEO) Joins:
- Chili’s achieved 8.6% same-store sales growth.
- Company focused on menu simplification, value (e.g., “three for me” $10.99 meal), and operational excellence.
- Guest complaints dropped from 5% three years ago to 2.1%—lowest ever.
Notable Quotes:
- “Take care of your people… they’ll take care of the guests. And then you see the sales come through.” – Kevin Hochman [31:01]
- “We’re the largest tequila purveyor for a restaurant in the world.” – Hochman [32:52]
- “On an everyday basis, we’re about $3 less than our direct competitors in casual dining. About $4 less than all of casual dining.” [34:03]
- “This is sustainable. We’re on 19 quarters of growth… people are still going to doubt whether it’s sustainable and we’re just going to keep delivering the money.” – Hochman [37:28]
VI. Lightning Round – Rapid Stock Takes
Timestamps: 37:52–41:35
Cramer responds to listener questions with quick buy/sell/hold opinions on stocks including:
- Hinge Health (HNG) – Bullish: “Part of the solution, not the problem.” [38:29]
- Rhythm Capital (RITM) – Bearish: “Too risky… We can’t find out what it has inside.”
- Flowserve/Dover – Favors Dover (DOV) as the “better bet.”
- Energy Fuels – Not recommended for nuclear exposure; suggests GE Vernova instead.
- Vail Resorts (MTN) – Bullish: “Buy it. Rob Katz does a good job.” [41:22]
VII. Closing Rant – In Defense of Apple
Timestamps: 41:49–47:23
Main Points:
- Apple’s recent quarter was “fantastic,” notably with 22% iPhone revenue growth in China.
- Street concerns over supply chain and memory chip costs are overstated.
- Cramer reports Tim Cook was “more effusive than normal… made you feel like the future is so much brighter than the past.” [42:51]
- Apple’s supply chain savvy, carrier subsidies, and loyal customer base make it resilient.
- Cramer is bullish in defiance of analyst negativity:
“People are way too eager to give up on Apple… I beg to differ.” [41:49]
“I’ll take the other side of the trade… the one that won in today’s seesaw session.” [47:16]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
- “He’s dealing with a president who acts like he wants to be Walsh's boss… there's no quid pro quo here, but there could be some caustic fireworks bad for stocks if things really go awry.” – Jim Cramer on Fed Chair pick [02:03]
- “You start with having great team members and making sure that they’re taken care of… take care of your people, and they’ll take care of the guests.” – Kevin Hochman [31:01]
- “We’re the largest tequila purveyor for a restaurant in the world.” – Hochman [32:52]
- “People are way too eager to give up on Apple… I beg to differ.” – Jim Cramer [41:49]
- “I’ll take the other side of the trade… the one that won in today’s seesaw session.” – Jim Cramer [47:16]
Key Segments & Timestamps
- Market overview & Fed nomination: [01:21–03:35]
- Earnings rundown and next week’s preview: [03:35–09:09]
- Five overlooked earnings winners: [12:08–18:53]
- Five overlooked earnings losers: [20:24–29:41]
- Brinker International CEO interview: [29:41–37:41]
- Lightning Round: [37:52–41:35]
- Apple closing segment: [41:49–47:23]
Episode Tone
- Straight-shooter, energetic, sometimes irreverent (“Other people make friends. I'm just trying to make a little bit of money here.” [01:22])
- Deeply opinionated but data-driven
- Encouraging listeners to keep a cool head amid volatility
Useful For
- Investors navigating earnings season
- Those seeking candid takes on Fed developments, market volatility, and overlooked stock stories
- Anyone curious about restaurant sector strategy or interested in actionable stock opinions