Bet against top managers at your own risk

CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Thursday advised investors to trust big-name executives, especially those at large companies that just reported quarterly earnings.

“You bet against these superstar CEOs and CFOs at your own risk… [they] don’t win every game, but in the long run they win a lot more often than they lose, and counting them is rarely a smart decision,” said the Mad Money host.

“Too often, stocks crash because people who haven’t done their homework are knocking them down for meaningless reasons. Just because stocks are falling doesn’t mean the fall is justified,” he said.

Cramer singled out five well-known businessmen whose companies recently reported quarterly results, acknowledging that investors should not trust every business leader with a good reputation.

“The world is complex, people are fallible, no leader deserves your blind faith,” he said.

Here are his thoughts on each company:

Alphabet

“This is [chief financial officer] Ruth Porat. Titanium. If she says the neighborhood is great and explains it, you don’t just brush it off. … You’re firing clowns selling stock,” Kramer said.

Meta

“Facebook gave billions to beat TikTok; [CEO Mark] Zuckerberg spent only a fraction of that amount and has already created something better. … Is this the guy the bears want to bet against? You can’t be serious, he said.

Ford

“Ford is one of the cheapest stocks in the S&P 500. I would buy it,” Cramer said.

Microsoft

“Buying Microsoft in this stupid flop… was like stealing candy from an adult,” Kramer said.

Apple

“A lot of people traded Apple stock as usual because we heard bad news about supply issues, about China, about dull phones and slow service. [CEO] Tim Cook. … It’s Tim Cook, for heaven’s sake,” Kramer said.

Disclosure: Cramer’s Charitable Trust holds shares in Alphabet, Apple, Ford, Meta, and Microsoft.