Jim Cramer surprises investors with his favorite stock pick

Jim Cramer has named plentifulness of favourite stocks implicit the years. His caller prime was trading successful the low $20s little than a twelvemonth ago.

On June 30, the "Mad Money" big told viewers that Intel is present his top pick successful the market. He credited CEO Lip-Bu Tan with pulling disconnected 1 of the sharpest turnarounds successful caller times.

The timing stands out. Intel shares person more than tripled successful 2026. Then, successful the days close astir Cramer's call, it fell sharply. 

That operation is forcing a blunt question for investors. Is determination inactive country to buy, oregon did the casual wealth already get made?

Cramer says Lip-Bu Tan has "turned this institution around"

Cramer did not mince words. 

"Intel is presently my favourite stock. CEO Lip-Bu Tan has turned this institution around," helium said connected a Mad Money occurrence connected June 30, CNBC reported.

That remark reflected a bigger point. 

Cramer told viewers that Wall Street is present rewarding companies that proviso the AI roar and punishing the hyperscalers that money it. 

He named Intel (INTC), Micron (MU), Marvell (MRVL), SanDisk (SNDK), and AMD arsenic the quarter's biggest winners.

It is besides worthy noting that Cramer's telephone has wealth down it. 

According to CNBC, Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio down the CNBC Investing Club, initiated a presumption successful Intel connected June 3. The Trust has besides added to it doubly since then.

Intel shares person surged much than 205% successful 2026 arsenic CEO Lip-Bu Tan's turnaround gains Wall Street attentionJHVEPhoto / Getty Images

Intel's tally from left-for-dead to marketplace person

Intel's turnaround has a wide starting point. 

In August 2025, the U.S. authorities disclosed a roughly 10% equity stake successful Intel. NVIDIA followed weeks aboriginal with its ain $5 cardinal investment.

The archetypal 4th of 2026 backed up that bet. Intel posted revenue of $13.6 billion, up 7% from the aforesaid 4th past year. 

Non-GAAP earnings per share besides came successful astatine $0.29, acold up of the estimation Wall Street had penciled in, according to the company's SEC filing.

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Intel's dual individuality arsenic a spot decorator and manufacturer is besides becoming a selling point. 

AMD relies astir wholly connected Taiwan Semiconductor for production. Intel, by contrast, is gathering a more localized supply chain. 

The proviso concatenation is backed by federal subsidies and extracurricular investment from Nvidia and SoftBank, according to TradingView.

Related: Jim Cramer turns bullish connected wellness attraction banal aft years of doubt

That structural stake has already drawn extracurricular money. In June, Paul Pelosi, hubby of erstwhile House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, disclosed a multi-million-dollar presumption successful Intel.