Jim Cramer Says Starbucks Can Rise On Its Own, Apple’s Audience Is Worth Paying For, And Intel Investors Need Patience

Cramer said Starbucks can drive gains on its own as it “doesn’t build data centers and it doesn’t need its multiple to expand.”

• Cramer expressed surprise that SBUX shares did not rise after its CEO denied rumors of a merger with Chipotle Mexican Grill. 
• The CNBC host noted that Apple avoids the heavy data-center spending concerns weighing on other tech names because of its size and audience.
• On Intel, he said that he remains steadfast that the company “will be a winner.”

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Thursday that Starbucks is “no longer on the mend” and can drive gains by simply delivering strong results, described Apple as “an oddity” whose scale and audience make it worth paying for, and reiterated confidence in Intel’s long-term prospects.

Starbucks Can Advance Without External Catalysts, Says Cramer

Cramer noted the shares sank a week earlier on Chipotle merger rumors. However, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol denied the talks and confirmed the prior quarter’s strong numbers are continuing. Cramer expressed surprise at the stock not responding to the rumor denial.

“This company doesn’t build data centers and it doesn’t need its multiple to expand. It can just blow out the numbers and send its stock higher all by itself. And that’s just what I think will happen,” Cramer added.

Apple Benefits From Product Excitement And Scale, Says Cramer

After testing the two-sided Apple Duo, Cramer said he was “blown away” and plans to buy several as gifts at Costco, expecting the cost to be manageable and likely subsidized by T-Mobile.

Cramer noted that Apple avoids the heavy data-center spending concerns weighing on other tech names because of its size and audience.

“Their heft, their numbers, their scale makes their audience worth paying for. And that’s why Alphabet has done just that,” Cramer said, referring to Alphabet paying Apple billions annually to be the default search engine on Safari and Apple devices.

Cramer Urges Patience On Intel

On Intel, Cramer observed that earlier discussions of Intel CPUs being needed for robots, agents, and self-driving cars have faded even as demand persists, with investors now focused on selling because they view the stock as expensive relative to earnings.

He said he remains “steadfast that Intel will be a winner” and continues to like its foundry strategy, but said he is extending his timeline and will not buy more shares until the stock reaches the low 80s.

How Did SBUX, INTC, AAPL Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around SBUX stock was 'bullish' at the time of writing, while message volume stayed at 'high' levels. Meanwhile, sentiment around INTC and AAPL was 'bearish' at the time of writing.

While SBUX has gained 15% year-to-date, AAPL has added 26% and INTC 158%. 

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