When the market performs like it did on Wednesday – a day that looked like it was torn right out of the pages of 1990 when the banking system and commercial real estate almost died – investors need truly safe, indestructible companies and ones with incredibly rapid growth to weather the storm, Cramer said.
Coke and Altria are two of Cramer’s “indestructables.” They are safe in almost any environment, he said. In 1990, when the Dow dropped 11% and the S&P lost 13% stocks like KO and MO either made investors money or at least allowed them to break even.
And why not pick up some biotech for growth? Celgene , a perennial favorite of Cramer’s is growing at a 50% clip. The diagnostic company Inverness Medical works here too, he said. Tech is the big growth story these days, and Intuitive Surgical and Google are some of its best performers. Wait for pullbacks before buying those names, Cramer advised.
There’s also ways to make money off the volatility in the market. Think CME Group , better known as the Chicago Merc, which just reported stellar earnings. CME is a safe haven because it’s where people go to hedge their financial bets, Cramer said.
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