Cramer’s ‘Obama-Resistant’ Investment Strategies

Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum. All of them have been tough on President Barack Obama, especially on issues pertaining to the stock market and economy.No matter who wins the Republican presidential nomination, one fact remains: President Obama will be in office at least for the next year – at least. Read on for what Cramer’s “Obama-resistant” investment strategies.By Drew SandholmPublished 24 January 2012When this story was published, Jim Cramer’s charitable trust owned TJX Companies(TJX) and U.S. Bancorp (USB); Drew Sandholm owned the SPDR Gold Trust(GLD).

Photo: Spencer Platt | Getty Images So long as Obama is president, Cramer will be cautious of big bank stocks, especially the international banks. He worries that the Obama administration may seek to break the larger banks up or penalize them to a point that they’ll have no earnings to speak of. In turn, he recommends selling most bank stocks, including and especially Citigroup(C). He does like a few regional banks, though, such as U.S. Bancorp(USB) and Wells Fargo(WFC).

With Obama in office, Cramer doesn’t like most health care stocks.“Even if the Supreme Court overturns Obamacare, the president is passionate about it and he will come right back and figure out a way to re-instate it,” Cramer said.While signs of employment growth in the U.S. have helped strengthen shares of health maintenance organizations lately, Cramer said these stocks have also been helped by the belief that Obama’s health care overhaul will be overturned by the high court. Cramer wouldn’t take any chances, though, and recommends selling managed care stocks like WellPoint(WLP) and Humana(HUM). He’s OK with select drug companies, however.

Photo: Lester Lefkowitz | Getty Images Cramer suspects the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will only continue to get tough on fossil fuels, so long as Obama is in charge. He is very concerned the EPA will ban fracking, the controversial underground drilling technique performed in oil-rich shales.To err on the side of caution, Cramer would avoid utilities Southern Co.(SO) and American Electric Power (AEP), as well as coal producers Alpha Natural Resources(ANR) and Patriot Coal(PCX).

Photo: Comstock | Getty Images While fast-growing countries such as Brazil, China and India, have only watched their middle class continue to grow, Cramer said the U.S. middle class has been evaporating under the Obama administration. In turn, the rich are spending more while everyone else is pinching pennies, he said.“We should not expect that anything changes the pattern of the building gulf between rich and poor,” Cramer said. “Fact of life.”However disturbing this trend may be, it's Cramer's job to help make you some money. Click ahead to see how he suggests doing so.

Photo: Getty Images (T) Bloomberg | Getty Images (B) There is a growing divide between the rich and poor in the United States today, Cramer said. The affluent are spending lots of money, but everyone else is just trying to save whatever they can.In turn, Cramer recommends investors bet on the dollar stores, such as Family Dollar(FDO) and Dollar Tree (DLTR). He also likes discount retailers, like Ross Stores(ROST) and TJX Companies(TJX).

Photo: Getty Images (T) Bloomberg | Getty Images (B) As the rich continue to spend, Cramer sees an opportunity in luxury retailers. He likes Nordstrom(JWN) and Ralph Lauren(RL).

Photo: Anthony Bradshaw | Getty Images Due to the perception that Obama can’t build a consensus around radical cost cutting, Cramer thinks the U.S. could experience liquidity problems during his tenure. After the bond vigilantes are through with Europe’s debt crisis, Cramer thinks they will focus on the U.S., prompting the price of gold to rise.To Cramer, there are plenty of other reasons to own some gold, though. After all, the precious metal is a hedge against global economic chaos. It's also in high demand from emerging markets and central banks. Perhaps most importantly, though, it's very scarce.“This is a scarcity story that’s all about supply and demand. People all over the world want to own because it holds its value when paper currency is being devalued as it all over the world,” Cramer said. “The amount of money that’s being printed globally is outrageous and gold is the best hedge out there against the power of the printing press.”

Photo: Comstock Images | Getty Images (T) Fuse | Getty Images (B) There are a number of ways to gain exposure to gold, Cramer said. Investors could buy bullion, the actual bricks of gold, but only if they are rich because it’s expensive to store it in a depository bank. Another option is to buy gold coins from the U.S. Mint.Homegamers could also buy the SPDR Gold Trust(GLD), an exchange-traded fund that owns gold so you don’t have to. The GLD is probably the easiest and most straightforward way to own the precious metal, Cramer said.When it comes to gold miners, Cramer recommends caution because these companies can make mistakes, like any other business. Even with the price of gold going up, picking the wrong miner might not make you as much money as the GLD could. He can't get behind any miners right now.

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