Competition heats up for Google, Amazon and Netflix

In a world where the averages are up double digits this year, did you know that Google is actually down 3 percent? Jim Cramer did.

In fact, Amazon is down 20 percent and Netflix is also down 5 percent. Just one year ago, these three stocks were the most popular kids in school.

What happened? Competition is what happened. There is competition in both the company and the stock, leaving these stocks to a world of pain.

Google used to be an island all by itself with no competition. And even though it still continues to dominate, it's left with the pressure to be profitable. Wall Street wants to see results and evidence that Google cares about its bottom line.

"It almost seems, however, that Google thinks those are pedestrian goals. In fact, when you listen on the conference call you begin to think that this company is so big that it might not even care about the quarter. Or even the year," the "Mad Money" host said.

The bottom line is that they need to stop playing around with things like driverless cars and glasses, and start milking the virgin territory of what it owns. Like YouTube, for instance.

Google's stock has now become so cheap that Cramer has to consider it a value play, which is why his charitable trust hangs on to it. Google has been the Internet stock of choice for a long time. Not anymore, with competition heating up from Facebook and Yahoo.

Why? Because these companies play by the quarterly rules, when Google thinks it doesn't have to.

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Amazon learned that lesson the hard way. For a long time this stock climbed higher and higher, regardless of the amount of money it made.

Then Alibaba came on the scene and is making a fortune. Amazon can't stand the heat, and is now withering away. Even the brick-and-mortar companies have figured out the importance of online retail and Nordstrom, Target, Wal-Mart and Home Depot have jumped on board.

Then there is poor Netflix, which used to rule the roost in all non-network programming. Just like the brick-and-mortar companies figured out Amazon, companies like Time Warner have figured it out too. It has come up with thoughtful strategies to beat Netflix at its own game.

People have noticed, too, with Time Warner's stock rapidly gaining strength.

Cramer suspects Google is sick and tired of being the uncool kid in school, and will deliver a number that Wall Street might like next quarter. That is why his charitable trust hangs on to it.

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"But the bottom line on Amazon and Netflix? They don't seem to care at all, and in the supermarket of stocks that means they aren't able to keep up with the competition. Therefore, I just can't be crazy about those two stocks," added Cramer.

Wake him up when management shows they care about what investors care about. Then maybe he will consider them.

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