1. Don't expect the market to have a conscience
Cramer says the stock can seem heartless.
Any investor who thinks Wall Street ought to have a heart just doesn't understand how the stock market works, Cramer says. It's his way of explaining why the stock market rallied immediately following protests and violent unrest over the first weekend of June.
“At the end of the day, the market has no conscience,” he said on his show. “Investors are simply trying to make money, and that’s why they’re crowding into the stay-at-home economy stocks because the stay-at-home economy just got a major extension."
The Mad Money host said he worried that the demonstrations and clashes would bring a huge wave of new COVID-19 infections. And apparently, many investors were thinking the same thing, because "stay at home" stocks including Netflix, Amazon and Zoom were all part of the rally.
Cramer says few people invest because they want to make the world a better place. If that's something you're determined to do, you still have ways of investing and saving that reflect your values.
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Learn More2. Focus on 'COVID stocks'
Beyond Meat is on Cramer's COVID-19 index.
"Stay-at-home stocks" are part of the TV host's creation, the Cramer COVID-19 Index of 100 or so stocks that he picked as likely winners during the pandemic.
He recently reshuffled the list. The current lineup includes: Target, whose stores have remained open during the lockdowns; Peloton, the maker of fitness bikes and other at-home workout gear; and Beyond Meat, which Cramer says cut its prices to take advantage of meat shortages.
"If the reopening goes smoothly and the economy comes roaring back, we’re going to need to abandon this whole index and swap into a totally different cohort of recovery stocks," Cramer said. "I don’t think we’re there yet."
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3. Stocks are sunk if the government doesn't do more
The government so far hasn't approved another round of stimulus checks.
Stocks have made a major comeback since March 23, when the S&P 500 closed 34% below the all-time high it had reached just weeks earlier. But Cramer says the market can't keep going unless Congress provides more economic relief.
“Without another package, I know it’s trillions of dollars, we’re just going to kind of sputter out,” he said on CNBC's Squawk Box. "I get worried. It’s just too many people that don’t have jobs, and it’s eventually going to catch up to the market."
Congress has stalled on whether to provide Americans with more $1,200 stimulus checks and other assistance. The U.S. House has passed a new $3 trillion relief bill, but the Senate has been slow to get on board.
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Get Started4. When stocks have bad days, investors should take it slow
Cramer says when stocks go into a sell-off, take your time before wading back in.
The stock market has been plodding its way higher from its March lows, and there have been occasional setbacks along the way. One sell-off came in mid-May after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell first warned of the risk of a drawn-out recession and urged Congress to provide more relief.
Cramer said on his show that when stocks have gone through rough spots lately, they usually last three days — and then investors can get back in slowly, and start picking up shares at bargain prices.
But he said to be careful with some stocks, including the airlines and oil companies. "You know what would save all of these troubled stocks? Bingo. A vaccine," Cramer said.
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5. COVID-19 is great for RV and camping stocks
Cramer says the pandemic will make winners out of camping and RV companies.
The coronavirus crisis has hurt hotels, cruise lines and airlines (Warren Buffett's company recently sold off its airline stocks), but Cramer says some travel-related businesses are thriving.
In particular, he means companies that sell recreational vehicles and camping supplies. He calls camping "the perfect COVID vacation."
"You can still practice social distancing, especially if you’ve got an RV,” Cramer said on a recent edition of Mad Money. “One of these things lets you shelter in place and travel at the same time."
Shares of outdoor gear retailer Camping World are up roughly 600% since March, and Winnebago has rallied about 275%. If you're persuaded to get an RV or your own, be sure to get a cash-back card for the gas station, because the fill-ups can be expensive.
6. Invest in 'the big guys'
When retail giants — including Walmart and Home Depot — recently announced big quarterly sales numbers, Cramer called them "great American companies that are on fire."
"You have them basically cordoned off as essential services," Cramer said on CNBC. "So many other companies, little companies, medium, small, just couldn’t compete," he says.
The coronavirus has given us a "survival of the fittest economy," Cramer says, and the big guys all won. He says if you're an investor who doesn't mind seeing the big guys triumph, you can make money.
The pandemic has presented lots of financial opportunities for Americans willing to go after them. For example, mortgage rates have been pushed down to lows that were unimaginable not long ago. If you're a homeowner, have you refinanced yet?
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