We recently published a list of Jim Cramer Put These 16 Stocks Under a Microscope. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) stands against other stocks that Jim Cramer put under a microscope.

On Thursday, Jim Cramer, the host of Mad Money, shared his thoughts on the president’s recent stance against the “false free trade era,” expressing his agreement with the shift away from free trade.

“Yes, I’m not a big fan of free trade. Yes, I feel that our country has been abused by our so-called trading partners, especially when it comes to cars. And yes, I favor the 25% tariff on automobile imports. Close watchers of the show know that this is not a new view for me. I’ve seen China devastate entire industries in this country.”

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Cramer said that America made a “deal with the devil” in the 1990s by allowing the influx of cheap goods from overseas. He noted that while there is nothing inherently wrong with affordable products, the trade-off has been the decimation of American industries and the devastation of factory towns across the country.

Cramer observed that the loss of manufacturing jobs has been a major concern. He noted that while the decision to import cheap goods may have seemed like a good deal at the time, in retrospect, it has led to significant societal and economic damage. He added:

“Now the president has declared that false free trade era is over, and I’m on board with this even as I wish he could lay out a clear plan rather than rolling out the tariffs one by one.”

He emphasized that if America wanted to bring back manufacturing jobs, sacrifices would be required, including the imposition of tariffs. The most important point for Cramer was the acknowledgment that these jobs, along with the many ancillary positions tied to them, had been lost, but there might be a chance for some of them to return.

“Factory jobs may not be as important these days as every other kind of job, frankly but when we look around our country at all these gutted small towns that have led to such despair, such drug use, such homelessness, the bargain for cheap goods, I think it’s a mistake. I’m glad the White House is finally going full speed in the opposite direction. It’s about time.”

Our Methodology

For this article, we compiled a list of 16 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on March 27. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment as of the fourth quarter of 2024, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of over 1,000 hedge funds.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

A skilled surgeon surrounded by a team of medical professionals performing a Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 67

A caller asked if Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) was a hold ’em or fold ’em and in response, Cramer said:

“I think it’s a hold. It used to be so good. Abbott got some really good news today… and that’s been my favorite. But also Boston Scientific. I prefer Boston Scientific to Edwards Lifesciences, really, really, right now.”

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) offers advanced cardiovascular products and technologies, including transcatheter heart valve replacement and repair solutions, as well as surgical heart treatments for various valve diseases. Wedgewood Partners stated the following regarding Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:

“Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) was a contributor to quarterly performance but only slightly impacted annual portfolio performance. As we noted earlier this year, the Company’s flagship transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) franchise slowed as compared to the Company’s recent history. While the TAVR market is maturing, it is still far from saturated, as recent clinical trial results demonstrated. Many aortic stenosis patients prior to seeking TAVR treatment exhibit adverse symptoms, often prompting them to get the help of a doctor in the 7irst place. However, there is a large population af7licted with aortic stenosis that do not exhibit symptoms which is monitored rather than treated with TAVR. Edwards presented data from its EARLY TAVR trial that showed 45 percent of untreated asymptomatic aortic stenosis exhibited no symptoms, still ended up dying, suffered a stroke, or were hospitalized for cardiac events compared to only 26 percent that had been treated with TAVR. The standard of care for a disease such as cancer is immediate intervention rather than waiting for symptoms to worsen. The EARLY trial could help position aortic stenosis treatment on a similar clinical footing as cancer treatment. Although this is just one study, it adds to the substantial body of knowledge that Edwards has created through its R&D investments, emphasizing how important their treatments are for patients. Edwards is well positioned for double-digit earnings growth over the next several years as they expand its structural heart franchise into new populations and indications.”

Overall, EW ranks 8th on our list of stocks that Jim Cramer put under a microscope.While we acknowledge the potential of EW as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than EW but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.