Jim Cramer on Devon Energy Corporation (DVN): ‘I’m Holding Off For Now Because Oil Is So Weak’

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We recently compiled a list of the Jim Cramer’s Lightning Round: 7 Stocks to Watch. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) stands against the other stocks to watch.

Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, recently shared his thoughts following his interview with President-elect Donald Trump on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. One of the key takeaways for Cramer was Trump’s comments about China. During the conversation, Trump emphasized his positive relationship with President Xi, which in itself was noteworthy.

However, Trump also remarked that China has not always been a responsible global actor and that this dynamic must change. Cramer highlighted that this is crucial for a number of reasons, particularly the need to protect Taiwan, which he sees as vital to safeguarding Taiwan Semiconductor, a company that plays a critical role in U.S. national security. Cramer also noted that the challenge lies in shifting China’s role from a long-standing adversary to a more balanced trading partner, a task he feels could be difficult given the longstanding trade issues between the two countries.

Cramer further pointed out the complexities of dealing with a country that has exploited U.S. trade policies for years. He said:

“But let me tell you what I think can happen, I believe President Xi needs the U.S. much more than people realize. The Chinese economy is more deeply indebted.”

READ ALSO Jim Cramer’s Game Plan for This Week: 8 Stocks in Focus and Jim Cramer Talked About These 6 Airline Stocks

When it comes to the stock market, Cramer found Trump’s approach to be refreshingly straightforward, without any unnecessary bravado. He also observed that Trump’s openness toward cryptocurrency could have significant implications for the future of the U.S. dollar.

“I also thought the President-Elect had no bluster when it came to the stock market, that was a very good thing… The president-elect’s affinity for crypto will ultimately give the dollar a strange bedfellow. I want our country to be the capital of finance and that means being the capital of crypto too.”

He added that for this relationship to develop positively, Washington would need to address the growing national deficit, which he believes could diminish some of the speculative appeal of cryptocurrency.

“I want to believe that the White House’s attitude toward business is important to the direction of stocks. The current president is often going way out of his way to show his disdain for any business people. But what’s more important is profits so it certainly doesn’t hurt that Trump talked about wanting to cut corporate taxes once again to let more money fall to you, the shareholder. Love him or hate him, you gotta admit that’s good for your portfolio, which by the way, is still the true north of Mad Money.”

Our Methodology

For this article, we compiled a list of 7 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the recent episode of Mad Money on December 13. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment as of the third quarter, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of 900 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 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A group of technicians in hazmat suits inspecting a natural gas storage tank.

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41

Cramer said to hold off when it comes to Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN), at least ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on December 18.

“I don’t know, Rick Muncrief just left it. He built the company. The stock is at its 52-week low, it’s at $33. People expect oil to go down 10 bucks. We heard it from President-elect Trump yesterday. I say to start buying some and I almost put it in the bullpen today for my Charitable Trust in preparation for next Wednesday’s meeting. I’m holding off for now because oil is so weak.”

Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) is an independent energy company that specializes in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids across the United States. Recently, the company announced that CEO Rick Muncrief, a veteran of the U.S. shale industry, will step down on March 1.

Under Muncrief’s guidance, Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) saw significant growth in production, reaching a total of 728,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d) in the third quarter, up from 499,000 BOE/d at the end of the first quarter of 2021. Additionally, according to Reuters, the incoming team of President Donald Trump is already working on an energy package aimed at expanding domestic oil and gas drilling on federal lands, along with offshore lease sales and streamlining LNG export permits.

During an August campaign rally in Asheville, North Carolina, Trump emphasized his commitment to reducing energy prices, vowing to push back against what he described as the “Biden-Harris war on American energy.” He further stated that his administration would focus on drilling and aimed to slash energy prices by half within 12 months, a central part of his plan to control inflation.

Overall DVN ranks 4th on our list of the stocks to watch according to Jim Cramer. While we acknowledge the potential of DVN 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 timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than DVN but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

 

READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock.

 

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