Mad Money

Companies besides tech can reach megacap status, Jim Cramer says

Key Points
  • It's not just Big Tech that has the capacity to lead the market, according to CNBC's Jim Cramer.
  • Cramer highlighted pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly as one example of a company from another sector that is also successful through innovation.
  • "Rather than bemoaning the limited breadth of the market, maybe we should be asking why other companies aren't joining the club," he said.
No rules that a pharma stock can't lead this market, says Jim Cramer
VIDEO1:5401:54
No rules that a pharma stock can't lead this market, says Jim Cramer

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday suggested that it is not just Big Tech that has the capacity to lead the market. Instead, he said, companies from other sectors need to be more innovative.

"Rather than bemoaning the limited breadth of the market, maybe we should be asking why other companies aren't joining the club," Cramer said. "Who's to say that only pure technology can win here? If you actually show smarts as a CEO, if you have a vision, if you can execute well, then you can belong in the megacap universe, too."

Cramer highlighted Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical giant whose stock hit a new high during Monday's session and is currently valued at about $870 billion.

Eli Lilly's success is due to a variety of continued innovations, Cramer said, including its popular GLP-1 drug. Unlike some of its competitors, the company's massive balance sheet enables high production capacity, he said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also approved Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug last week, marking a notable increase in the limited treatment options for the fatal disease.

The company has also taken steps to prevent a patent cliff by making a series of acquisitions, he added, including biopharmaceutical company Morphic. Eli Lilly announced Monday it plans to acquire Morphic, which is developing a treatment for inflammatory bowel disease.

"These companies maintain their status through invention," Cramer said of huge names such as Amazon, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet and Nvidia. "The question is not why they're so sainted while others get left behind — that's obvious. The question is why other companies aren't doing the same things that Eli Lilly's doing to get in the winner's circle."

"When we talk about growth at Lilly, we focus on creating new and better medicines," a representative from Eli Lilly said. "Our scientific breakthroughs and investments help refuel our pipeline so that we can serve millions of patients worldwide with unmet needs."

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Disclaimer The CNBC Investing Club Charitable Trust holds shares of Eli Lilly, Amazon, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet and Nvidia.

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