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Jim Cramer backs CME Group and Fortinet, urges patience on HCA in lightning round

Jim Cramer backs CME Group and Fortinet, urges patience on HCA in lightning round

Cramer praised CME Group's trading-market position and called Fortinet a solid cybersecurity name, while labeling Rocket Lab speculative and saying HCA investors should wait another quarter.

Fact Check
The CNBC primary source 'Cramer's lightning round: Fortinet is good' confirms every element of the claim: Cramer praised CME Group's trading-market position ('I've always liked the companies that are involved with trading because they have monopolies or at least duopolies'); called Fortinet good ('Fortinet is good... they're doing a good job, and I like it'), consistent with it being a cybersecurity name; labeled Rocket Lab 'pure spec' (speculative); and advised HCA investors to 'wait one more quarter.' All claim details match the authoritative CNBC report of the same lightning round.
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Summary

Jim Cramer offered another mixed set of rapid-fire stock calls during CNBC's "Mad Money" lightning round, voicing support for CME Group, Fortinet and Hubbell while taking a more cautious line on HCA Healthcare, Alcoa, Denison Mines and Rocket Lab. He said CME Group was "very good" and reiterated that he likes trading businesses because they tend to operate as monopolies or duopolies. He called Fortinet a company that is "doing a good job," described Hubbell as a "basic, great American company" worth holding on weakness, and said Alcoa has improved but remains a commodity stock. Cramer said Denison Mines has been "not a great stock" for years and does not look likely to change soon, advised HCA investors to wait one more quarter after a disappointing result, and called Rocket Lab "pure spec" while saying he prefers Voyager. The latest company updates broadly matched those views: Fortinet reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and issued third-quarter guidance above estimates on July 29; CME Group posted record July average daily volume of 27 million contracts, up 23% from a year earlier; Hubbell reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings; and Rocket Lab said it won a $397 million U.S. Space Force contract. HCA reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $20.23 billion, up 8.7% year over year and above the $19.40 billion consensus estimate, while Alcoa reported mixed second-quarter results and Denison Mines said it had completed site preparation and started full-scale construction at the Phoenix In-Situ Recovery uranium mine.

Terms & Concepts
  • lightning round: A recurring "Mad Money" segment where Jim Cramer gives fast answers to caller questions about individual stocks.
  • duopolies: Markets dominated by two major companies, often giving both strong pricing power or competitive advantages.
  • average daily volume: The average number of contracts or shares traded per day over a given period.