On Wednesday, Jim Cramer lauded the leadership of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), saying the visionary brilliance of Mark Zuckerberg and Satya Nadella surpasses even the most elite minds he encountered at Goldman Sachs.
Cramer Praises Visionary Leadership After Blockbuster Earnings
Following the release of second-quarter earnings from Meta and fourth-quarter results from Microsoft, CNBC's Mad Money host took to X, formerly Twitter, to heap praise on the companies' leadership.
"When you read the conference calls tonight from Meta and Microsoft you are blown away by just how smart and quick and prudent and visionary these leaders are," Cramer posted. "We spend so much time bemoaning our leaders, go listen to these people, and you will be very proud."
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Zuckerberg And Nadella Smarter Than Goldman Sachs Alums
Cramer, who began his career at Goldman Sachs more than four decades ago, compared his early impression of Wall Street talent to today's tech executives.
"When I went to work at Goldman Sachs 43 years ago, I thought everyone was so darned smart. They were. But not at the level of a Zuckerberg or a Nadella," he said.
"My head is spinning as I try to take in what they teach. They are extraordinary. Li and Hood are no slouches. So damn proud," he said, referring to Meta CFO Susan Li and Microsoft CFO Amy Hood.
Meta, Microsoft Deliver Strong Quarterly Results, Beat Street Estimates
Meta reported second-quarter revenue of $47.52 billion, beating estimates of $44.58 billion, with earnings of $7.14 per share versus expectations of $5.79.
Microsoft reported fourth-quarter revenue of $76.44 billion, exceeding the $73.80 billion estimate, with EPS of $3.65 compared to $3.37 expected.
Wall Street Analysts Signal Upside For Meta, Microsoft
Meta has an average price target of $759.95, based on evaluations from 43 analysts. The three analyst ratings were issued by Benchmark, Scotiabank and Bernstein, setting an average target of $750, indicating a potential downside of 3.24%.
Microsoft currently holds a consensus price target of $554.61, based on ratings from 31 analysts. The latest analyst updates were provided by Raymond James, Stifel and Wedbush, setting an average price target of $573.33, suggesting a potential upside of 3.17%.
Price Action: Meta shares surged over 11% in after-hours trading on Wednesday, while Microsoft jumped more than 8% during the same period, per Benzinga Pro.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings show that META continues to exhibit strong upward momentum across short, medium and long-term periods. More detailed performance data on both Microsoft and Meta is available here.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
