Out of the many memes that emerged in the stock market in recent years, the notion that Jim Cramer – the host of Mad Money and former hedge fund manager – is generally wrong is one of the most persistent.
Such an idea has led to the creation of two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) launched by Tuttle Capital. The first, the Long Cramer Tracker (LJIM), was shut down relatively quickly due to a lack of interest.
The second, arguably due to the popularity of the meme that whichever asset Jim Cramer recommends is bound to crash, drew much attention.
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Still, as it turned out, the Inverse Cramer Tracker ETF (SJIM) – the fund that took a short position on whichever stock the famous host endorsed – didn’t succeed as much as many likely hoped.
Here’s how much an ‘inverse Cramer’ investment would be worth now
Specifically, the answer to the question of how much a $1,000 investment into the ‘inverse Cramer’ ETF made at the start of the year would have yielded by press time is both easier and harder to gauge than could be expected.
Indeed, early this year, Tuttle Capital was forced to shut SJIA down due to losses.
Furthermore, despite many trading bots and automated strategies that seek to invest opposite to Cramer’s recommendations, the performance of those tracked publicly reveals why the ETF did not survive – they tend to be substantially down despite 2024 featuring an exceptionally strong stock market.
Looking at some of Jim Cramer’s recommendations, the lack of success for ‘inverse’ strategies becomes quite apparent.
Why the ‘inverse Cramer’ strategy was always likely to fail
Even though the former hedge fund manager certainly made a fair share of blunders of the variety that earned him the reputation – for example, in late 2023, Cramer estimated 2024 would be Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) year – his most stubborn recommendation is simultaneously one of the best performers in the last 24 months.
Jim Cramer has been so bullish about the semiconductor giant Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) that he even named his dog Mr. Everest Nvidia.
Simultaneously, the timing of this furry confirmation of bullishness does much to demonstrate why the Mad Money host is still, despite the online jokes, in business.
Though investing $1,000 in an ‘inverse Cramer’ ETF at the start of the year would have led nowhere, a similar investment made to celebrate Mr. Everest Nvidia’s introduction on June 20, 2017, would have appreciated to approximately $21,000 as NVDA shares are trading close to $140.
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