Jim Cramer Says Nvidia Should Follow Apple’s Capital Playbook

CNBC reported Monday that veteran market commentator Jim Cramer believes Nvidia must rethink how it rewards shareholders, drawing a direct line to Apple’s long-running capital allocation success as the chipmaker’s post-earnings momentum stalls.

Nvidia’s Earnings Shine Could Not Save the Stock

Cramer argued that Nvidia’s most recent quarterly results were genuinely impressive by any historical standard. Yet the stock retreated noticeably after the report, signaling to him that outsized earnings surprises no longer move the needle for a company of this scale. The chipmaker had climbed to a record close near $236 in the days before its earnings release, and that peak now looks like a ceiling rather than a launchpad. For Cramer, a company once defined by relentless stock appreciation has entered a new and more complicated phase.

The Apple Blueprint for Mature Giants

The CNBC host pointed to Apple’s approach as the model Nvidia should study. He credited Apple’s long-serving finance leadership with recognizing early that disciplined cash management and consistent returns to shareholders could sustain a stock’s appeal long after its hypergrowth era ended. Apple closed at a record near $309 per share on Friday, up roughly 13.5% year to date, demonstrating that a maturing mega-cap can still deliver meaningful gains when capital strategy is well executed. Cramer framed Nvidia’s situation as an analogous moment: the company has arrived at a size where growth alone can no longer define the investment thesis.

Cramer’s Broader Portfolio Thinking

Beyond Nvidia, Cramer used the column to flag continued reservations about Microsoft in the AI era, noting concerns about its core Windows franchise. He also said he is granting Salesforce and Nike one additional quarter each to demonstrate improvement before making harder decisions on those positions. Cramer called Salesforce’s $40 billion revenue base notable but described its current Club position as a painful one. Nike, he said, earned a minimal reprieve based on commentary from its most recent earnings call.

What Comes Next for the Chipmaker

Cramer stopped short of stripping Nvidia of its “own, don’t trade” designation outright, but left the question open. His core message was that the company’s next chapter should be defined by shareholder-friendly capital deployment, including buybacks and potentially a more aggressive dividend posture, rather than an expectation that earnings beats alone will drive the share price higher. For a stock that has already reshaped the global market-cap rankings, he suggested, the rules of the game have simply changed.

Read Next: Apple Hits Record High as Tim Cook Era Nears Its End