Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Wednesday

Cnbc · Aug 19, 2026 · 832 words · By Jim Cramer

Investment Advice Political Influence on Markets Stock Market Analysis

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What to know about Investment Advice

Futures are jumping after the Treasury Department said this morning it will more than double the size of its government debt purchases .

Claims checked 22

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Futures are jumping after the Treasury Department said this morning it will more than double the size of its government debt purchases .

Why it matters

Bond yields had been spiraling in recent weeks.

Common ground

This is an obvious Trump administration "put." The administration wants the stock market rally preserved in the worst way, and some might say they're doing it in the worst way.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole, Oversimplification: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Investment Advice story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that JPMorgan argued Nokia's revenue potential in AI has been overlooked by the market?
How does this story connect Investment Advice with Political Influence on Markets over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/19/jim-cramers-top-10-things-to-watch-in-the-stock-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Oversimplification 70% confidence

Reducing a complex issue to a simplistic framing that distorts understanding.

Why it matters: Recognizing oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 22 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 12

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified Verified 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “JPMorgan argued Nokia's revenue potential in AI has been overlooked by the market”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “Target is pulling back this morning despite much better-than-expected quarterly results and an increase to the full-year sales and earnings guidance”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Target reported quarterly results that exceeded expectations and raised its full-year outlook.

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web search NEUTRAL — Target shares climbed more than 6% on Wednesday after the US retailer raised its full-year outlook and reported quarterly results that exceeded Wall Street expectations, signalling that the company ma…
https://www.livemint.com/market/stock-market-news/target-sha…

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web search NEUTRAL — Target’s disappointing results are overshadowing other retailers that also delivered third-quarter earnings on Tuesday. Kohl’s topped sales and profit forecasts and raised its full-year guidance, but …
https://www.windowswear.com/target-is-tumbling-after-disappo…

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web search NEUTRAL — Here are the details: Target reported quarterly sales and earnings that were above expectations, but sales still declined 3% and earnings fell 19%. The biggest earnings decline in 2 years.
https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/target-warns-of-looming-…

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Claim 3: “Moderna is surging over 90% this morning after the company's experimental cancer vaccine, jointly developed with Merck , showed promise in a late-stage trial focused on melanoma”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that Moderna's stock surged (nearly 90%) following positive late-stage trial results for a melanoma cancer vaccine developed with Merck.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Intismeran autogene (previously known by its investigational drug name mRNA-4157/V940) is an mRNA based cancer vaccine encapsulated in solid lipid nanoparticles. The 34 mRNA sequences in mRNA-4157/V94…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intismeran_autogene

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Merck & Co., Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. The company does business as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merck_&_Co.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Moderna, Inc. ( mə-DUR-nə) is an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that focuses on RNA therapeutics, primarily mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use a co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moderna

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Earnings-per-share (EPS) topped expectations, but revenue and same-store sales growth missed [for Lowe's]”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that Lowe's reported adjusted earnings (EPS) that beat expectations, while sales/revenue were below analyst estimates.

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web search NEUTRAL — Looking ahead, Lowe's said it expects 4 percent revenue growth and 3.5 percent same-store sales growth in 2018. It's also calling for full-year diluted EPS of between $5.40 and $5.50, up from $4.09 in…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/lowes-companies-inc-low-getting-t…

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web search NEUTRAL — Lowe's Cos posted weaker-than-expected quarterly results, but kept its forecast for same-store sales growth this year, assuring investors it will benefit once U.S. consumer demand picks up.
https://www.ibtimes.com/lowes-sees-sales-growth-no-recovery-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Lowe’s expects revenue of about $92 billion this year, saying that represents 30% same-store sales growth on a two-year basis. It also said it plans to buy back at least $9 billion of its stock.
https://mvtelegraph.com/lowes-low-earnings-q2-2021-beat-proj…

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Claim 5: “Club name TJX Companies is down over 3.5% despite a top and bottom line beat”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.

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Claim 6: “Merck shares are up almost 7%”

SINGLE SOURCE

While evidence shows Merck shares advanced (one source mentions 1.4%), there is no evidence confirming a specific increase of 'almost 7%'.

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web search NEUTRAL — Merck now expects full-year gross margin of approximately 81%, down from a prior estimate of around 82%, and operating expenses of $42.0 billion to $42.7 billion, up sharply from a previous forecast o…
https://www.investing.com/news/earnings/merck-shares-rise-on…

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web search NEUTRAL — Following the earnings release, Merck shares gained 1.4% in pre-market trading. Key Products Continue to Drive Growth. Sales of Keytruda and Keytruda Qlex totalled $8.4 billion during the quarter, inc…
https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/merck-shares-a…

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web search NEUTRAL — Research Merck's (XTRA:6MK) stock price, latest news & stock analysis. Find everything from its Valuation, Future Growth, Past Performance and more.Price History & Performance. Summary of share price …
https://simplywall.st/stocks/de/pharmaceuticals-biotech/etr-…

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Claim 7: “Wells Fargo cut its price target to $21 from $26 [for Klarna]”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 8: “SK Hynix announced a monster $29 billion stock buyback plan”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “Jefferies hiked its price target to $140 from $129 and kept a buy rating [for J.M. Smucker]”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “the drug distributor [Cardinal Health] issued rosy profit guidance for fiscal 2027”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “New York-listed shares [of SK Hynix] are up over 4% premarket”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “RBC Capital Markets initiated Club name Cardinal Health with a buy rating and price target of $276”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 13: “Moderating coffee prices helped the Folgers and Bustelo owner's retail volumes recover for the first quarter”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 14: “It's now two quarters in a row that Club name Home Depot has turned in stronger results than its chief rival [Lowe's]”

SINGLE SOURCE

While sources discuss the competition between Home Depot and Lowe's, none specifically confirm that Home Depot has turned in stronger results for exactly 'two quarters in a row'.

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web search NEUTRAL — Home Depot is expected to report fiscal 2021 fourth-quarter financial results on Tuesday, Feb. 22, with Lowe's expected to report the day after. Although the latter is making solid progress to gain ma…
https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/02/18/why-home-depot-is-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Home Depot was off 2 percent and did better than Lowe’s, down 8.9 percent.That forecast was delayed by a surprisingly strong first half of the year, with NRF reporting 4 percent growth, excluding auto…
https://therobinreport.com/retailers-get-ready-for-the-weath…

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web search NEUTRAL — Lowe's steady raises from $1.05 to $1.25 quarterly signal a longer dividend growth runway than Home Depot's token 1.3% bump to $2.33. Just released.Growth Record of the Payout. Home Depot has paid div…
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/home-depot…

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Claim 15: “Klarna was downgraded to hold from buy at JPMorgan after bad guidance yesterday sent the stock down nearly 23%”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 16: “New CEO Michael Fiddelke is doing a great job cleaning up the place”

CORROBORATED

Multiple cross-references (Nypost, Denver7, CNBC) confirm Michael Fiddelke took over as CEO in February and is implementing a turnaround plan. Note: Wikipedia mentions Brian Cornell as CEO until 2026, but the live news cross-references specifically identify Fiddelke as the current CEO leading the turnaround.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Target Corporation is an American retail corporation headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Target operates small-format and large-format retail stores and hypermarkets. It is the eig…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Corporation

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Brian C. Cornell (born 1959) is an American businessman who was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Target Corporation from 2014 to 2026. He became executive chair of Target’s board of d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Cornell

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cross reference SUPPORTS — New Target CEO Michael Fiddelke has laid out a turnaround plan focused on sharper merchandising, better guest experience, fast technology and stronger investment in store teams and communities
https://nypost.com/2026/05/12/business/target-replacing-500k…

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 17: “Full-year outlook was cut on a handful of metrics [for Lowe's]”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Lowe's lowered or 'tempered' its full-year outlook on several metrics due to DIY weakness.

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web search NEUTRAL — Lowe's (LOW) lowered full-year expectations on Wednesday as the home-improvement retailer's fiscal s.Lowe's posted sales of $25.96 billion for the three months through July, up from $23.96 billion the…
https://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/articles/lowe-apos-tem…

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web search NEUTRAL — Lowe's pulled back its full-year outlook to the low end of its sales range.The company's market cap has shrunk from nearly $150 billion to roughly $113 billion in 2026. Notably, the contracting valuat…
https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/09/10/lowes-just-hit-a-5…

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web search NEUTRAL — 19), Lowe’s reported $25.96 billion in sales, up more than 8% but below expectations, while comparable sales increased just 0.2%. Adjusted earnings of $4.40 beat expectations, helped partly by tariff …
https://www.pymnts.com/earnings/2026/home-depot-and-lowes-ba…

verified

Claim 18: “Buying trade distributors like SRS has helped immensely [for Home Depot]”

VERIFIED

Multiple authoritative sources confirm Home Depot completed the acquisition of SRS Distribution to capture more of the Pro market.

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web search NEUTRAL — SRS is a leading residential specialty trade distribution company across several verticals serving the professional roofer, landscaper and pool contractor. The agreement to acquire SRS was announced o…
https://ir.homedepot.com/news-releases/2024/06-18-2024-15303…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Home Depot has completed the acquisition of SRS Distribution Inc. (SRS), fueling our next chapter of growth. Here’s how this is complementing our strategy to capture more of the Pro market.
https://corporate.homedepot.com/news/company/the-home-depot-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Home Depot is placing a big bet — a $18.25 billion one. The home improvement retailer said Thursday that it's acquiring SRS Distribution, a Texas-based company that sells supplies to roofers, pool con…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/melissa-repko_home-depot-is-a…

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Claim 19: “Same-store sales growth at its Marshalls and T.J. Maxx division was disappointing”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 20: “the Treasury Department said this morning it will more than double the size of its government debt purchases”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence consists of general Wikipedia entries about the Treasury Department and US territories, but contains no mention of a recent announcement regarding doubling government debt purchases.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Symbols of the United States Department of the Treasury include the Flag of the Treasury Department and the U.S. Treasury Seal. The original seal predates the department, having originated with the Bo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_States_D…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments. The treasury …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_th…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — United States Treasury securities, also called Treasuries or Treasurys, are government debt instruments issued by the United States Department of the Treasury to finance government spending as a suppl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Treasury_securit…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 21: “If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 22: “Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.