Jim Cramer: Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate makes these stocks compelling

CNBC’s Jim Cramer advised investors ought to keep an eye on Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine development.

He came to the conclusion after digesting the pharmaceutical giant’s quarterly conference call.

“I came away convinced that they have something compelling up their sleeves. Something that will make you wish you owned a travel and leisure stock,” the “Mad Money” host said.

He recommended Disney, Visa and  Mastercard as compelling buys, on hopes that the vaccine candidate will ease the public’s fears of going out the house and spending money.

Shares of Disney, the entertainment conglomerate that has exposure to both the vacation and cruise industries, are down more than 28% year-to-date. The Visa and Mastercard payments company stocks are down about 11% and 13%, respectively. The S&P 500, by comparison, is also down about 13% in 2020.

“Of course, vaccines take a very long time, but we’ll get there,” Cramer said. “JNJ’s experienced at it. They’re way ahead of everybody else. I trust them.”

Executives of the pharmaceutical giant on an earnings call Tuesday told investors that the company sought to manufacturer between 600 million and 900 million vaccine doses next year, should clinical trials scheduled for later this year prove successful. Johnson & Johnson plans to commence human testing of an experimental vaccine for coronavirus in September and hopes to receive emergency use authorization for public consumption from the federal government in early 2021.

Johnson & Johnson said its goal is to produce 1 billion units of the vaccine annually.

The coronavirus outbreak has led governments to shut down businesses throughout the country, in efforts to stop the spread of the disease. The work stoppage has had a ripple effect throughout the economy, swinging the stock market from a historic bull run into bear levels in March. A bear market is when stocks decline 20% from a recent high.

“The only way to beat this disease for good is a vaccine, one that prevents you from getting symptoms and, more importantly, prevents you from being a carrier,” Cramer said.

There are more than 2 million recorded cases, including 614,400 in the United States, as of Wednesday afternoon. More than 132,276 people have died of coronavirus complications, while more than 507,300 were said to have recovered around the globe, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The travel and leisure industry has been hard hit by the deadly global pandemic. Travel restrictions have wiped out demand for flights and cruises, forcing airliners to ground planes and cruise lines to dock ships.

Health officials, business executives and investors alike have said that developing a vaccine is one of the most important steps to solve the virus. Currently, 70 candidate vaccines are under development across the world, and experts say the soonest that one could be available for distribution would be between 12 and 18 months.

“This virus is not invincible, people, and when we do beat it, you’ll wish you owned some stocks, especially the ones that are currently toxic to your portfolio,” Cramer said.

Disclosure: Cramer’s charitable trust owns shares of Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard and Disney.

Disclaimer