Companies with the worst numbers suddenly have the best stocks, Jim Cramer says

Companies with the worst numbers suddenly have the best stocks, Jim Cramer says

Strong stocks are in free fall and beaten-down names are on the rise as market players adjust their portfolios to take advantage of a potentially sharp economic recovery, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Wednesday.

"That's thanks to J&J (Johnson & Johnson), Moderna and Pfizer," the "Mad Money" host said. "We're on the cusp of a post-Covid boom that now looks to be pushed forward happening much sooner than expected."

Cramer added that money managers "now want the obvious reopening plays, the ones that are in terrible shape, but could be huge winners as the world goes back to normal."

With the U.S. economy expected to break free from the severe decline it suffered last year, stocks of companies in cyclical industries are having their day largely at the expense of the high-flying growth and tech stocks that rallied through the pandemic. Cramer said investors are pouring money into airlines, cruise lines, hotels and non-essential retailers and diverting funds from the pandemic winners.

The divide between tech and cyclical names, or companies that perform better in times of economic expansion, was illustrated in Wednesday's market.

Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line and American Airlines gained 6.3% and 3.4%, respectively, while Wynn Resorts advanced 1.7% in the session. Peloton and Zoom