Jim Cramer’s Safest Stock For the Huge Market Selloff

First, Jim Cramer said the market selloff was an opportunity. Then, he said the Trump Administration had made a horrible mistake by rushing to create a tariff system that would hit dozens of nations. His CNBC Investing Club portfolio has at least one stock that has weathered the downturn well. Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG | PG Price Prediction) stock is up 3% this year, while the S&P has dropped.

Cramer recommends purchasing or selling hundreds of stocks over the course of any year. He puts his money where his mouth is. He has a charitable fund. I’ve known Jim Cramer since we were both 20. In the last few decades, he has done as much to inform the general public about investing as anyone active in the same period. I was on the board of TheStreet.com in 2003. Back that far, he adopted the same “educate the individual investor” playbook.

Based on what he wrote and said on TV last week, Cramer did not see such a violent sell-off. He was lucky to have P&G in his portfolio.

P&G has several advantages in a downturn, although some of its products will be affected by tariffs. It has branded items that the public has known for decades. Pamper, Tide, Bounty, and Gillette are household names.

P&G revenue in the most recently reported quarter was $21.9 billion, up 2% year over year. EPS did much better, up by 34% to $1.88. Guidance for the year was for revenue to be up 2% to 4%. EPS is expected to rise 10% to 12%. Management may change those forecasts due to tariffs when the company makes its next earnings announcement.

P&G trades at $153. TipRanks shows that the median call on the stock is a “moderate buy.” Stock price targets range from $157 to $209, with a consensus of $171.

Even with the violent market drop, P&G has done fine.