It’s no secret: The Investing Club’s portfolio is rich with high-quality stocks. But a select few, which we’ve designated as “core holdings,” stand out among our 30 positions. During Friday’s Annual Meeting , Jim Cramer and Director of Portfolio Analysis Jeff Marks shared the updated list of our 12 core holdings. These are companies that not only have great fundamentals and stellar management teams, but are also some of the top operators in their respective industries. First, the Club added Capital One to the all-star list after the credit card issuer completed its Discover acquisition in June. GE Vernova wasn’t an addition, but we were tempted to include it. Call it “on deck.” Meanwhile, Danaher was removed due to its inconsistent quarterly earnings. It will, however, remain a portfolio stock. The other core holdings, which were not changed, include Apple , Amazon, Costco, Eaton, Home Depot , Eli Lilly , Linde , Meta Platforms , Nvidia, TJX , and Wells Fargo. Here’s our breakdown and updated take on each. 1. Apple AAPL YTD mountain Apple (AAPL) year-to-date performance It’s no secret that the iPhone maker has a slew of headwinds, ranging from increased tensions with the Trump administration, China tariffs, and a lackluster rollout of its generative artificial intelligence offerings. Plus, some Wall Street analysts are even calling for Apple to replace long-time CEO Tim Cook – a take we vehemently disagree with. But we think management can still turn things around. Not only does Apple have a massive balance sheet, but it also makes the greatest product in the world. 2. Amazon AMZN YTD mountain Amazon.com (AMZN) year-to-date performance There’s no reason to swap out Amazon as a core holding. It’s currently our largest position in the portfolio as well. We love Amazon’s booming cloud computing business, along with the buildout of Prime Video. The latter presents the firm with more advertising opportunities, too. Amazon has also been leaning into artificial intelligence to improve its myriad businesses. 3. Capital One COF YTD mountain Capital One (COF) year-to-date performance This is the Club’s most recent core holdings addition. Capital One’s aforementioned Discover deal will be a boon for the stock. Although it’s not quite an industry leader yet, the Discover integration will help Capital One grab share from American Express in credit cards and Visa in the payment networks business. Plus, the credit card issuer has a fantastic balance sheet. There’s a lot of room for buybacks in the coming years. 4. Costco COST YTD mountain Costco Wholesale (COST) year-to-date performance This one’s a long-term winner. Although sales have moderated recently, Costco boasts high-quality products at everyday low prices. The company’s recurring membership fees allow the bulk retailer to garner steady revenues regardless of the macro backdrop. Additionally, it’s a great stock to hold in an inflationary environment. Costco can turn to producers who are charging more, and leverage its premium Kirkland Signature brand against them. 5. Eaton ETN YTD mountain Eaton (ETN) year-to-date performance This industrial conglomerate will remain a core holding because it’s a beneficiary of several secular trends. Eaton, for example, is a key winner of the AI boom. Demand for its data center power solutions continues to rise as more of these energy-intensive facilities are built out. We also like Eaton’s aerospace business – even more so after the company announced its plan to buy aerospace and defense firm Ultra Precision Control Systems last month. 6. Home Depot HD YTD mountain Home Depot (HD) year-to-date performance A big catalyst is still on the horizon for Home Depot. As the Federal Reserve eventually lowers interest rates, this retailer should see a boost in sales. That’s because an eventual rebound in the housing market should drive demand for Home Depot’s tools, home appliances, and other products it has to offer — not to mention its offerings to professionals. Still, the stock has lagged this year. Shares are down roughly 5% year-to-date, versus the S & P 500′ s nearly 7% advance. “I know it’s been a dog, but it’s Home Depot. I have tremendous faith in the company,” Jim said Friday. 7. Linde LIN YTD mountain Linde (LIN) year-to-date performance Time and time again Linde continues to impress its shareholders. It’s not just the company’s great management team. The industrial gas giant can succeed in various operating environments, especially an inflationary one. Linde has the pricing power to pass through cost pressures to its end customers, mitigating potential hits to the company’s bottom line. We’ve seen this in Linde’s track record of beat-and-raise quarters and consistent dividend increases. 8. Eli Lilly LLY YTD mountain Eli Lilly (LLY) year-to-date performance Although Eli Lilly has been a powerhouse in the portfolio for many years, 2025 has presented a different story for the pharma company. Shares have underperformed the broader stock market year-to-date. We’re not concerned though. It’s a multi-year story for Eli Lilly. The Club holding has huge growth prospects for sales with its GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Zepbound and Mounjaro. 9. Meta Platforms META YTD mountain Meta Platforms (META) year-to-date performance What’s not to like about Meta? The social media giant has been a clear leader in AI among our Big Tech names. Meta has been able to leverage AI to increase engagement across its platforms. In turn, the company has monetized this integration by grabbing more share of ad spend from peers. Meta has also recently been on an AI hiring and investment blitz. 10. Nvidia NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia (NVDA) year-to-date performance Nvidia stock remains a key winner of the AI frenzy. The company continues to dominate the AI chip market, and its competitive advantage won’t go away anytime soon. Plus, CEO Jensen Huang is a tremendous leader. “We’re never going to touch it,” Jim said. Jensen met with President Donald Trump on Thursday in advance of the CEO’s trip to China next week. 11. TJX TJX YTD mountain TJX Companies (TJX) year-to-date performance We’re still believers in TJX despite the discounted retailer’s lagging share price. The company sells quality products to cost-conscious consumers, allowing it to succeed when other retail names may not. If this stock were to fall much lower in an oversold market, we’d add to our position. “All I know is every time [this stock’s] had a serious dip, … it’s been time to buy,” Jim said. TJX is the off-price retailer behind T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. 12. Wells Fargo WFC YTD mountain Wells Fargo (WFC) year-to-date performance Wells Fargo recently got its Fed-imposed $1.95 trillion asset cap removed after seven long years of a lid on growth. The removal is a sign of all the progress CEO Charlie Scharf has made with regulators. Now, it’s time for the firm to be on offense. There’s a huge opportunity for Wells to grab market share in investment banking from its Wall Street peers. We see a bright future ahead for its budding dealmaking division. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. 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This bank stock gets added, while another is removed
