‘CNBC host Jim Cramer said Wall Street could be overreacting to the potential threat of Meta Platforms Inc.‘s (NASDAQ: META) Muse AI agent on consumer-focused industries. Cramer pointed to Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) as one of the stocks “insulated” from AI competition.
Cramer Downplays Threat as Similar to SaaSpocalypse
The new AI-driven disruption called “consumer inertia” is a theory that AI agents like Muse will negatively impact companies that profit from consumer passivity — mainly when people neglect to cancel subscriptions, compare market pricing, or search for better deals.
On Tuesday, Cramer said on the Mad Money show that he was “skeptical” about selling off entire groups due to the belief that agentic AI will cause the “death of consumer inertia” and ruin the businesses that profit from it.
“I think Airbnb is mostly insulated from AI competition,” said Cramer, adding that it was easier for an agent to book a hotel online than to book directly from an owner of a property.
Cramer also talked about how Doordash Inc. (NASDAQ:DASH) was impacted by AI-displacement worries and its stock had tanked a few months ago, but since then it had rebounded.
Cramer said that he doesn’t think people would want to share their bank information with these agents, adding, “It doesn’t seem safe to me.” He draws a parallel to the previous enterprise software, which was known as SaaSpocalypse, noting that stocks did fall at the time but have since rebounded.
However, for investors, these remarks could be tough to digest because since Muse launched on Sept. 8, Planet Fitness Inc (NYSE:PLNT) has slumped about 20%, Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:BKNG) has tumbled around 16%, while Airbnb has declined nearly 16%.
Muse a Revenue Driver for Meta and a Challenger to Apple?
A day ago, Cramer said that Meta must be viewed as an “enterprise company” after Muse AI was deployed. He noted that this operational shift could drive Meta’s stock valuation from an “18 times multiple” to “24-25.”
Early adoption and potential subscription revenue have helped boost Meta’s stock. BNP Paribas analyst Nick Jones and analyst Gene Munster both highlighted different paths through which Muse could create additional value for the tech giant. Jones sees Meta’s existing apps helping drive additional downloads. Muse currently plans to monetize through small transaction fees, but BNP Paribas sees advertising as another potential longer-term opportunity.
Meanwhile, analysts at Bank of America Securities note that Muse has found Apple Inc.‘s (NASDAQ: AAPL) weak spot. By steering where users shop, book travel, or make payments, Muse risks stripping Apple of valuable discovery, referral, and transaction revenue — even as iPhone sales remain robust, according to the analysts.
Meta’s stock closed 3.24% higher at $738.79. In the past one month, the shares have surged 29.08%, while year-to-date the stock is up 11.92%. After hours, the stock climbed about 0.61% to $743.30.
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