Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: Next Week's Game Plan (Final)

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Investors need to pay attention to individual companies for the most accurate read on how the economy is really faring, Jim Cramer told the viewers of his "Mad Money" TV show Friday.

Cramer then mentioned which stocks he'll be watching next week. He said the most pivotal stock reporting next week is BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIMM Quote).

When the company reports on Thursday, it will give us the latest read on the mobile Internet tsunami, said Cramer. But with RIM already up 20% in 20 days, he said he's staying away from the stock and will just use it as a gauge for the rest of the sector.

He said drugstore-chain giant RiteAid (RAD Quote) is being used as a play on the upcoming flu season, but with the company running a distant third behind rivals Walgreen (WAG Quote) and CVS Caremark (CVS Quote), he would use strength in RiteAid to buy the other two.

For a read on the broader markets, Cramer's looking to ConAgra (CAG Quote) and General Mills (GIS Quote). If these historically defensive names rise on their earnings, he'd begin scaling out of more cyclical stocks.

Other notable names reporting next week include AAR (AIR Quote), which should provide a glimpse into the health of the aerospace sector, AutoZone (AZO Quote), which will tell investors whether to double down on Monro Muffler (MNRO Quote), and finally PayChex (PAYX Quote), which will provide insight into the state of hiring in the U.S., he said.

All of these companies, along with Bed Bath and Beyond (BBBY Quote) in retail, can tell investors what's really going on, said Cramer, if they're smart enough to listen.