Jim Cramer Blog

On Thursdays show, Cramer talked about the confusion in the markets, and how you should be looking to invest in companies that can control their own destiny and have strong customers. Cramer thinks that Quanta Services (PWR) is a stock that fits this profile. He said it is an infrastructure play, they have a large backlog, and they bought one of their major competitors in August, so they have less competition now. Cramer does not think this is the time to make a trade into this stock, but he thinks it will make money over the longer term.
After that Cramer went to the phonelines. The first caller asked if now is the time to buy transportation infrastructure stocks, and Cramer recommended Chicago Bridge and Iron (CBI), plus told the caller to watch for another pick later in the show. The next caller asked about Mueller Water (MWA), and Cramer said that he likes Tetra Tech (TTEK) instead because he thinks Mueller is poorly run. Third caller asked about Shaw Group (SGR) since it has dropped so much recently, and Cramer said that it is a strong company that is coining money, so you should stick with it.
Cramer's other big infrastructure recommendation, Aecom (ACM). He has a bullish position on the stock since the stock is off $9 from his 52 week high. Its biggest customer is the federal government so it knows it will get paid, and one of its biggest competitors was just bought out. Cramer has been promoting the stock for several months now, and the stock has gone up since his initial recommendation.
Sell Block: Cramer started off by talking about private equity, specifically Blackstone (BX) and Fortress (FIG). Cramer said he does not understand how these companies work, therefore doesn't want to invest in them. He's putting the entire sector in the Sell Block, including companies like Cerberus that are not public, but are considering an IPO.
The CEO of California Pizza Kitchen (CPKI) was on the show to talk about their growth plans and how they plan to contain their costs. Cramer said that although the restaurant business is difficult, the stock is near a 52 week low and it is a well run company. He wants you to do some homework and take a look at the stock.
Sudden Death: He was bearish on every stock mentioned. They were Coeur d'Alene Mines (CDE), Tata Motors (TTM), Build a Bear Workshop (BBW), Gerdau Ameristeel (GNA), and Hansen Medical (HNSN).

Labels: BBW, CBI, CDE, CPKI, GNA, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, Mad MOney Recap, MWA, PWR, SGR, TTEK, TTM

On Monday's show, Cramer said that he thinks retailers will have a turnaround. He believes that the good retailers can't fall any further, and that there will be 2 more rate cuts before the end of the year, which he thinks is bullish for retailers if you look back at their past performance after rate cuts. Cramer also said that the change in the weather will allow retailers to move some of their new winter products. His first two retail picks are Ralph Lauren (RL) and Nordstrom (JWN). Both of these stocks are down big from their recent highs, and he thinks that luxury goods retailers will be the first to turn around since people with more money to spend won't be as concerned with economical concerns, making both of these stocks bargains.
Cramer then went to the phonelines. The first caller asked about J.C. Penney (JCP), and Cramer said that he likes the stock, but can't pull the trigger because he thinks it will be behind the luxury retailers when the sector turns around. The next caller asked about timing the purchase of retail stocks around Christmas. Cramer said that it is time to buy these two stocks now. The last caller asked about Build a Bear Workshop (BBW), and Cramer said he wants you to stay far away from that stock.
Cramer then gave out his top retail pick, which was Target (TGT). He also noticed that stores are very full, thinks that they make shopping fun, that they are opening stores rapidly, and that the stock is cheap. But his primary reason is that the company is thinking about selling its credit card business, which could fetch up to $7 billion. Target could use this money for a large stock buyback.
Cramer also mentioned that he had a good call to sell Smith and Wesson (SWHC) last week since they guided earnings lower today.
After the lightning round, Cramer talked with Chris Matthews about the effect politics and the upcoming elections will have on the stock markets.
Mad Mail: The first email asked if Cramer would have other presidential candidates on the show, and Cramer said that he welcomes them all on the show. The next email asked about Sketchers (SKX), and Cramer said that he thinks they suffered from bad timing, and he thinks they have that straightened out now. Another email asked about Six Flags (SIX), and Cramer said they got hurt by bad weather and bad acquisitions. Lastly, an emailer asked about Hologic (HOLX), and Cramer said not to worry about the large short interest because it is being driven up by merger arbitrage players.
Sudden Death. Cramer is bullish on Manitowoc (MTW), bullish on Baidu.com (BIDU), bearish on Dow Chemical (DOW), and bullish on Adobe (ADBE).

Labels: BBW, JCP, Jim Cramer, JWN, Mad Money, Mad MOney Recap, RL, SIX, SKX, SWHC

Here are 7 options to watch for Today.
Most Underpriced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Goldman Sachs Oct 220 Calls (NYSE:GS - News). GS's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Most Underpriced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Akamai Technologies Oct 30 Puts (NasdaqGS:AKAM - News). AKAM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Build-A-Bear Workshop Oct 17.5 Calls (NYSE:BBW - News). BBW's PowerRating (for Traders) is 2.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Wynn Resorts Oct 125 Puts (NYSE:WYNN - News). WYNN's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
Paychex (NasdaqGS:PAYX - News). PAYX's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggests an extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
Acorda Therapeutics (NasdaqGM:ACOR - News). ACOR's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD - News). BUD's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
By TradingMarkets.com

Labels: ACOR, AKAM, BBW, BUD, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., GS, PAYX, stock options, WYNN, Wynn Resorts Ltd.

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Friday from TradingMarkets.com:
Late Thursday, Lattice Semiconductor (NasdaqGM:LSCC - News) revised its Q3 revenue outlook downward to reflect a one-time restructuring charge. LSCC's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU - News) extended losses, falling an additional 8% after slashing revenue forecasts for 2007 earlier this week. ALU's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.
Build-A-Bear (NYSE:BBW - News) rose about 8% on Thursday, on rumors that the company is on the market for a buyout acquisition. BBW's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Cephalon (NasdaqGS:CEPH - News) announced that some patients have died after being given the company's painkiller Fentora. CEPH's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Kohl's (NYSE:KSS - News) introduced its new Vera Wang collection of clothes and accessories, which the company feels will drive sales during the holiday. KSS rose over 6%. KSS's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Countrywide Financial (NYSE:CFC - News) and NovaStar Financial (NYSE:NFI - News) both jumped today on news that CFC managed to acquire and additional $12 billion through existing credit lines. CFC's PowerRating (for Traders) is 7, and NFI's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
PowerRatings (for Traders) are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: ALU, BBW, CEPH, CFC, KSS, LSCC, NFI, Stocks to Watch

Bullish Calls:
Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY): ' I am sticking by AUY as my play for when things go bad. That's what it is. It's basically a first aid kit you've got to take with you everywhere you go.'Total System Services (NYSE: TSS): 'You are in great shape. TSS, I believe, will not be independent a year from now ... I like TSS as a takeover. And, on earnings, it should go to $40 alone.'Celgene (NasdaqGS: CELG): 'The stock's had a nice pullback, which means you should back up the truck. Every time we've had an 8% pullback in CELG, it has been miraculous to buy. I'm saying this time it will be no different.'Sappi Ltd. (NYSE: SPP): ' ... we've got a government that's of, by and for the corporation, trying to keep the ChiComms from flooding us with paper, so this South African company can make a lot of money, and it's working! You stay long SPP!'Volvo AB (Other OTC: VOLVF.PK): You're a genius! That is an unbelievable stock! ... It has a great industrial business. It has a great yield ... even right here at $21 bucks - I would back up the truck!'Freeport McMoran (NYSE: FCX): 'It's also got gold, and it's much more levered to China buying it. Those ChiComms eat copper for breakfast!'
Neutral calls:
ConAgra (NYSE: CAG): 'They have a raw cost problem. All of that stuff is being bid up by ethanol. And so I can't get behind that. CAG, just okay. Candidly, I recommended it right here, and I'm not backing away from it, but the raw costs are out of control.'
Bearish calls:
Electronic Arts (NasdaqGS: ERTS): 'You know what? I'm giving up on this one... I'm putting the 'don't buy' on it. That's a change in plans.'Finisar (NasdaqGS: FNSR): 'No. I liked FNSR ... Their time has passed. They didn't get the big orders.'Washington Group (NYSE: WNG): 'My friend... Bulls make money, bears make money... hogs get slaughtered! You must sell WNG right now!'Southern Copper (NYSE: PCU): 'I like PCU.... I think FCX is better.'Build-a-Bear (NYSE: BBW): ' if I go and recommend it on this show, that they will then have a shortfall, because they are wildly inconsistent. They are too dangerous for this guy ... If that stock were to go back to $25.00, I would pull the trigger.'
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AUY, BBW, CAG, CELG, ERTS, FCX, FNSR, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, Mad Money, PCU, SPP, TSS, WNG

Here are 7 options to watch for today. This list comes directly from the TradingMarkets Options Indicators page. The list is created using OptionVue options analysis software.
Most Under Priced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Apr 35 Calls (NYSE:NAT - News). NAT's PowerRating is 6.
Most Under Priced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Monster Worldwide Mar 55 Puts (NasdaqGS:MNST - News). MNST's PowerRating is 4.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Apr 30 Calls (NasdaqGS:VRTX - News). VRTX's PowerRating is 6.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
BuildABear Workshop Mar 30 Puts (NYSE:BBW - News). BBW's PowerRating is 4.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
ConAgra Foods (NYSE:CAG - News). CAG's PowerRating is 5.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggests an extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
United Therapeutics (NasdaqGS:UTHR - News). UTHR's PowerRating is 4.
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
Baidu.com (NasdaqGM:BIDU - News). BIDU's PowerRating is 7.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: BBW, BIDU, CAG, MNST, NAT, stock options, UTHR, VRTX

American Woodmark Corp.'s (NasdaqGS:AMWD - News) fiscal third quarter profit fell sharply on a big decline in new construction sales, the company said Tuesday. American Woodmark earned $3.8 million, or 24 cents a share - down from $6.1 million, or 37 cents in the year-ago period. The most recent figure includes a 7-cent a share hit for stock option expensing. Revenue came in at $161.2 million, a decline of 16%. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial had been for the company to earn 38 cents a share on revenue of $174 million. Looking ahead, the company said it expects sales of its core products to slip a total of 7% to 9% in the second half of its fiscal year.
BioMarin Pharmaceutical (NasdaqGM:BMRN - News) shares dropped after the Novato, Calif.-based company reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $10.4 million, or 11 cents a share, vs. a net loss of $15 million or 20 cents a share, last year. Revenue rose to $22 million from $9.47 million. The company forecast a 2007 net loss of $20 million to $25 million. BioMarin also forecast 2007 sales of Naglazyme in a range of $74 million to $78 million and joint venture sales of Aldurazyme in a range of $115 million to $125 million. Separately, BioMarin announced results from its Phase IIa study of 6R-BH4 in patients with poorly controlled hypertension. The study showed there was no statistically significant or clinically meaningful effect of 6R-BH4 on any efficacy or safety parameter measured, relative to placebo.
Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW - News) said fourth-quarter earnings rose 46% to $15.4 million, or 75 cents a share, from $10.6 million, or 52 cents a share, a year earlier, helped by increased sales, its U.K. acquisition and an adjustment to its loyalty program. The St. Louis-based retailer of customized stuffed animals said revenue rose 21% to $143.3 million from $118 million in the year-ago period. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected, on average, fourth-quarter earnings of 73 cents a share on revenue of $152.7 million. Build-A-Bear expects first-quarter earnings of 35 to 41 cents a share with revenue growth of 22%.
CBRL Group (NasdaqGS:CBRL - News) reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $102.5 million, or $2.88 a share, up from a year-ago profit of $30.8 million, or 61 cents a share. On a continuing operations basis, the Lebanon, Tenn., restaurant operator earned $20.5 million, or 60 cents a share, in the latest quarter. The company closed on the sale of its Logan's Roadhouse unit on Dec. 6. Total revenue rose 4% in the latest three months to $612.1 million from $586.7 million a year earlier. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call was for a profit of 69 cents a share in the quarter. Looking ahead, CBRL said it expects fiscal 2007 revenue to increase 6.5% to 7.5% from the total from continuing operations for 2006. It anticipates full-year same-store sales will be up between 5% and 6%.
Goldcorp Inc., (NYSE:GG - News) agreed to sell its Peak mine in Australia and its Amapari mine in Brazil to GPJ Ventures Ltd. In a statement, Goldcorp said it will receive $200 million cash and $100 million of stock for the mines. The company expects to record charges totaling $170 million from the sales in 2007.
Home Depot Inc. (NYSE:HD - News) reported earnings of 46 cents a share for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, down from 60 cents in the year-earlier period. On an adjusted basis, the Atlanta home-improvement retailer and Dow Jones Industrial Average component earned 50 cents a share. Sales rose 4% to nearly $20.27 billion, but comparable-store sales fell 6.6%. Analysts were looking for earnings of 50 cents a share on revenue of $20.8 billion, according to estimates compiled by Thomson Financial.
JetBlue (NasdaqGS:JBLU - News) was downgraded to equal-weight from overweight at Morgan Stanley. The company also unveiled a "Customer of Bill of Rights" after experiencing a number of service problems in the wake of last week's snowstorm in the New York City area.
Kraft Foods' (NYSE:KFT - News) shares slipped after the company said a new strategy aimed at returning the company "to predictable and consistent growth" would take its toll on short-term profits. Restructuring and reinvestment costs tied to the program, along with a higher tax rate and the impact of divestitures, mean Kraft now expects to earn $1.50 to $1.75 a share for all of 2007, or $1.75 to $1.80 excluding restructuring charges. The current average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial is for the company to earn $1.92 a share this year. Further out, in 2008, the company said it expects revenue to grow 3% to 4% on an organic basis, and "by 2009, we'll hit our stride," said chief executive Irene Rosenfeld in a written release.
Power-One (NasdaqGM:PWER - News) said Chief Financial Officer Paul Ross plans to resign. The maker of power-conversion products named Jeffrey Kyle to succeed Ross.
United Natural Foods (NasdaqGS:UNFI - News) said net income rose to $11 million, or 25 cents a share, from $10.6 million, or 25 cents a share. Net sales rose to $668.5 million from $601.1 million. Analysts, on average, expected it to earn 30 cents a share on revenue of $683 million, according to Thomson Financial. The natural foods distributor said it is expanding its operations in the Pacific Northwest and is building a distribution center in Ridgefield, WA. The new facility will create approximately 100 jobs upon opening.
WCI Communities Inc. (NYSE:WCI - News) Chairman Don Ackerman said Carl Icahn's plans to run his own slate of candidates for the WCI Board "would be highly disruptive to our company and not in the best interests of all our shareholders."
Westlake Chemical Corp. (NYSE:WLK - News) said its fourth-quarter net profit slipped to $14.4 million, or 22 cents a share, from $73.6 million, or $1.13 a share, due to lower selling prices, reduced volumes and the unscheduled closure of one of its ethylene plants. Net sales for the quarter fell to $523.9 million from $636.4 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had been expecting earnings of 35 cents a share on revenue of $548 million. Westlake said maintenance costs were significantly higher than expected due to the plant outage, but it was able to use the downtime to upgrade facilities, which should cut energy costs and increases capacity at the plant.
West Pharmaceutical Services Inc.'s (NYSE:WST - News) fourth-quarter earnings rose to $15 million, or 44 cents a share, from $12.5 million, or 38 cents, a year earlier, as increased sales offset rising costs. Earnings from continuing operations were 43 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, on average, expected earnings of 43 cents a share. The Lionville, Pa., maker of closure systems and syringe components said net sales climbed to $231.9 million from $195.6 million in the year-earlier quarter. The company sees 2007 earnings of $2.20 to $2.35 a share on sales of $1 billion, saying that investments in capacity expansion will constrain bottom-line growth in the near term.
Winn-Dixie Stores (NasdaqGM:WINN - News) reported its results for the sixteen weeks ended Jan. 10, posting a profit of $286.8 million, compared to earnings of $237.5 million in the same period a year earlier. The latest results include a gain of $188.2 million related to the discharge of liabilities associated with the company's emergence from bankruptcy protection in November, and a gain of $144.8 million from the revaluation of its assets and liabilities as part of fresh-start reporting. The Jacksonville, Fla., supermarket operator didn't provide per share figures. Net sales for what the company termed its fiscal second quarter slipped to $2.23 billion from $2.25 billion last year. Winn-Dixie said its identical store sales fell 0.5% for the 16-week period. "We are pleased to have emerged from bankruptcy with virtually no debt and substantial borrowing capacity under our new Credit Facility," said Peter Lynch, the company's president, chairman and CEO. "We are confident we have the liquidity we need to fund both our current business operations and our planned capital expenditure program."
Published By MarketWatch

Labels: AMWD, BBW, BMRN, CBRL, GG, HD, JBLU, KFT, PWER, UNFI, WCI, WINN, WLK, WST

Most Under Priced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Apr 35 Calls (NYSE:NAT - News). NAT's PowerRating is 6.
Most Under Priced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Monster Worldwide Mar 55 Puts (NasdaqGS:MNST - News). MNST's PowerRating is 4.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Apr 30 Calls (NasdaqGS:VRTX - News). VRTX's PowerRating is 6.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
BuildABear Workshop Mar 30 Puts (NYSE:BBW - News). BBW's PowerRating is 4.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
ConAgra Foods (NYSE:CAG - News). CAG's PowerRating is 5.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggests an extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
United Therapeutics (NasdaqGS:UTHR - News). UTHR's PowerRating is 4.
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
Baidu.com (NasdaqGM:BIDU - News). BIDU's PowerRating is 7.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: BBW, BIDU, CAG, MNST, NAT, stock options, UTHR, VRTX

Affymetrix (NASDAQ:AFFX - News) forecast revenue of about $100 million for the fourth quarter. The current average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call is for revenue of $99.5 million in the December period. The Santa Clara, Calif., biotechnology company plans to release its results for the fourth quarter and full year after the closing bell on Feb. 7.
Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. (NYSE:BBW - News) said President and Chief Operating Officer Barry Erdos is resigning. The company named Scott Seay to succeed him.
Cray (NASDAQ:CRAY - News) received an order to provide two supercomputers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
Cubist Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CBST - News) reported fourth-quarter U.S. revenue of $56.2 million for its antibiotic product Cubicin, up 54% from the same quarter last year. Full-year 2006 U.S. Cubicin revenue came in at $189.5 million, the Lexington, Mass.-based company said. Cubist shares rose 2.4% to $17.80 in Monday afternoon trade.
DST Systems (NYSE:DST - News) was upgraded to overweight from underweight at Morgan Stanley. The firm said it sees potential for a strong fourth quarter from the company and set a price target of $74.
EMC Corp. (NYSE:EMC - News) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS. The firm boosted its price target on the stock to $16 from $13.50.
General Dynamics (NYSE:GD - News) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen & Co.
Hauppage Digital (NASDAQ:HAUP - News) shares rose after the company unveiled a line of four TV tuner products designed to support Microsoft's Vista Media Center.
Houston Exploration (NYSE:THX - News) agreed to be acquired by Forest Oil (NYSE:FST - News) for $52.47 a share. That's 8% above Friday's closing price but below the $62 a share that a hedge fund offered Houston Exploration last summer.
Human Genome Sciences (NASDAQ:HGSI - News) said it expects 2006 results to be in line with prior forecasts, including net cash burn of less than $125 million. The Rockville, Md.-based drug development company said it has completed its facilities consolidation program and expects to record a non-cash charge to the fourth quarter of 2006. For 2007, it expects net cash burn to be in the range of $145 million to $165 million. Revenue is expected to increase by about 50% from 2006 to 2007, but total expenses, research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses are expected to remain about flat from 2006 to 2007. Human Genome said it expects cash and investments at year-end 2007 to total in the range of $560 million to $580 million.
IBM (NYSE:IBM - News) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS. The firm cited improving fundamentals in its core businesses and the belief that acquisitions in the software market will expand growth rates and margin expansion. Analyst Benjamin Reitzes also raised his stock price target for the Dow component to $118 from $100, his 2007 earnings estimate to $6.70 a share from $6.62 and his 2008 forecast to $7.40 a share from $7.25. "After having underperformed over the last several years as it rebalanced its portfolio and restructured, we believe IBM is embarking on a multi-year cycle leverage acquisitions and cost cutting," Reitzes said in a research note. "We also think IBM can leverage trends in information technology spending as corporations need software, hardware and consulting services to help manage an explosion in content."
Incyte Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INCY - News) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Piper Jaffray. The firm also lifted its price target on the stock to $8 from $4.
IntraLase Corp. (NASDAQ:ILSE - News) agreed to be acquired for $25 a share, or $808 million, by Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (NYSE:EYE - News) That's 12.5% over IntraLase's closing price on Friday.
Nautilus Inc. (NYSE:NLS - News) formed a partnership with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The deal calls for Nautilus to provide research and training support for new fitness products. Financial terms weren't disclosed. In addition, the company was upgraded to neutral from sell at Merriman Curhan Ford & Co.
NCR Corp. (NYSE:NCR - News) unveiled plans to separate into two independent publicly-traded companies through a spin-off of its Teradata Data Warehousing business to shareholders. The company expects the transaction, which it anticipates will be tax-free, to be completed within six to nine months. NCR said Bill Nuti, its current president and chief executive officer, will serve in the same capacity following the spin-off, and that Mike Koehler will be president and CEO of Teradata. Koehler is currently senior vice president of the Teradata operations.
Network Appliance (NASDAQ:NTAP - News) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS. The firm also lifted its price target on the stock to $47 from $43.
Omnivision Technologies (NASDAQ:OVTI - News) was upgraded to buy from neutral at American Technology Research.
ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ:ONNN - News) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Lehman Bros. on valuation.
Quebecor World Inc. (NYSE:IQW - News) plans to close its L'Eclaireur facility in Beauceville, Quebec, impacting about 155 employee positions. The closure is part of the company's plan to consolidate its Quebec-based magazine and catalog printing operations. Quebecor World said it continues to employ about 2,000 employees at seven facilities in Quebec
Quigley Corp. (NASDAQ:QGLY - News) shares advanced after its Quigley Pharma subsidiary said a preliminary study has demonstrated its QR-441(a) compound to be a potential antiviral agent in reducing infectious bronchitis and New Castle disease, two viral poultry diseases. The Doylestown, Pa.-based company said QR-441(a) showed positive results in a study evaluating the compound in embryonating egg and VERO E6 cell test models.
RadioShack Corp. (NYSE:RSH - News) said fourth-quarter net income will rise from the $51 million the consumer electronics retailer earned in the year-ago quarter, but same-store sales will drop.
Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD - News) shares gained after the company said both Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis & Co., two proxy advisor firms, have recommended Rite Aid shareholders vote in favor of plans to issue 250 million common shares to The Jean Cotu Group as part of the purchase of the Brooks and Eckerd drugstore chains. Shareholders are scheduled to vote on the proposal in a special meeting on Jan. 18.
Savient Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ:SVNT - News) shares rose after the East Brunswick, N.J.-based company announced late Friday that, as part of its restructuring of its commercial operations, it will discontinue its 19-person Oxandrin field sales force. The move follows the company's launch of oxandrolone, the generic version of Oxandrin.
Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ:SGEN - News) said it entered a license agreement with Genentech (NYSE:DNA - News) to develop cancer treatment SGN-40, which is currently undergoing Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. As part of the agreement, Seattle Genetics will receive an up-front payment of $60 million and could receive milestone payments of as much as $800 million, as well as potential royalties on sales.
Skechers USA (NYSE:SKX - News) lifted its outlook for the fourth quarter to earnings of 28 to 31 cents a share on revenue of between $295 million and $300 million. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., footwear provider previously forecast a profit of 22 to 27 cents a share for the period on revenue of $255 million and $265 million. For the full year, the company now sees earnings of $1.55 to $1.58 a share on revenue of between $1.196 billion and $1.201 billion. Skechers' prior projection for fiscal 2006 was for a profit ranging from $1.49 to $1.54 a share on revenue of $1.156 billion to $1.666 billion.
Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:SWRG - News) said its December sales at restaurants open at least one year rose 5.1% to $14.1 million. Total consolidated restaurant sales for the month increased 9% percent to $15.3 million, the New York company said.
St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ - News) said it expects fourth-quarter earnings of 42 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call forecast earnings of 39 cents a share, on average. The St. Paul, Minn. medical device company will report net sales of approximately $864 million for the fourth quarter, an increase of more than 9% compared to the year-ago period and approximately $20 million above current analysts' consensus revenue estimates, the company said.
Syntax-Brillian, (NASDAQ:BRLC - News) the high-definition-television maker, said fiscal second-quarter sales will exceed $240 million, with LCD television shipments greater than 350,000 units. Gross margins will be at the top half of its 15%-to-17% range.
Telestone Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:TSTC - News) shares rose after the Beijing-based provider of wireless services said it has been awarded bids from four regional telecom operators. The company said it was awarded indoor coverage system equipment contracts from the Sichuan Telecom subsidiary of China Telecom; the Guizhou Unicom subsidiary of China Unicom; the Heibei Netcom subsidiary of China Netcom; and the Jiangxi Telecom subsidiary of China Telecom. Financial terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Therma-Wave Inc. (NASDAQ:TWAV - News) agreed to be acquired for $1.65 a share, or $75 million, by KLA-Tencor. (NASDAQ:KLAC - News) The offer represents a 25% premium to Therma-Wave's closing price on Friday. KLA-Tencor, which provides semiconductor manufacturing systems, said the deal will strengthen its customers' access to Therma-Wave's advanced measurement capabilities.
TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO - News) shares rose after the company announced a number of new products and partnerships, including alliances with Music Choice and RealNetworks, and a deal with Roxio to provide joint content mobility product for Macintosh computers. The company also said it plans to maker a presentation at a conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Also, Bear Stearns upgraded the stock to peer perform.
United Surgical Partners (NASDAQ:USPI - News) said it was being acquired by an affiliate of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe affiliate for $1.8 billion in cash and debt. UNCN will pay $31.05 for each United Surgical share, a 13% premium to Friday's closing price of $27.39.

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Here's what Jim Cramer had to say about some of the stocks that callers offered up during the "Mad Money Lightning Round" Friday evening:
Build-A-Bear (BBW): "You, my friend ... you are right. Build-A-Bear has got the mojo going into Christmas."
"Manulife Financial (MFC) is best of breed."
Medarex (MEDX): "C'mon, you're preaching to the converted ... antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer. Nothing wrong with that story."
JPMorgan Chase (JPM): "That stock is sleepwalking between 45 and 48. ... The yield's good ... I'd like to see you in Goldman Sachs." Cramer has Goldman in his Action Alerts PLUS charitable trust.
Federated Department Stores (FD): "I think the stock should have moved. ... I think Federated is going to deliver a good Christmas. It belongs up there with J.C. Penney (JCP) and Kohl's (KSS ). Pull the trigger. There should be great pin action with the department stores alone."
MasterCard (MA): "How long have I been telling people to back the truck* up on MasterCard? ... I'm sticking by MasterCard. I think it goes even higher."
Valero Energy (VLO): "You need to be concerned that that stock hasn't kept place with the other oils. Valero is a laggard. I want you in Chevron (CVX). ... Secondarily, if you're more of a risk-taker, go with Devon (DVN)."
Hain Celestial (HAIN) is the natural way to play Whole Foods (WFMI), which I no longer really like."
L-1 Identity (ID): "This is a very good homeland security company."
Cramer also was bearish on La-Z-Boy (LZB) and Bank of America (BAC),

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