Jim Cramer Blog

Bullish calls:
Vodafone (VOD): 'You know I like VOD!... It's part of my European invasion... ' Verizon (VZ): 'Ivan Seidenberg [CEO]... why have you been hiding? Why don't you come on the show? You know I love you... I do. I think he's fabulous.' Unilever (UN) Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI): 'I think the merger happens in the first quarter. I've been recommending this stock since $2.75 … you're going to get $6, when the deal comes across... At $6 bucks, then we're done.' Hologic (HOLX): 'This one is - buy, buy, buy! - my absolute favorite right now, when it comes to diagnostics. It was knocked down a couple of points because of that financing..' FCStone Group (FCSX): 'It's just unbelievable how good FCSX turned out to be, and I'm sorry that I gave it just a trade, and not an investment.' Best Buy (BBY): 'BBY is best in show.' Costco (COST): 'I like BBY. Not as much, though, as I like 52-week high, Costco!' Sonic (SONC): 'But SONC is in there buying back stock. It's a regional-to-national store chain. I reiterate that I like that stock very much!' Diamond Offshore (DO): 'Maybe you take a little off the table, but that is some great company!' Transocean (RIG): 'I don't like [Diamond Offshore] as much as I like Transocean.'
Bearish calls:
Broadcom (BRCM): 'No way, no way... sell, sell, sell! BRCM is just challenged.' LHC Group (LHCG): 'I 'm not a believer in that business.' Qualcomm (QCOM) Centex(CTX)
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: BBY, BRCM, COST, CTX, DO, FCSX, HOLX, Jim Cramer, LHCG, Lightning Round, Mad Money, QCOM, RIG, SIRI, SONC, UN, VOD, VZ

The crew at Fast Money discussed how retail stocks may be affected by the whipsaws of trading. Najarian pointed at that while stocks were down early, technology names recovered. According to Macke, investors shot first and didn't bother to ask the questions in the retail sector. Finerman feels something else besides fundamentals were at work with regards to the overall market sell off and the selling seen in retail stocks.
Target (TGT), Lowe's (LOW) and Wal-Mart (WMT) traded lower off the poor consumer confidence numbers. Adami thinks Target is worth a trade here.
Christmas Season:
Margret Brennan, CNBC's chief correspondent, thinks consumer electronics and retail accessories like handbags and shoes will be strong again this Christmas. She is looking at Wal-Mart and agrees with Adami on Target for a play on strong consumer electronics demand. Macke recommends Coach (COH). Adami suggests Saks (SKS). Najarian continues to favor athletic apparel maker Under Armour (UA)
Word on the Street
Existing home sales were reported on Tuesday and hit a five-year low. Finerman has concerns that Lennar (LEN) may have write-downs in the future, and that short-term trade is in order at Centex (CTX). Adami: if KB Home (KBH) trades down to a 52-week low on 10 million shares, buy it for a short-term trade. The strike at General Motors (GM) hit its second day on Tuesday as investors grow nervous of a stalemate. Najarian doesn't want to see the strike go more then five days. Adami's idea for an auto trade look is to look for a pullback in BorgWarner (BWA).
Technology Sector
Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) hit new records as technology stocks continued to shine. Najarian says gadget stocks like Garmin (GRMN) and Research In Motion (RIMM) continue to be strong as well.
Chemical and Consumer Sectors:
Najarian: Likes Crocs (CROX), Monsanto (MON) and Digital River (DRIV).
Carter Worth: chief market technician at Oppenheimer, joined the crew to discuss his take on technical analysis in the markets. Says there is strength in materials, energy and industrial stocks, but that strength is being offset by weakness in consumer discretionary and financial stocks.
BHP Billiton (BHP) vs. Wal-Mart (WMT). BHP is killing WMT in performance. The second chart was Schlumberger (SLB) vs. UBS (UBS) and the third was Arcelor Mittal (MT) vs. Toyota (TM). UBS and MT are the out performers in the above three comparisons and BHP has room to go higher.
Pops & Drops
Pops -- ValueClick (VCLK) traded up 13% and Focus Media (FMCN) traded up 19%.
NAVTEQ (NVT) traded up 11%.
Tesoro (TSO) popped 3%. Adami is bearish on the refineries.
USEC (USU) popped 6%.
Drops -- Vonage (VG) plunged 34%
Whirlpool (WHR) fell 5%
Freeport McMoRan (FCX) fell 2%
Face2Face
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has fallen considerably from its high of $174. Is this an opportunity to accumulate a larger position, or is ICE's stock price reflecting slower growth? Finerman responds by noting that the exchanges are in play for M&A and this could draw in more investor interest for names like ICE.
Macke was asked his opinion on Chipotle Mexican Grill's (CMG). Macke likes CMG for a trade.
Final Trade
Macke favors eBay (EBAY).
Finerman prefers Comverse Technology (CVMT).
Najarian tells investors to play the online ad space with Digital River (DRIV).
Adami likes USEC (USU)

Labels: AAPL, CNBC, COH, CTX, Fast Money, GOOG, GRMN, LEN, LOW, RIMM, SKS, TGT, UA, WMT

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC - News)
Cramer said Friday was a "great day for the market" and indicated the cut of 50 basis points to 5.75% was partly the result of his "heart felt plea" to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to slash the rate. Cramer reiterated his bullishness on WFC, but regrets he didn't recommend the stock earlier. Although investors are now "playing offense," Cramer says the change is one of psychology, not fundamentals.
Thornburg Mortgage (NYSE: TMA - News), Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC - News), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News), Lehman Brothers Holdings (NYSE: LEH - News)
Cramer wondered "where was that 500 point rally?" that was supposed to accompany a rate cut, but added the cut averted a 1,000 point decline. He said the slash in the rate saved TMA nd CFC from almost certain collapse. Although hedge funds are still in sell mode and the market could experience a hiccup, like the 5.4% drop in Japan's Nikkei, Cramer believes the worst is over and would buy GS and LEH on the rate cut.
"Post-Bernanke Enlightenment Game Plan:" Sears Holding (NasdaqGS: SHLD - News), Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC - News), Downey Financial (NYSE: DSL - News), Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM - News), Centex (NYSE: CTX - News), Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB - News), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL - News), NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX - News)
As always, Cramer likes SHLD, not only because of CEO Eddie Lampert but also because the company has "lots of cash." In addition to Goldman and Lehman, Cramer says it is time to buy financials BSC, DSL and WM. He added Countrywide and Thornburg's recent problems could lead to takeover bids. Because of hurricane season and renewed vitality in the housing sector, Cramer discussed CTX, which could see a short squeeze, and revisited his perennial favorites SLB and HAL. He thinks NYX will finally get some respect because its estimates are too low in spite of high trading volume. Cramer said these picks are good to "buy high and sell higher," and if they rise on Monday, Cramer would wait five days before buying.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: BSC, CFC, CTX, DSL, GS, HAL, Jim Cramer, LEH, Mad Money, NYX, SHLD, SLB, TMA, WFC, WM

Safer than Houses: Intel (NasdaqGS: INTC - News), Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN - News), Cisco Systems (NasdaqGS: CSCO - News), and Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT - News), Advanced MicroDevices (NYSE: AMD - News)
Often people run from tech during a selloff, but Cramer notes tech is now the safe sector with significant upside potential, since these companies have enough cash to make huge buybacks. Cramer proclaims he is once again an "Intel-aholic" as he was in the 90s, because the stock is cheap, has loads of cash and an accelerating growth rate. Compared with AMD, Cramer says Intel is "the much stonger part of the duopoly" and has a lower price tag.
The Rant Heard Round the World
While some think Cramer's rant against the Fed last Friday was overdone, Cramer believes he was "the most responsible guy out there. He added, " The AAA-rated mortgage bonds are trading horribly or not at all. These are good pieces of paper, yet they've been marked down," Cramer said. He says has no idea why Ben Bernanke is still worried about inflation, and observed that the Europeans are concerned about the ripple effect of the US mortgage crisis. "My rant was the rant heard around the world," Cramer said, "The only one who hasn't heard it is Chairman Bernanke himself."
Mad Money Madness Index: MGIC (NYSE: MTG - News), MBIA (NYSE: MBI - News), KB Home (NYSE: KBH - News), Blackstone (NYSE: BX - News), Centex (NYSE: CTX - News), Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH - News), Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM - News)
Cramer says those who have not sold the stock in his Mad Money Madness Index are being hoggish; "Greed is not good ... The market makes you pay for it."
CEO Interview: Dr. Eli Harari, Sandisk (NasdaqGS: SNDK - News)
Cramer thinks SNDK will rise next week if there is a day that is not "horrible," and he likes the company because flash memory is "hot," will replace disk drives and is the favorite of companies like Apple. He said Dr. Eli Harari's bullish remarks at a recent Flash Memory Summit reminds him of Cisco CEO John Chamber's fully justified optimism. Dr. Harari commented flash is everywhere, is contributing to market acceleration and is much cheaper than it used to be. "There's no question that flash memory today is the fastest-growing market within the semiconductor market," Dr. Harari said. "And I do not see it ending anytime soon."
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: AMD, BX, BZH, CSCO, CTX, H. SNDK, INTC, Jim Cramer, KBH, Mad Money, MBI, MSFT, MTG, TXN, WM

Cramer's Index: MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG - News), Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC - News), Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC - News), KB Home (NYSE: KBH - News), Centex (NYSE: CTX - News), MBIA (NYSE: MBI - News), Blackstone (NYSE: BX - News), Thornburg Mortgage (NYSE: TMA - News), Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH - News), Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM - News), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News), Citigroup (NYSE: C - News)
While Cramer says he doesn't want to be a "buzz kill," he admits it is not possible to be really bullish as long as the housing crisis persists. Cramer formed his own "index" of the above-mentioned stocks, and said when the 12 companies stablilize and the Fed cuts interest rates, it will be time to let the bulls run once again. He made a personal appeal to Fed chairman Ben Bernanke; "Cut the rates. Take the pressure off. Many, many people could be about to lose their homes, because you're not listening..."
New Age Under Armour: Lululemon Athletica (LULU)
Cramer has discovered a new Under Armour, which like its predecessor, has experienced a massive initial bounce and is expected to keep growing. Yoga apparel company, LULU came public at $18 and jumped to $31 "in one of the worst tapes I've ever seen," said Cramer. However, he doesn't think this stock is a "one trick pony" but will keep going up as UA did, because LULU has been doubling stores year over year. Since the stock is speculative and has risen, Cramer recommends waiting at least 3 days or until the price drops before buying.
Beer is Near: Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM - News)
While in the current climate, investors are dubious of even some soft goods stocks, "People drink beer no matter what." Cramer likes SAM's 13% long-term growth rate and its smart move of acquiring a brewery from Diageo for $55 million rather than building a new one, which would have cost $200 million. Although he's a self-proclaimed "Bud man" Cramer gives SAM a triple buy, even near its 52-week high.
CFO Interview: Stephen Chazen, Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY - News)
Chazen discussed production increases in Argentina and Peru; "California continues to be good for us." he added. Chazen dismissed worries about political risks, noting there are always political risks, and he remarked on the stability of OXY's chemical business. "All oil stocks are trading down in unison," Cramer said, and added now is the time to buy oil.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: BSC, BX, BZH, CFC, CTX, GS, Jim Cramer, KBH, LULU, Mad Money, MBI, MTG, OXY, SAM, TMA, WM

Home is Where the Debt Is: Centex (NYSE: CTX - News), Lennar (NYSE: LEN - News), Beazer (NYSE: BZH - News), KB Home (NYSE: KBH - News), Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC - News), Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY - News)
It isn't just about sub-prime anymore; "All mortgages that were written between 2005 and 2007 I think are corrupted," said Cramer. He came to this conclusion after reading conference calls of CTX, LEN BZH and KBH. However, he zeroed in on two conference calls which are required reading: CFC's and NLY's. In CFC's "long and tedious" call is the implication there is no such thing as sub-prime because all mortgages are bad due to piggybacking equity loans and rising rates. CEO Angelo Mozilo said he doesn't predict a recovery until 2009. NLY's CEO, Michael Farrell, made "some incredible allusions to Moscow and Napoleon." While the situation is bad, Cramer says it is not as dire as it was in 1990 and 1991 when "almost every major money center bank was insolvent, and most of the big regionals either went under or were so impaired that they had to do shotgun marriages." After reading these calls, Cramer arrives at the grim conclusion that anyone involved with mortgages "could be wiped out in this
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: BZH, CFC, CTX, Jim Cramer, KBH, LEN, NLY, Wall Street Confidential

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 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.
Mastercard Inc. Aug 150 Calls (NYSE:MA - News). MA's PowerRating is 6.
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.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Aug 95 Puts (NYSE:CMG - News). CMG'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.
Beazer Homes USA Inc. Sep 12.5 Calls (NYSE:BZH - News). BZH's PowerRating is 8.
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.
Intuitive Surgical Oct 175 Puts (NasdaqGS:ISRG - News). ISRG'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.
CBS Corp. (NYSE:CBS - News). CBS' PowerRating 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.
Centex Corp. (NYSE:CTX - News). CTX's PowerRating is 6.
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.
Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NasdaqGS:ENER - News). ENER's PowerRating is 4.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: BZH, CBS, CMG, CTX, ENER, ISRG, MA, stock options

Doomsday Scenario: MDC Holdings (NYSE: MDC - News), DR Horton (NYSE: DHI - News), Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM - News) and Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL - News)
Cramer created a doomsday scenario which probably will not happen, since the bank crisis in 1990 was "ten times worse" than the problems of today. However, he would avoid any companies which deal with borrowing and lending money, particularly housing: DHI, PHM and TOL. The only housing stock that isn't hopeless now is MDC, but Cramer would still not buy. He would also avoid financials amid bearish fears that loans will not be repaid and yields will shrink; "You can't own anything that even walks by a mortgage," Cramer warned. He would not touch companies which need financing for deals. However, Cramer added; "the worst-case scenario will be derailed," and the doom and gloom will not really materialize
If Ben will Budge: Centex (NYSE: CTX - News), Lennar (NYSE: LEN - News), Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC - News), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News), Citigroup (NYSE: C - News)
Cramer discussed two scenarios which could reverse doomsday: overseas buyers and an interest rate cut. He is confident that if the Federal Reserve reduces rates by only one percent, housing will make a comeback (especially DHI, PHM, CTX, LEN), financials GS and C will recover and the Dow will jump to 15.
Playing it Safe: Celgene (NasdaqGS: CELG - News), Kellogg (NYSE: K - News), Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB - News), Medco Health Solutions (NYSE: MHS - News), Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB - News), Amazon.com (NasdaqGS: AMZN - News), Google (NasdaqGS: GOOG - News), Apple (Other OTC: APPL.PK - News) and Research in Motion (NasdaqGS: RIMM - News)
Even if the Fed doesn't budge rates, investors can still create a safe portfolio consisting of CELG, K, SLB, MHS and KMB. He also directed viewers to his six wild bull markets: oil and oil services, agriculture, machinery, aerospace, infrastructure and minerals, and his four horse men of tech: AMZN, GOOG, APPL and RIMM.
Mad Mail: Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM - News), Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News), ValueClick Inc. (VLCK)
Cramer urged a mailer not to sell BAM, because it is an international company, unaffected by subprime woes, and is similar to Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway; "If you sold Warren Buffet because of a housing problem, forget it!" To a mailer concerned about RAD, Cramer said, "The integration is going very well. I'm holding your hand on RAD, and begging you not to sell it." Concerning VLCK's bad quarter, he commented, "I don't have my arms around it yet. To me, the stock looks like it's going to see $18, before you see a bottom."
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AAPL, AMZN, BAM, BSC, CELG, CTX, DHI, GOOG, GS, Jim Cramer, K, KMB, LEN, Mad Money, MDC, MHS, PHM, RIMM, SLB, TOL

Bullish Calls:

Macy's (NYSE: M - News): 'I am still banking with Terry Lundgren. I am not running away. I think the company, at $40 bucks, represents good value. 'Nike (NYSE: NKE - News): ' ... that looks like it's going to break through $60 next week.'Under Armour (NYSE: UA - News): 'I prefer Under Armour (to Crocs) here.'Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO - News): 'If I'm going to buy a soda company, I'm going to buy Coca-Cola.'Intel (NasdaqGS: INTC - News): 'The quarter's fine. You can't get excited about it. The stock will percolate higher.'Centex (NYSE: CTX - News): 'The only one that seemed to have stopped building homes before it got really crucial and horrible was Centex. If you insist on bottom-fishing in the group, I want you in CTX.'AT&T (NYSE: T - News): 'You do not sell T.'Verizon (NYSE: VZ - News)Foster Wheeler (NasdaqGS: FWLT - News): 'Buy FWLT on the way down. That's how I would play it.'Gildan Activewear (NYSE: GIL - News): ' ... has tremendous momentum. It remains one of my favorite stocks. I want to own it. I want to hold it. I say that, down to $32, is a real buy.'Nastech Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGM: NSTK - News): ' ... had two patents today. One on obesity. This is our favorite spec of the year now in biotech. $12.96. If you pay more than $13, you're wrong. I think it's the most exciting stock out there.'
Bearish calls:
Jamba (NasdaqGM: JMBA - News): 'I know it's got great buzz. That's not enough for me anymore. Not after the Jones Soda come down... I'm not playing!'Crocs (NasdaqGS: CROX - News): 'I think the near-term move has been made and I prefer Under Armour here.'DR Horton (NYSE: DHI - News)Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL - News)Lennar (NYSE: LEN - News)Alcan (NYSE: AL - News)

Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AL, CROX, CTX, FWLT, GIL, INTC, Jim Cramer, JMBA, KO, LEN, Lightning Round, M, Mad Money, NKE, NSTK, TOL, UA, VZ

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 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.
IPSCO Inc. Aug 160 Calls (NYSE:IPS - News). IPS' PowerRating is 5.
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.
Apple Inc. July 130 Puts (NasdaqGS:AAPL - News). AAPL's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Deckers Outdoor Corp. Aug 110 Calls (NasdaqGS:DECK - News). DECK'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.
Bear Sterns Aug 125 Puts (NYSE:BSC - News). BSC's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S - News). 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.
Financial Select Sector SPDR (AMEX:XLF - News). XLF's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Centex Corp. (NYSE:CTX - News). CTX's PowerRating is 4.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: AAPL, BSC, CTX, DECK, Hot Stock Options, IPS, S, XLF

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 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.
Oil Services HOLDRs July 195 Calls (AMEX:OIH ). OIH's PowerRating 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.
Sears Holdings July 170 Puts (NasdaqGS:SHLD). SHLD's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Apple Inc. Aug 140 Calls (NasdaqGS:AAPL). AAPL's PowerRating is 5.
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.
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Aug 120 Calls (AMEX:EEM). EEM's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Andrew Corp. (NasdaqGS:ANDW). ANDW's PowerRating 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.
None today
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.
Centex Corp. (NYSE:CTX). CTX's PowerRating is 6.
Lennar Corp. (NYSE:LEN). LEN's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: AAPL, ANDW, CTX, EEM, LEN, OIH, SHLD, stock options

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC - News), Masco (NYSE: MAS - News), Centex (NYSE: CTX - News) and Cummins Engine (NYSE: CMI - News): A strong quarter from OC, MAS and CTX indicate there are sectors that are moving, and while things are slow on the domestic scene, exporters are faring well. Cramer adds CMI is a "fabulous" exporter, even though "No one ever thought that Cummins Engine in Indiana even knew where Kazakhstan was."
Liz Claiborne (NYSE: LIZ - News), Jones of New York (NYSE: JNY - News): After disappointing reports from LIZ and JNY, Cramer is bearish on retail, and said LIZ was the worst report he had seen the entire quarter, while JNY was "really bad."

Labels: CMI, CTX, Jim Cramer, Jim Cramer's Stop Trading, JNY, LIZ, MAS, OC

On Not Feeling at Home with Housing: D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI - News), Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM - News), Lennar (NYSE: LEN - News), Centex (NYSE: CTX - News)
Cramer would not touch DHI, PHM or LEN, at least not with a long pole, after reading a report by Ivy Zelman of Credit Suisse during which she discussed her downgrade of Pulte and Horton and upgrade of Centex. Cramer comments DHI is "the most dangerous homebuilder" because it bought a gigantic amount of property in its quixotic delusion of "endless demand" and has the least written down on its property. Cramer would approve of shorting DHI and being long Centex. He says the problem with homebuilders is while "the rigor of the writedowns is clearly there, all the price targets are still way too high." He sees the potential of another leg down, and until more is written down on Horton and Pulte homes, he would not touch them on the long side.
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: CTX, DHI, Hot Stocks, Jim Cramer, LEN, PHM, Wall Street Confidential

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.
MBIA Inc. Apr 70 Calls (NYSE:MBI - News). MBI's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Express Scripts Apr 80 Puts (NasdaqGS:ESRX - News). ESRX's PowerRating is 3.
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.
Indymac Bancorp Apr 30 Calls (NYSE:NDE - News). NDE's PowerRating is 5.
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. Research in Motion Apr 120 Puts (NasdaqGS:RIMM - News). RIMM's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Mirant (NYSE:MIR - News). MIR's PowerRating is 4.
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.
Lennar (NYSE:LEN - News). LEN's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Centex (NYSE:CTX - News). CTX's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: CTX, ESRX, Hot Options, LEN, MBI, MIR, NDE, RIMM

Stocks opened higher this morning but quickly fell into a funk on their way to a mixed close. There seemed to be little in the way of a strong catalyst to encourage the bulls to remain in the market. Oil prices put some pressure on stocks, rising for the second-consecutive day to push close to the $61 a barrel mark. The 10-year Treasury note was also weak today, pushing the yield up to 4.73%.

Makers of analog semiconductor chips were one of the day's most attractive sectors, spurred higher by a strong fiscal first-quarter profit report and encouraging guidance from Analog Devices (ADI, $xxxxx). The company, which makes chips used in cell phones, medical devices, and flat-screen TVs, reported a 26% increase in profits to $153 million, or 44 cents a share, up from $121 million, or 32 cents a share, in the year-ago period. The company said orders improved in the last month and it forecasted a strong current quarter. The results and a Citigroup upgrade to "buy" helped the stock climb 10%.
Other analog chipmakers moved higher on Analog Devices' profit report, including National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM - News), up 6%; Maxim Integrated Products (Nasdaq: MXIM - News), which added 8%; and Linear Technology (Nasdaq: LLTC - News), up 10%. The strong showing helped the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index push 3% higher.
In other tech news, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL - News) and Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO - News) agreed to share the iPhone name and to work together on "opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security, and consumer and enterprise communications." Neither company would elaborate on what that meant. Apple was sued by Cisco after the iPod maker introduced its iPhone smartphone product. Cisco said it owned the iPhone trademark and was already using it for a VoIP handheld phone. Both products will remain on the market under the iPhone brand name.
Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL - News) announced sharply lower fiscal Q1 earnings. The company's profit slumped -67%, driven lower by writedowns and other expenses as the slump in new home sales continued to hurt the builder's results. Toll Brothers said its profit declined to $54 million, or 33 cents per share, from $164 million, or 98 cents per share, a year ago. The results were better than the 29 cents EPS Wall Street expected, but the stock ended down -4%. Other companies in the new-home market slid on Toll Brother's report. Lennar (NYSE: LEN - News) was off -2%, while D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI - News) and Centex (NYSE: CTX - News) both dropped -3%.
Retailer J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP - News) slid -3% after it reported a weaker-than-expected fiscal Q1 and warned that it was seeing soft results this month. Penney's profit for the quarter ended February 3rd fell to $477 million, or $2.09 per share, from $551 million, or $2.34 per share, last year. Although February sales have been weak, the company predicted an upturn when it introduces its spring fashions.
In merger news, natural and organic foods supermarket operator Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI - News) announced late yesterday that it would buy its smaller rival Wild Oats Markets (Nasdaq: OATS - News) for $535 million. Investors applauded the news, pushing shares of Whole Foods up 13%, while Wild Oats added 17%.

Published By Bullmarket.com

Labels: AAPL, CSCO, CTX, DHI, JCP, LEN, LLTC, MXIM, NSM, OATS, TOL, WFMI

Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO - News), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG - News), Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: SUNW - News), AT & T (NYSE: T - News), Verizon (NYSE: VZ - News), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL - News), Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC - News), Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP - News), Lennar (NYSE: LEN - News), Centex Corp (NYSE: CTX - News), Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL - News), DR Horton (NYSE: DHI - News) an