Jim Cramer Blog

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Friday from TradingMarkets.com:
Finish Line (NasdaqGS:FINL - News) missed earnings on Thursday afternoon, reporting -$0.17 EPS versus expectations of -$0.15 EPS. FINL's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.

Global Payments (NYSE:GPN - News) beat earnings expectations on Thursday with $0.48 EPS over $0.45 EPS. GPN's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
A. Schulman (NasdaqGS:SHLM - News) announces quarterly results on Friday before the market opens, with traders looking for $0.26 EPS. SHLM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
AZZ Incorporated (NYSE:AZZ - News) is looking to announce $0.53 EPS before the bell on Friday morning. AZZ's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Analysts will be watching for Texas Industries (NYSE:TXI - News) to report $0.88 EPS on Friday morning before the market opens. TXI's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Celgene (NasdaqGS:CELG - News) rallied over 6% after announcing it should complete its takeover of Pharmion to close in April. CELG's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
CVS Caremark (NYSE:CVS - News) fell 7% on Thursday after announcing that December sales were lower than expected. CVS's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.

Labels: AZZ, CELG, CVS, FINL, GPN, Hot Stocks, SHLM, TXI

Triple-S Management (GTS)
True success stories on The Street may be harder to find these days, but Cramer has observed the progress of non-profit Blue Cross Blue Shield companies that turn into public for-profit companies and found in their first four years the stocks had increased an average of 28%. He would consider Triple-S Management (GTS) which went public last week and has yet to set the sector on fire, since it opened only 16 cents above its $14.50 and undershot its projected range of $16-$18. Cramer said the companies contracts will become profitable and warned investors to do homework before buying and to use limit orders.
CEO Interview: Jack Cumming Hologic (HOLX)
Cramer likes HOLX for its visibility, growth and clean balance sheet and asked Jack Cumming about the merger with Cytic which was closed on Oct 22 and is running ahead of schedule. Cumming discussed the company's $1.3 billion convertible bond offering as a strategy to eliminate debt. Concerning competitors, He noted HOLX entered the scene two years behind its main rivals and is nine months ahead on the race for digital mammography. "We believe that when you have nine No 1. products, you're expected to grow at a fantastic rate," Cumming said.
Live with Regis' Portfolio: JDS Uniphase (JDSU), Time Warner (TWX), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), LSI Logic (LSI), Unisys (UIS), Freeport-McMoRan (FCX), McDonald's (MCD), CVS Caremark (CVS), Oceaneering (OII), Transocean (RIG), Chevron (CVX)
Regis told viewers not to worry about holiday retail sales, since people are lining up outside stores, and Cramer reviewed Regis' portfolio. First, he told Regis he missed the ideal opportunity to sell Time Warner, which rose recently, and would sell it now. He also told Regis to sell AMD, since the company is having trouble with its next chip and has Hector Ruiz at the helm. The ticker JDSU stands for "just don't sue us," said Cramer and he told Regis to sell. He gave LSI a "tepid buy" and added "it has a shot at coming back," but Cramer told Regis Unisys was one big "house of pain." Cramer suggested Regis replace these names with FCS, MCD, CVS, OII, RIG and CVX.
Teledyne Technologies (TDY), Ansys (ANSS)
Cramer says TDY and ANSS are two "Upod artists" that overpromise and underdeliver; "Upod works because the bedrock predictor is the trumping of earnings estimates," he said. TDY is tapped into aerospace and oil, has exceeded estimates an average of 15% per quarter, has made smart acquisitions and is cheap, but Cramer would wait for it to dip before buying. Ansys is the "market leader" in simulation and software, has strong overseas exposure, 68% return business and has exceeded estimates 40 consecutive times. The stock may seem expensive, but it is growing at an impressive 19% and should be trading at a higher multiple.
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Labels: AMD, ANSS, CVS, CVX, FCX, GTS, HOLX, JDSU, Jim Cramer, LSI, Mad Money, MCD, OII, RIG, TDY, TWX, UIS

Bullish calls:
CVS Caremark (CVS): 'I think it's unbelievably strong ... you should get in right here. ... CVS remains one of my favorite stocks in this environment.'), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ): 'That was a monster-good quarter. That was an All-Aboard quarter. ... That company is smoking. ... It's not done. I wanna own Hewlett-Packard ... and so should you.' Monster Worldwide (MNST): 'I thought that the new management team would turn things around ... Monster, I still think, is being set up to be bought.' St. Jude Medical (STJ): 'If you want to be in that cohort, it's gotta be S-T-J.' Freeport-McMoran (FCX): 'I'm willing to have you in Freeport (FCX - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating), cause that's copper and gold.' Transocean (RIG): 'This is a great opportunity. ... In the last three days ... Transocean went from $138 to $127 because they did financing.' Schlumberger (SLB) Raytheon (RTN) Wolverine World Wide (WWW) Nike (NKE) Vimpel Communications (VIP) Shaw Group (SGR) Countrywide Financial (CFC): 'It's a very technical situation. ... If the Fed cuts 50 basis points, Countrywide will work.'
Bearish calls:
Sysco (SYY): 'It's OK ... as long as the consumer's out there spending ... going to a lot of restaurants ... the problem is they're not going to restaurants as much. Don'tBuy.' Boston Scientific (BSX): 'Let me be very clear. I have disliked Boston Scientific for more than 10 points.' Titanium Metals (TIE) Taser (TASR): 'In this market, it's too hard for me. ... I do not want to buy Taser here. Don'tBuy.'

Labels: BSX, CFC, CVS, FCX, HPQ, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, Mad Money, MNST, NKE, RIG, RTN, SGR, SLB, STJ, SYY, TASR, TIE, VIP, WWW

On Tuesday's show, Cramer started by talking about the acquisition of Commerce Bank (CBH) by TD Bank, and how he feels that Canadian banks will buy more US regional banks because of the strength of the Canadian dollar. Cramer listed 9 other banks that he thinks could be takeover targets; National City (NCC), New York Community Bank (NYB), Comerica (CMA), KeyCorp (KEY), Hudson City Bank (HCBK), M&T Bank (MTB), BB&T (BBT), Fifth Third Bank (FITB), Capital One (COF)
CVS Caremark (CVS): Cramer thinks it was unfairly punished by Walgreen's (WAG) bad quarterly report yesterday. Cramer thinks that CVS will be able to profit for the same reason that Walgreen's had problems because of their merger with Caremark. CVS is now "best of breed" in the pharmacy sector.
Cramer then took a phone call about Wal-Mart (WMT) which he thinks is not a big factor in this sector.
After the lightning round, Cramer was looking for more overlooked IPOs. Today's pick was comScore (SCOR). This stock is the Nielsen of the web and gives companies data to help them advertise better. They are in the early stages of growth.
CEO of Perry Ellis (PERY) was on the show. Cramer thinks the stock is not for him, and asked the CEO some tough questions.
In the last segment, Cramer talked about Baidu.com (BIDU), which he said is up 136% since he recommended the stock. He "commands you" to take your cost basis out of the market to lock in profits.

Labels: BBT, CBH, CMA, CVS, HCBK, Jim Cramer, KEY, Mad Money, Mad MOney Recap, MTB, NYB, SCOR, WMT

Sun Microsystems (JAVA): Cramer thinks it's finally turned the corner, but it's still too cheap.
Potash (POT): Cramer says that rankings in the agriculture sector are Agrium (AG), Mosaic (MOS), Sociedad Quimica (SQM), and then Potash since it moved too much.
Nuance (NUAN): "Don't buy. Don't buy."
Cheesecake Factory (CAKE): Thinks it's too cheap. Not giving up on it yet.
Rite-Aid (RAD): Giving CEO one more quarter. He thinks that CVS (CVS) and Walgreens (WAG) are doing much better.
China Mobile (CHL): This is a China stock that he still likes, along with Baidu.com (BIDU).
VF Corp. (VFC): Cramer thinks it's one of the better names in the apparel sector.
Western Refining (WNR): If you want to buy a refining stock, buy Valero
(VLO), or Sunoco (SUN) instead of WNR.
Energy Conversion Devices (ENER): Lose it and go with First Solar (FSLR)
Lockheed Martin (LMT): Start buying. Cramer thinks the stock is going even higher.
Starbucks (SBUX): "Don't buy, Don't buy."
Marvell (MRVL): Cramer thinks it's toxic.
First Horizon National (FHN): It's a cheap bank stock, and Cramer likes that.
Coeur d'Alene Mines (CDE): Cramer thinks this is one of the worst mining companies around, and that Barrick Gold (ABX) is the best play, and you can go with Pan American Silver (PAAS) if you want a silver stock.
DivX (DIVX): "There is nothing there to buy."
GameStop (GME): Wants the stock lower. Cramer thinks you should take some profits now, and buy more if the stock drops below $55.
Exxon Mobil (XOM): Cramer's price target for this stock is now $100.
Haynes (HAYN): It's played out for now.

Labels: CAKE, CHL, CVS, JAVA, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, Mad Money Lightning Round, NUAN, POT, RAD, SQM, VFC, WAG, WNR

PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP - News), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE - News), Schering-Plough (NYSE: SGP - News), Kellogg (NYSE: K - News), General Mills (NYSE: GIS - News), Altria (NYSE: MO - News), CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS - News), MedcoHealth (NYSE: MHS - News), Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH - News)
Cramer says almost everyone, including him, is "getting killed" in this market, and he wants viewers to understand "why it's so cataclysmic out there, so at least they have the grounding to say, 'OK, I'm willing to ride this out." While some suggest getting out of stocks, Cramer recognizes many people invest for the long term. However, he added; "What I'm trying to do is focus on what can work and what will really be hurt, not what's working, because nothing's working." Cramer said he got through the credit crunch in 1990s by focusing on the bull market and on 20 stocks that weren't losing. Examples may be PEP, PFE, SGP, K, GIS, MO, CVS, MHS, CAH. While he may have 10 to 1 bears out of every stock pile, Cramer urges viewers to "recognize that as the Federal Reserve continues to do a de facto tightening, you're going to continue to have spillover."
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Labels: CAH, CVS, GIS, Jim Cramer, K, MHS, MO, PEP, pfe, SGP, Wall Street Confidential

Stocks seesawed throughout most of the session before rallying into the close. At the end of the trading day, all the major market averages closed with solid gains, the second day in a row we've seen heavy buying late. Corporate earnings helped drive bears indoors as credit market jitters appeared to take a backseat.
Earning report cards from many of America's largest companies came out today, among them CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS - News) which saw profits rise 114% due to its recently completed merger with Caremark. Profits hit $724 million, or 47 cents a share, compared to $337.9 million, or 40 cents, in the year-ago period. Excluding merger-related charges, EPS would have been 48 cents a share. Revenues nearly doubled to $20.7 billion. The new company cited strength in its core retail pharmacy business as helping fuel increased profits. Shares rose 3.5%.
Hotel operator Starwood Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HOT - News) said net income came in at $145 million, or 67 cents a share, down from $680 million, or $3.01 a share, last year when the company booked a one-time gain. Excluding special items, its EPS was 82 cents, up from 74 cents in the same period last year. The figures easily beat analyst estimates of 63 cents a share. Revenues rose 4.5% to $1.57 billion as revenue per available room (revpar) rose 8.4%. The company also raised its full-year EPS guidance to $2.78, up from $2.57 previously. Its shares rose 2.1%.
Shares of Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS - News) rose 1.6% after the media and theme park operator reported a third-quarter profit of $1.18 billion, or 57 cents a share, up from $1.13 billion, or 53 cents a share, last year. The 4.7% profit increase was attributed to higher advertising rates at its ABC television unit as well as merchandising from films. Revenues rose 6.7% to $9.05 billion. The company also said it acquired Club Penguin for $350 million in cash, as well as saying it could pay out an additional $350 million if certain profit goals are met.
Nokia (NYSE: NOK - News), the world's largest maker of mobile phones, said net income more than doubled to 2.82 billion euros, or 0.72 euros a share, up from 0.28 euros a share, last year. Excluding extraordinary items, it would have reported earnings of 0.32 euros a share, easily beating estimates of 0.28 euros. Sales rose 28% to 12.6 billion euros. The Finland-based company said it grabbed more market share in the second quarter. Shares surged 8.8%.
In other company news, Mattel (NYSE: MAT - News) shares fell -1.7% after the toymaker said it has recalled 1.5 million toys that are tainted with lead. It blamed the recall on a supply manufacturer in China.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: CVS, DIS, HOT, MAT, NOK

Avoid Private Equity: Blackstone (NYSE: BX - News)
Cramer would not buy private equity firms and suggests staying away from the Apollo and KKR IPOs. A former hedge fund manager, Cramer says he knows a thing or two about private equity. He believes the stocks are too expensive and investors would be catching these names at the end of the trend. In addition, if a Democrat wins the White House, he or she will propose taxing "the heck out" of private equity and squeezing the firms dry. Cramer added there are "too many people with too much money trying to get a piece of the action." Finally, companies are taken public at the end of a cycle, and "coming public means they're selling, not buying," Cramer said.
That 80s Show: Apache (NYSE: APA - News)
This week, Cramer has been discussing his theory that once the $80 threshold is broken, a stock becomes "annointed," rises to $100 and eventually reaches $120. He added once a stock hits $100 it will only go down again if it splits. Apache is a name Cramer believes will provide support for this theory because "people will keep buying it." Oil is one of the sectors driving the market, and Apache's advantage over other oil companies is its ability to thrive in challenging areas because of its low production costs and to improve on cheap products it purchases from its rivals. Cramer adds APA is trading at only 1o times earnings; "This stock is mispriced!" Most of APA's oil reserves are in the U.S., and the company has raised its product guidance. "I would buy APA before it gets away from you," Cramer said.
Overcoming Soros: Bon-Ton (NasdaqGS: BONT - News), CVS (NYSE: CVS - News), Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News), Qualcomm (NasdaqGS: QCOM - News), Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN - News), Gen-Probe (NasdaqGS: GPRO - News)
Cramer says he doesn't want people to invest like George Soros, "I want to be better than Soros!" For instance, Soros owns BONT which Cramer thinks is alright for the long term, but "short term it really stinks." Although Cramer likes Soros pick CVS after its Caremark acquisition, he prefers RAD. He would also swap Soros' QCOM for his choice, TXN. However, Cramer agrees with Soros about buying GPRO because the stock is "instant growth" with 40% market share for blood screening tests and 58% market share for chlamydia and gonorrhea tests. The company is also making deals with industry leaders such as General Electric, 3M and Millipore.
Mad Mail: Manitowoc (NYSE: MTW - News), Costco (NasdaqGS: COST - News), Casey's (NasdaqGS: CASY - News), Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News), Cemex (NYSE: CX - News)
Cramer agreed with a viewer that MTW fits his $80-$100-$120 theory. Since COST is a gas station as well as a retailer, he considers it a viable alternative to CASY. Cramer added he isn't concerned about RAD after the Medicaid ruling, but would let the "good times roll." Being locked in by the housing cycle is not a bad thing for those who hold CX, he said, because the company is "growing like a weed."
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: APA, BONT, BX, CASY, COST, CVS, CX, GPRO, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, MTW, QCOM, RAD, TXN

Here are 7 trading ideas for today. These lists come directly from the TradingMarkets Stock Indicators page and are based upon our latest quantitative research.
Bullish
5+ Consecutive Down Days: These are stocks that have closed down for five or more consecutive days and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that close down for five or more days have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Alberto-Culver (NYSE:ACV) & Eaton (NYSE:ETN). ACV's PowerRating is 7, and ETN's PowerRating is 6.
5+ Consecutive Lower Lows: These are stocks that have made a lower low for five or more consecutive days and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that make lower lows for five or more days have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
CVS Corporation (NYSE:CVS) & Diamonds Trust (NYSE:DIA). CVS's PowerRating is 6, and DIA's PowerRating is 6.
2-Period RSI Below 2: These are stocks that have a 2-period RSI reading below 2 and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving with a 2-period RSI reading below 2 have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Sony (NYSE:SNE). SNE's PowerRating is 7.
Bearish
5+ Consecutive Up Days: These are stocks that have made a higher high for five or more consecutive days and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving average that make higher highs for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Dr. Reddy's Labs (NYSE:RDY). RDY's PowerRating is 3.
5+ Consecutive Higher Highs: These are stocks that have made a higher high for five or more consecutive days and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving average that make higher highs for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Komag (NasdaqGS:KOMG). KOMG's PowerRating is 2.
PowerRatings (for Traders) are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: ACV, CVS, DIA, ETN, Hot Stocks, KOMG, RDY, SNE

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Tuesday from TradingMarkets.com:
j2 Global Communications (NasdaqGS:JCOM) beat earnings on Monday afternoon, announcing $0.35 EPS over an expected $0.32 EPS. JCOM's PowerRating is 4.

Wynn Resorts (NasdaqGS:WYNN) beat earnings on Monday afternoon, with $0.67 EPS over a consensus of $0.54 EPS. WYNN's PowerRating is 6.
Allied Capital (NYSE:ALD) should announce $0.34 EPS on Tuesday morning. ALD's PowerRating is 4.
CVS Corporation (NYSE:CVS) announces earnings on Tuesday before the bell, with analysts looking for $0.45 EPS. CVS's PowerRating is 6.
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) is expected to announce $0.30 EPS on Tuesday before the market opens. DUK's PowerRating is 5.
When Tyco (NYSE:TYC) announces earnings on Tuesday morning, watch for $0.47 EPS. TYC's PowerRating is 5.
Analysts are watching for Harrah's Entertainment (NYSE:HET) to report $1.00 EPS before the bell on Tuesday. HET's PowerRating is 6.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: ALD, CVS, DUK, HET, Hot Stocks, JCOM, TYC, WYNN

Good As Golden Star Resources (AMEX: GSS - News)
Cramer likes GSS as a way to play the CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge. The company operates in South America and Africa, and is therefore highly speculative, but has a large mine in Ghana, "an island of stability." The bears are worried about a sulfide-processing plant GSS is building in Ghana, but Cramer thinks investors should use this anxiety as an opportunity to buy. He predicts the announcement of a new plant, which will double production and lower costs, will be sooner than expected. With this news, analysts will raise their numbers and the stock will go higher. Cramer also believes GSS may be taken over, and he likes the sector, since gold is moving up. Cramer would not swap out of best-of-breed Yamana to buy GSS, but likes the price at $4.46, and urges investors to use limit orders when buying.
Laser King: Ionatron (NasdaqGM: IOTN), Palomar Medical Technologies (NasdaqGS: PMTI), Syneron Medical (NasdaqGS: ELOS), Cynosure (NasdaqGM: CYNO)
Cramer noted that last Friday's laser pick, IOTN has risen 17% since his recommendation, and he decided to choose a new "laser king." Cramer has liked PMTI in the past and declared ELOS the "czar of lasers" when he was discussing cosmetic laser procedures. Now CYNO wears the laser king crown, since it has doubled while ELOS hasn't moved. In addition, CYNO has 30% growth and is levered to the rest of the world. Cramer added he prefers "a performer that's pricey" to "an underperformer that's cheap." PMTI is Cramer's second-best pick, but is more costly than CYNO, and he likes ELOS, but doesn't see it going up in the near future.
Game Plan for the Coming Week: Fluor (NYSE: FLR - News), McDermott International (NYSE: MDR - News), Foster Wheeler (NasdaqGS: FWLT), CVS/Caremark (NYSE: CVS - News), Dynegy (NYSE: DYN - News), Nabors (NYSE: NBR - News), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL - News), Parker Drilling (NYSE: PKD - News), Forest Oil (NYSE: FST - News), L-1 Identity Solutions (NYSE: ID - News), Precision Castparts (NYSE: PCP - News), Six Flags (NYSE: SIX - News), Syntax-Brillan (NasdaqGM: BRLC)
Cramer suggesting looking at infrastructure, especially MDR, FLR, and FWLT which are "terrific" companies and which should benefit from high oil prices. He would establish half a position before their reports and half after, and would buy the stocks on any weakness. On Monday, he would also buy FST. Cramer praises CVS as having "valued itself even further into the health care heaven" with its cheap Caremark purchase, and would buy ahead of its Tuesday report, adding he also likes DYN. PKD, which also reports on Tuesday, may be bought by NBR or HAL which discussed expansion during their conference calls, Cramer commented. His Wednesday picks include ID, PCP and SIX. Since the LCD TV sector is improving, Cramer likes BRLC which reports on Thursday after the markets close.
CEO Interview: Nolan Archibald, Black and Decker (NYSE: BDK - News)
Nolan Archibald says BDK's report was strong because of the company's "great brands and innovative products" which thrive in down times. BDK is featuring new Dewalt brand products including concrete breakers, hammers and generators. Archibald added the company is going to continue buying back shares. Cramer commented BDK is "the real deal" and sees it rising from $92.36 to $100.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: BDK, CVS, DYN, ELOS, FLR, FST, GSS, HAL, ID, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, MDR, NBR, PCP, PKD, PMTI, SIX

Bullish calls:
Sirius Satellite Radio (NasdaqGS: SIRI): 'Perhaps someone might want to ask me about SIRI, which I think could just get a bump of 10%, because of some activities in radio...'Mattel (NYSE: MAT - News): 'I feel that MAT goes higher ... How about this? If you have 200 shares, take off 50, but let that run on a fundamental basis, because it's real good.'Hasbro (NYSE: HAS - News)CVS (NYSE: CVS - News): ' ... they got this Caremark. It's a great move ... CVS - best in show. Really smart. Ended up getting it cheap. I'm not backing away from CVS. No. If anything - down a dollar - I'm pulling the trigger.'Express Scripts (NasdaqGS: ESRX): 'I've been buying ESRX ... Why? Because I think Walgreens has to do a me-too (buy ESRX because CVS bought Caremark).'Rochester Medical (NasdaqGM: ROCM): 'Unbelievably good baby-boomer play. I say stick with it. Do not can it until you get to $30 smackers!'Zimmer (NYSE: ZMH - News)Allergan (NYSE: AGN - News)Color Kinetics (NasdaqGM: CLRK): 'CLRK makes this really cool lighting system ... I think CLRK is the best-in-show of the lighting group. That's what you want to be in.'Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE: BNS - News): 'BNS? ...They are going to own - I am not kidding - they are going to own the Caribbean. BNS is the best-run bank in Canada.'Medco Health (NYSE: MHS - News): 'MHS, down $4 bucks from a high is so fantastic...'Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY - News): 'We're going to go to AUY! Still, after a double, I am still recommending AUY. That's the best in show ('mon-back sound).'International Securities Exchange (NYSE: ISE - News): 'All right, every one of these is a takeover target.'IntercontinentalExchange (NYSE: ICE - News): 'I am liking ICE - the Intercontinental Exhange - down $40 from its high.'Intuitive Surgical (NasdaqGS: ISRG): 'The only one in the medical space that's left is ISRG. The stock grows at 35%, It has the ability to go up another 30-40 points. I want to buy ISRG. I like that stock very much.'Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS - News): 'Oh, you know I like that company. That is really well-run. I've liked it for 50 points.'Mueller Water (NYSE: MWA - News): 'I just got their annual report. I think it looks real good. I've got to tell you, I'm a believer down here in water infrastructure.'
Bearish calls:
US Gold (AMEX: UXG - News): 'No. No. You know, we're not going to go to Nevada and find a lot of gold anymore. We're going to go to Latin America. We're going to go to South America.'J2 Global Communications (NasdaqGS: JCOM): ' ... this has been a very hard stock for me to get a line on, frankly. I have not understood why it keeps going higher ... 'don't buy, don't buy'Mannatech (NasdaqGS: MTEX): 'Nutritional supplements. A good business, but I have burned people in MATK, so I want to be very careful, and, again, I'm going to have to resort to the 'don't buy' button.'Smith & Wesson (NasdaqGS: SWHC): 'I'm sticking with another 'don't buy.'BB&T (NYSE: BBT - News): 'No. No. I don't like the regional banks. Sell, sell, sell!'Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO - News): 'At $69... At this price, I'm a register ringer. I can't take the pain. I'd rather be in an integrated.'
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Labels: AGN, AUY, BBT, BNS, CVS, HAS, ICE, ISE, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, LVS, Mad Money, MAT, MHS, SIRI, UXG, VLO, ZMH

And so it ends. No, we're not talking about the men's basketball season at Duke. Rather, we are referring to the battle between CVS Corp. (CVS 33.12, -0.22) and Express Scripts (ESRX 82.66, +0.25) to merge with pharmacy benefit manager Caremark (CMX 62.62, -0.13).
"Taps" officially played for Express Scripts when Caremark shareholders voted this morning to approve the merger with CVS by an overwhelming majority according to media reports.
Today's outcome isn't a surprise as Express Scripts' fate in this battle was essentially sealed when it said last week it couldn't raise its offer without being allowed to perform confirmatory due diligence - a process it believes it was cheated from carrying out by Caremark's Board of Directors.
The unwillingness to raise its offer was the piercing death blow, but Express Scripts was already wounded by the understanding that it had not yet gained approval from regulators to merge with Caremark.
Accordingly, CVS prevailed since there was a certainty of value in its offer that called for Caremark shareholders to receive 1.67 shares of CVS stock for each share of outstanding stock they owned, plus a special cash dividend of $7.50 per share upon closing of the deal. In addition, CVS pledged to commence a cash tender offer for 150 million of its shares for $35 per share promptly following the closing of the transaction.
The new company will be known as CVS/Caremark.
--Patrick J. O'Hare, Briefing.com

Labels: CVS, CVS Corp.

New economic data offered a relatively stable level of inflation, but investors took a pessimistic view of the numbers and sent stocks lower on the day. The disappointment stemmed in part from the fact that, while recent data has been pointing to a softening economy, inflation pressure is still being felt. All three major indexes closed moderately lower on the day
Looking at the numbers, the Labor Department's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4% in February, ahead of the 0.3% expected by Wall Street. The closely watched core rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was up 0.2%, matching expectations. Coming on the heels of yesterday's Producer Price Index (PPI) numbers, which pointed to some inflationary pressure, the CPI numbers left investors on edge.
In corporate news, several subprime mortgage stocks once again posted outsized gains as the crisis in that sector continues to shake out. Accredited Home Lenders (Nasdaq: LEND - News) added another 16% on top of yesterday's big gains after announcing that it would sell some of its loans at a discount, enabling it to meet looming margin calls. Fremont General (NYSE: FMT - News) tacked on 20% after its credit line with Credit Suisse was boosted by $1 billion.
Elsewhere, in the wake of the January announcement from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. delaying its review of bank charter applications from Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News), the retailer has scrapped long-held plans to establish a bank. Wal-Mart's plans had come under fire because, among other arguments, some believe a Wal-Mart bank would have an unfair advantage over traditional banks. Wal-Mart has argued all along that it never intended to open its own bank, but that it sought to be classified as one in order to reduce credit and debit card transaction costs. Home Depot (NYSE: HD - News), which also has a pending application, has not abandoned its efforts.
In other news, CVS (NYSE: CVS - News) moved one step closer to completing its marathon effort to acquire pharmacy benefits manager Caremark Rx (NYSE: CMX - News) after Caremark shareholders approved CVS' $26.5 billion offer. CVS had been engaged in a long-running bidding war with Express Scripts (Nasdaq: ESRX - News) over Caremark.
Elsewhere in M&A, crude oil tanker company OMI Corp (NYSE: OMM - News) jumped 14.5% after management said it was considering putting the firm up for sale. Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM - News), meanwhile, posted a modest gain after a BusinessWeek report suggested it might be a target of Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX - News), the world's biggest gold producer. Barrick, however, dismissed the speculation.
Finally, tech giant Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ - News) announced the biggest stock buyback in its history, authorizing the repurchase of $8.0 billion in shares. The new authorization comes on top of the $3.3 billion HP had remaining, as of January 31st, under its prior $6.0 billion repurchase plan, which was approved in August 2006. The tech leader finished the session only slightly higher on the news.

Labels: ABX, CMX, CVS, ESRX, FMT, HD, HPQ, LEND, NEM, OMM, WMT

Sliding oil prices and a spate of M&A deals spurred investors to resume buying stocks. In doing so, they looked past the struggle that one of the nation's leading subprime lenders faces in a bid to survive. After a lackluster start to the week, buying picked up in the mid-afternoon as the major stock averages pushed sharply higher before easing somewhat in the final 30 minutes of trading. The 10-year Treasury note also attracted buyers, which cut the yield -4 basis points to 4.55%. Crude oil futures dipped near $59 a barrel.
Early in the day, the market was focused on the travails of New Century Financial (NYSE: NEW - News), which appears to be teetering on the brink of insolvency. The company disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that all of its lenders have either cut financing or will cease to finance New Century's short-term borrowings. New Century said last Thursday it would no longer accept new loan applications due to liquidity problems. The company hinted it does not have the funds to meet current obligations, which may exceed $8 billion. Subscribers can read further analysis on the fallout from this latest development in today's issue.
Merger activity helped shake off the cloud created by New Century's woes. Ford Motor (NYSE: F - News) took a step toward funding its own recovery plan by announcing it has sold its Aston Martin unit to a consortium of investors for $848 million. The U.K.-based unit is best known for the exotic, pricey sports cars used in the James Bond movie series. The car now retails for between $110,000 and $270,000 each.
Schering-Plough (NYSE: SGP - News), meanwhile, announced it plans to buy the pharmaceuticals division of Akzo Nobel (Nasdaq: AKZOY - News) for $14.5 billion in cash. U.S.-traded shares of Akzo, a Dutch company, jumped 16% on the news. The deal will given Schering the Akzo Organon Biosciences unit, which makes a range of fertility, birth control, and women's health products. That addition should lessen Schering's dependence on its Vytorin and Zetia cholesterol-lowering drugs. Organon also has a treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in late-stage development, but Pfizer (NYSE: PFE - News), its partner in the development of the drug asenapine, dropped out after the treatment achieved mixed results in clinical trials.
In the health insurance sector, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH - News) agreed to buy Sierra Health Services (NYSE: SIE - News) for about $2.6 billion in cash. Sierra services about 310,000 employer-sponsored health plan members in Nevada and another 320,000 members enrolled in senior and government programs nationwide. UnitedHealth offered $43.50 a share for Sierra, or roughly a 21% premium over Friday's close. Sierra added 16% today. Separately, Express Scripts (Nasdaq: ESRX - News) ended 5% higher on the day after announcing it would not raise its bid for rival Caremark Rx (NYSE: CMX - News). Express Scripts has been battling drug-store retailer CVS (NYSE: CVS - News) to acquire Caremark. Both Caremark and CVS ended down -2%.
In the final major deal of the day, the management of discount retailer Dollar General (NYSE: DG - News) agreed to a $6.9 billion buyout bid from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. KKR offered $22 a share, a 31% premium over Friday's close, for the operator of more than 8,200 discount stores nationwide. Dollar General jumped 26% higher on the news.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: AKZOY, CMX, CVS, DG, ESRX, F, NEW, pfe, SGP, SIE, UNH