Jim Cramer Blog

Buy Deere (DE), Jim Cramer said on CNBC's "Stop Trading!" segment Tuesday.
Cramer pointed to the stock's continued rise as evidence that he's right. "You know why?" he said, "Because the fundamentals trump the analysts." He praised CEO Robert Lane for "making great inroads" with the company. Of sector rival Agco (AG), Cramer said, "I gotta tell you. I think Deere is coming for them. ... I like Deere and I like DuPont (DD)."
Cramer said he liked the stock market's performance today, "given the fact that consumer confidence's been bad." He said he's worried about big gains in Research In Motion (RIMM), a company he recommended on Monday's "Stop Trading!" segment.
"I still like Apple (AAPL), but I don't have a strong thesis on Apple other than I believe in the iPhone," Cramer said.
In the investment management space, Cramer was bearish on Fortress Investment Group (FIG) "I have Wes Edens in my hall of shame," Cramer said. "Everything they've touched has turned to stone. This is a castle in the sand."
Cramer also said he disapproved of Citigroup (C) CEO Vikram Pandit. "What's Pandit doing?" he asked. "Sometimes you've got to take bold action. ... The last four acquisitions that Chuckie Prince did, I would just unwind them."
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: AAPL, AG, C, DD, DE, FIG, Jim Cramer, RIMM, Stop Trading

Fortress Investment Group (NYSE:FIG) reported a loss for the fourth quarter, missing estimates by a wide margin. FIG's Short Term PowerRating is 3.
Shares of Penn National Gaming (NasdaqGS:PENN) rose after Fortress Investment Group said it still plans to buyout the casino operator. PENN's Short Term PowerRating is 3.
Monsanto (NYSE:MON) jumped 9.9% after the company raised its 2008 full-year earnings guidance. MON's Short Term PowerRating is 5.
MGIC Investment (NYSE:MTG) fell 7.9% after the mortgage insurer needed to raise $745 million via a stock and debt sale. The company reported a record loss in Q4. MGIC's Short Term PowerRating is 5.
The Wall Street Journal reported the $19 billion deal to take Clear Channel (NYSE:CCU) private was near collapse, due to the credit crisis. CCU's Short Term PowerRating is 4.
Yahoo! (NasdaqGS:YHOO) rose after Citigroup issued a "buy" note in expectation of a higher bid from Microsoft. YHOO's Short Term PowerRating is 5.
After the close, Jabil Circuit (NYSE:JBL) beat estimates by $0.02 but lowered guidance for the third quarter. JBL's Short Term PowerRating is 6.

Labels: CCU, FIG, Hot Stocks, JBL, MON, MTG, PENN, YHOO

Not a Borrower but a Lender Be: Cash America International (NYSE: CSH - News), Advance America, Cash Advance Centers (NYSE: AEA - News), New Century (NYSE: NEW - News) and NovaStar (NYSE: NFI - News)
"Where others see catastrophe, I see opportunity," Cramer said concerning the subprime lending crisis, and suggested playing difficulties with working class loans by investing in"pawnbrokers and loan sharks." Cramer calls CSH the "largest player in pawn lending," and comments the slightly risky and morally dubious AEA is "cheap, cheap, cheap." While others are spending their time and resources shorting NEW and NFI, Cramer prefers being bullish on CSH and AEA.

Rubble Stock: Chemed (NYSE: CHE - News)
Thursday's so-called "rubble stock" which Cramer thinks did not deserve the beating it took during the selloff was Chemed, a company which has a thriving Vitas hospice operation and Roto-Rooter plumbing business. Cramer likes CHE because it "blew away its numbers" right before the selloff, and although it has recovered somewhat, CHE is still low enough to buy. CHE jumped $7 in one day, and shed $2 during The Fall, and although the drop was not significant, Cramer still believes CHE is "immunized" against downside and he would buy it before "it gets its mojo back."

Sell Block: Fortress (NYSE: FIG - News), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News), Melco PBL Entertainment (NasdaqGM: MPEL), IPG Photonics (NasdaqGM: IPGP), Wynn (NasdaqGS: WYNN), Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS - News), Artes Medical (NasdaqGM: ARTE), Switch & Data Facilities (NasdaqGM: SDXC), Aero Vironment (NasdaqGM: AVAV), Opnext (NasdaqGS: OPXT)
Cramer dedicated Thursday's Sell Block to tracking the success and failure of recent IPOs. He suggested selling FIG and buying GS instead. He would also sell MPEL and IPGP "on any strength," and admitted that Meclo was an "unmitigated disaster," and apologized for backing it, saying he "extrapolated" his bullishness from the success of WYNN and LVS in Macau. Cramer was glad he didn't recommend ARTE, because the company is not thriving, but would buy SDXC which is cheaper than its rivals and will have a "positive news flow in the near term." He also likes AVAV as a defense play and would pick up OPXT, but only when it dips.
CFO Interview: Rick Lindner, AT&T (NYSE: T - News)
Cramer asked CFO Rick Lindner how the company was able to put cash into AT & T Wireless, continue to develop and build its network and raise its dividend simultaneously. Lindner replied, "First of all, we've done three large acquisitions in the past three years," which have resulted in "tremendous opportunities for merger synergies. And those synergies are driving double-digit growth." He also commented on new products and growth in wireless and data. Although Cramer usually discourages a "buy and hold" strategy, he said investors "can buy AT&T and put it away," because it is well-run and has a solid yield.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AEA, ARTE, CHE, CSH, FIG, GS, Jim Cramer, LVS, Mad Money, NEW, NFI, SDXC, WYNN

Labels: CHRW, EXPD, FIG, GS, HAL, HCBK, Jim Cramer, KBR, Lightning Round, Mad Money, MPEL, NFI, NTRI, QCOM, RIG, SHLD, SUNW, TMO

Bullish calls:
Qualcomm (NasdaqGS: QCOM): 'QCOM has finally gotten it together. There are tremendous buyers of this stock right here ... Cramer says this thing is finally go into the mid-40s and then let's make a judgment.'Transocean (NYSE: RIG - News): 'Holy cow, this business is on fire. I would actually swap out of BJS and I would go into RIG... It's just much, much cheaper.'Melco PBL Entertainment (NasdaqGM: MPEL): 'Finally we got this thing bouncing. This stock has been actually a living, breathing nightmare ... Opportunity is finally knocking. I would hold onto it.'C.H. Robinson Worldwide (NasdaqGS: CHRW): 'I liked the quarter from CHRW, and I think right now, you should swap out of EXPD and go into CHRW.'Halliburton (NYSE: HAL - News): 'I have been patient. They had the spinoff of KBR and, if they don't use that to buy back in a self tender or very high price a lot of stock, then I will have to eat my hat.'Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News)Sears (NasdaqGS: SHLD) Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO - News): 'We recommended this stock a couple of smackers ago. It has been going up - it pulled back from $50 ... I think you've got to not only stick with it, I think you've got to buy more [back up the truck sound].'Sun Microsystems (NasdaqGS: SUNW): 'I am starting to warm up to that.'
Bearish calls:
BJ Services (NYSE: BJS - News): ' Let me tell you how hard this business has become ... I don't like BJS as much as RIG. I would actually swap out of BJS and I would go into RIG... It's just much, much cheaper.'Hudson City Bancorp (NasdaqGS: HCBK): 'We want to get behind it, because it is the best lender in the Northeast. We can't do it until we see cuts. Don't buy, don't buy. But I am warming up to it.'Expeditors International of Washington (NasdaqGS: EXPD): ' You know, I didn't like that quarter. I liked the quarter from CHRW, and I think right now, you should swap out of EXPD and go into CHRW.'NutriSystem (NasdaqGS: NTRI): 'I didn't like what they did. They did first the lowball a couple of weeks ago...Then today they surprised to the upside on the lowball, taking the stock up 8 points in the after hours. I want to ring the register. I've had enough with NTRI. I'm about the money, and I've had enough of these guys.'Fortress (NYSE: FIG - News)Teva Pharmaceutical (NasdaqGS: TEVA): 'No. I don't like the generics.'Novastar (NYSE: NFI - News): 'No, not a chance. Not a chance my friend. I'm staying away from that group.'
Published by SeeingAlpha

Labels: BJS, CHRW, EXPD, FIG, GS, HAL, HCBK, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, Mad Money, MPEL, NFI, NTRI, QCOM, RIG, TMO

Applix (NasdaqGS:APLX - News) shares gained 15% Friday after the Westborough, Mass.-based company late Thursday reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $6 million, or 34 cents a share, up from $2.48 million, or 15 cents a share, last year. Revenue rose to $16 million from $11.1 million. Applix targeted 2007 earnings of 31 cents to 38 cents a share, or 46 cents to 53 cents a share excluding items, on revenue of $67 million to $70 million.
AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR - News) shares rose 7.8% after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $27.2 million, or 77 cents a share, up from a year-ago profit of $23.7 million, or 66 cents a share. Revenue jumped in the latest three months to $422.4 million from $338.8 million a year earlier.
Atari Inc. (NasdaqGM:ATAR - News) shares added 7% after the company narrowed its fiscal third-quarter loss to $715,000, or 5 cents a share, from a year-ago loss of $4.8 million, or 35 cents a share. The company reported earnings from continuing operations of 13 cents a share.
Blue Coat Systems' (NasdaqGM:BCSI - News) shares rose 11% after Sunnyvale, Calif.-based developed of proxy appliances said late Thursday it expects fiscal third-quarter revenue of $45.5 million to $47.5 million. Blue coat had previously forecast revenue of $40 million to $45 million.
Carriage Services (NYSE:CSV - News) shares gained 15% after the company said it expects earnings of 38 to 42 cents a share in fiscal 2007 on revenue of between $162 million and $165 million. Wall Street's current consensus estimate is for earnings of 27 cents a share in the period from the Houston-based funeral services provider.
Fortress Investment Group (NYSE:FIG - News) shares rocketed up 68% as the company made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange.
Hansen Natural Corp. (NasdaqCM:HANS - News) shares gaines 6.6% following news that Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD - News) has agreed to manage and coordinate the sale, distribution and merchandising of the company's Monster Energy drinks to on-premise retailers. The contract covers bars, nightclubs and restaurants in territories approved by Hansen.
Hooker Furniture (NasdaqCM:HOFT - News) shares jumped 17% after the Martinsville, Va., furniture maker posted fourth-quarter earnings of $3.5 million, or 29 cents a share, including restructuring and asset impairment charges totaling $2.3 million, or 19 cents a share. Sales edged 0.9% higher to $91 million in the quarter. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial was for earnings of 17 cents a share in the period on sales of $80.2 million.
Jaco Electronics Inc. (NasdaqGM:JACO - News) shares rose 12% after the company swung to a fiscal second-quarter profit of $149,000, or 2 cents a share, from a year-ago loss of $7.4 million. The company said the turnaround was due to its strategy of marketing product lines from core vendors as well as tight cost controls. Jaco, which distributes electronic components, said revenue for the quarter rose 37% to $66 million. The company added it recently entered into a new credit facility that provides additional working capital and offers a lower interest rate than its previous agreement.
Kintera Inc. (NasdaqGM:KNTA - News) shares rose 8.3% after the company named Richard LaBarbera as its president. LaBarbera joined Kintera as chief operating officer last February. The company also named Alfred Berkeley III as its chairman. Berkeley previously served as president of Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. and was later appointed vice chairman of Nasdaq. Also, executive vice president Allen Gruber has resigned from the board to focus on internal and operational functions within the company.
Laidlaw International (NYSE:LI - News) shares climbed 9% after Britain's First Group said it's going to pay $3.6 billion, or $35.25 a share, for the company, which is the leading operator of school and inter-city bus transportation and a supplier of public transit services in North America. The deal for Laidlaw, which had year to Aug. 31 revenue of $3.1 billion, represents an 11% premium to Thursday's close.
Mikron Infrared (NasdaqCM:MIKR - News) shares leapt 14% after the Oakland, N.J., maker of non-contact temperature measurement technology products agreed to be acquired by LumaSense Technologies for about $65 million. The deal values Mikron shares at $11.50 each, a 17.6% premium to its closing price on Thursday.
Open Text (NasdaqGS:OTEX - News) shares moved up 16.7% after the company said its fiscal second-quarter net income fell 16% to $2.28 million, or 4 cents a share, from $2.72 million, or 5 cents a share, a year earlier. Adjusted quarterly earnings were $18 million, or 35 cents a share. The Waterloo, Ont., software provider's revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 47% to $163.3 million from $110.8 million a year ago. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Financial predicted second-quarter earnings of 28 cents a share and revenue of $160.8 million.
Primedia (NYSE:PRM - News) shares surged 17% after the New York-based company said it is exploring the possible sale of its Enthusiast Media segment, which includes 70 publications and 90 Web sites. The company has hired Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers to manage the process. The Enthusiast Media segment, which includes magazines such as Motor Trend and Automobile, had revenues of more than $500 million in 2006, excluding the Outdoors Group, which Primedia recently sold. "The board believes the market environment is extremely favorable for the sale of PEM," said Dean Nelson, Primedia's chief executive, in a statement. Nelson also said that spinning off the company's Consumer Source division remains an option.
Shutterfly (NasdaqGM:SFLY - News) shares rose 12% after the company said its fourth-quarter earnings fell 61%, as the fourth quarter of 2005 included a $24.1 million tax benefit from the release of deferred tax valuation allowances. The Redwood City, Calif., e-commerce company had fourth-quarter earnings of $12.2 million, or 50 cents a share, compared with $31.2 million, or $1.23 a share, a year earlier. Shutterfly said revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 60% to $65.7 million from $41 million a year ago. In addition, the company said it expects first-quarter revenue of $23 million to $24 million, and an adjusted loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $1.5 million to $1 million. Shutterfly said it expects 2007 revenue of $160 million to $165 million.
Targa Resources Partners LP (NasdaqGM:NGLS - News) shares rose 13% in the company's stock market debut.
Zones' (NasdaqGM:ZONS - News) shares jumped 22% after the Auburn, Wash.-based reseller of technology products late Thursday reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $2.98 million, or 20 cents a share, up from $1.97 million, or 14 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose slightly to $159.9 million from $159.8 million.
Published By MarketWatch

Labels: APLX, ATAR, ATR, BCSI, BUD, CSV, FIG, HANS, HOFT, JACO, KNTA, LI, MIKR, NGLS, OTEX, PRM, SFLY, ZONS