Jim Cramer Blog

Buy Ralph Lauren (RL), Jim Cramer said on CNBC's "Stop Trading!" segment Wednesday.
"I like it because of the J.C. Penney (JCP) tie-in," Cramer said. He said today's move "seems like a bit of a short squeeze," he said, but "I think it can go higher from here."
Elsewhere in apparel, Cramer said that VF Corp. (VFC) "is the analogue of Ralph Lauren. ... If Ralph Lauren's good you don't leave this stock."
Cramer went on to praise management at Eaton (ETN). He said the company is "part of my new-tech world," and predicted it would hit a 52-week high. He said he also likes Emerson (EMR). "These companies are on fire," he said.
Of Nucor (NUE), Cramer said the company's secondary offering is an entry point. He advised more caution on Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF). "Let it cool off before you buy it here," he said.
Cramer was less bullish on AIG (AIG) and Wachovia (WB). "These are serial needers of capital," he said. He said firing AIG CEO Marty Sullivan would cause the stock to go up, and chastised Wachovia for its acquisition of Golden West. "This was one of the dumbest acquisitions ever and they're paying for it," he said.
"If they knew what they owned I would be more comfortable," Cramer said of AIG and Wachovia. "They're like Citigroup (C)." He said that when the companies claim to know what they have, "they're being wishful."
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: AIG, C, CLF, EMR, ETN, JCP, Jim Cramer, NUE, RL, Stop Trading, VFC, WB

Erin Burnett started the show today showing crude oil up about $0.40. Financial earnings are predicted to be down for the next few days. Fannie May seems to be taking a dip downward. HSBC Holdings (HBC) is noted as being one of the financials with weak stock. Electronic sales have actually shown an increase despite the weak retail market. Homebuilders lead decline. Steve Liesman gives the econ recon, saying investors are scrambling to buy junk bond yields which have shown a rapid incline in valuable stock. The stock in credit companies are reported as being much weaker than the drop that was seen back in August. Lewis Alexander a Citi Chief Economists says that the drop we see in short term stocks will be short lived and a dependence on the FED to contain the financial stress, will affect our resilience to a recession. Brian Shactman of CNBC says that Cyber Monday did not act as the number online sales day of the year. 72% of online retailers give Cyber Monday "deals," compared to 43% last year. Such as free shipping costs and percentage slashing. Sales are expected to break $700 M for this year's Cyber Monday. Wal-Mart, Target and JC Penny are among the top contenders for promotional sales. E-Bay and Amazon.com are doing very well along with direct company sales websites. Next, China was discussed with John Maziotti, mayor of Palm Bay, FL. He is part of the proposed ban on goods from China. Proposed ban does not include emergency products. Palm Bay are looking for funds to be raised for a "made in America" Christmas tree lighting. He says the loss of jobs and the unhealthy variables included in imported products from China are the main issues backing the proposed ban. Robert Shuller of Macro-Markets says that to fix the housing market in the long term is going to take the creation of a consumer-oriented focus. To offer mortgages with outs in the initial contract will be one of the first issues on the reform list. Stop Trading with Jim Cramer was next. He supports the proposed ban on importing Chinese manufactured goods. Garmin (GRMN) is recommended to buy and sell 18 months from now. Richard Peterson from Thomson Financial says that this will be a record high for global IPO's. Russia leads with $8 B, New York in 4th place with $4.3B, but leads the market in American currency exchanges. Jim Goldman of CNBC reports that Yahoo (YHOO) small business servers are down. Hosting 3 million sites this will be causing some problems says Jim Goldman. Oil is responsible for 33% of Yemen GDP.

Labels: Amazon.com, CHINA, CNBC, Ebay, Erin Burnett, JCP, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, Street Signs, street signs recap, TGT, Wal-Mart

Stocks sold off in afternoon trading to finish lower on the day, as Wall Street struggled with weakness in the financial, tech, and commodities sectors. At the bell, the Dow was off -121 points to end the day at 13,110. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq and S&P closed at 2,619 and 1,451, respectively. Oil prices fell on a strong inventory report with light, sweet crude ending at $93.43 per barrel. Treasury prices rose, while gold fell to $787.30 an ounce. The dollar climbed against the euro, but declined versus the yen.
On the economic front, the Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) jumped by 0.3% in October, in line with estimates. Analysts claim surging oil prices played a key role in the rise. The Core CPI, which strips out food and energy costs, increased 0.2%, also in line with forecasts. The Labor Department also reported that the number of unemployment applications popped by 20,000 to 339,000. It was the highest total of jobless claims in a month and double what economists were predicting.
In earnings news, Tyco International (NYSE: TYC - News) posted a decline in net income to $181 million, or 36 cents per share, down from $1.25 billion, or $2.45 per share, last year. Results were impacted, in part, by restructuring and separation costs. Excluding one-time items, earnings totaled $285 million, or 57 cents per share, up 20% from $238 million, or 47 cents per share, a year ago. Quarterly revenue rose to $5.03 billion, up 9% from $4.62 billion. On average, analysts were looking for EPS of 55 cents per share on revenue of $4.97 billion. Shares of Tyco closed down -3.6% on the day. Subscribers can read our take on Tyco International in today's edition.
Shares of JC Penney's (NYSE: JCP - News) were down -5.1% at the bell after the company said third-quarter net income fell to $261 million, or $1.17 per share, down from $287 million, or $1.26 per share, last year. Excluding a one-time gain of 14 cents a share, the company would have earned $1.03 per share. Revenue fell -1.1% in the quarter to $4.73 billion. Analysts had forecasted earnings of $1.01 per share on revenue of $4.76 billion. The company also lowered its fourth-quarter guidance to be between $1.65-$1.80 per share, down from previous estimates of $2.41 per share.
In other corporate news, The Wall Street Journal reported today that Swiss financial giant UBS AG (NYSE: UBS - News) may write down -$7.1 billion in mortgage-related losses in the coming quarter. Shares of UBS were off -3.1% at the bell.
On the M&A front, Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT - News) announced that it has agreed to sell its Post Cereals unit to private-label food maker Ralcorp Holdings in a stock deal worth nearly $1.7 billion. According to the terms released, Kraft will spin off its Post unit and assets to shareholders, which would then combine with Ralcorp. Following the integration, Kraft shareholders would own about 54% of the new entity, with current Ralcorp shareholdings owning approximately 46%.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: CPI, JCP, KFT, TYC, UBS

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Thursday from TradingMarkets.com:
Applied Materials (NasdaqGS:AMAT - News) beat earnings on Wednesday, announcing $0.32 EPS versus expectations of $0.29 EPS. AMAT's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Longs Drug (NYSE:LDG - News) also beat expectations, with $0.51 EPS over a consensus of $0.44 EPS. LDG's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Tetra Tech (NasdaqGS:TTEK - News) beat earnings on Wednesday afternoon with $0.241 EPS over $0.22 EPS. TTEK's PowerRating (for Traders) is 7.
JC Penney (NYSE:JCP - News) reports earnings on Thursday, with analysts looking for $1.01 EPS. JCP's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.
Suntech Power (NYSE:STP - News) is looking to announce $0.28 EPS on Thursday morning before the market opens. STP's PowerRating (for Traders) is 7.
Analysts are watching for Tyco (NYSE:TYC - News) to report $0.55 EPS tomorrow morning. TYC's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
When Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - News) reports results on Thursday morning, with traders expecting $0.24 EPS. WSM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.

Labels: AMAT, Hot Stocks, JCP, LDG, STP, TTEK, TYC, WSM

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 stocks for traders for Friday from TradingMarkets.com:
Ruby Tuesday (NYSE:RT - News) fell 14% on Thursday, after announcing that future revenues (2008) will miss projections by a long shot. RT's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.
During market hours on Thursday, SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM - News) missed earnings, announcing $0.70 EPS over an expected $0.73 EPS. Despite missing numbers, SLM fell only fractionally. SLM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT - News) rose about 3.4% on Thursday, after guiding higher for Q3 profit. WMT's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
General Electric (NYSE:GE - News) reports earnings on Friday before the market opens, with traders looking for $0.50 EPS. GE's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.
JP Morgan cut its Q3 revenue forecasts for Baidu.com mid-day, resulting in an industry-wide selloff; Baidu.com (NasdaqGS:BIDU - News) fell -10% on the negative news. BIDU's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP - News) fell about 7% after missing estimates for September sales, while Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN - News) fell just over 7% on similar bad news. JCP's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5, and JWN's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.

Labels: BIDU, GE, Hot Stocks, JCP, JWN, RT, SLM, WMT

Bullish:
Cisco (CSCO): if you want to be in tech.
J.C. Penney (JCP): He thinks that this stock is undervalued and is a buy at this price.
Integrated oil companies like ConocoPhillips (COP), Chevron (CVX), and Exxon Mobil (XOM) are better plays.
American Eagle (AEO), Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) or Aeropostale (ARO), in that order.
Kellogg (K): Cramer is bullish on Kellogg, as well as General Mills (GIS) and ConAgra (CAG).
Cramer is sticking with Baidu.com (BIDU) as the best China play.
Cramer likes NVIDIA (NVDA), Texas Instruments (TXN), and Intel (INTC)

Bearish:
Xerox (XRX)
American Capital Strategies (ACAS): Cramer's undecided on the stock, so he's avoiding it.
Tesoro (TSO): Cramer thinks gas prices aren't high enough to be in a refiner,
Luxottica (LUX): "Don’t buy!"
Hot Topic (HOTT)
Aluminum Corp. of China (ACH)
American Superconductor (AMSC)

Labels: ACAS, AEO, ANF, ARO, BIDU, CAG, COP, CSCO, CVX, GIS, INTC, JCP, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, Mad Money Lightning Round, NVDA, TXN, XOM, XRX

Equity prices rebounded from yesterday's losses as upbeat retail sales left investors bidding up stock prices. At the close all major indexes finished with modest gains. The price of Gold finally closed out a session above the key psychological $700 level, rising $13.90 on the day. Over in the energy pits, crude finished higher but off its highs, finishing the day up 57 cents to $76.30.
In economic news, the Institute of Supply Managers (ISM) said its non-manufacturing businesses index held steady at 55.8, as retailers, restaurants, and healthcare companies expanded. The Labor Department also announced that productivity, a measure of employee efficiency, rose at an annual rate of 2.6%, the most in almost two years. On the housing front, the overall picture continues to show troubling signs as the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that foreclosures in the second quarter set a record at 0.65% of all loans.
Several retailers reported same-store sales today, among them the nation's second largest discount retailer Target (NYSE: TGT - News). For the month, it reported same-store growth of 6.1%, higher than its own forecast of 4-6% growth, and handily beating analyst's estimates of 4.9%. Target shares rose 2.4%. Chief rival Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT - News) also reported a better-than-expected comparable store number of 3.1%. Wall Street analysts had expected the company to report 1.6% growth for the month. The company has cut prices by as much as 50% in order to entice back-to-school shoppers. Subscribers can read our analysis of Target in today's issue.
Clothing retailers also reported monthly figures, including J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP - News) which said that same-store sales declined -4% in the month, but noted that July and August figures were distorted due to the first week of August being counted in the July reporting period. The decline less severe than analysts had predicted. The company expects September same-store sales growth will be in the low single digits. Macy's (NYSE: M - News), meanwhile, said sales for the month rose 2.4%, significantly higher than analysts expected. The company had earlier predicted growth of -1% to 2%.
In other corporate news, biotech firm Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB - News) shares surged to a new 52-week high after the company reaffirmed its full-year 2007 outlook. It expects profits to reach $1.84-1.94 a share, or $2.60-2.70 a share excluding charges. It sees sales of $3.12-3.16 billion and told investors that revenue and earnings growth over the next three years will be 15% and 20% respectively.
The king of beers, Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD - News) rose 2.3% on the session after the brewer said it expects to see accelerated sales and earnings growth in the second half of the year and said EPS growth for the full year will exceed its long-term objective of 7-10%. The company said that many of its brands continue to show growth.
By The BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: BIIB, BUD, JCP, M, TGT, WMT

HMS Holdings (NasdaqGS: HMSY - News): 'We've always liked this. This is one of those companies ... that do cost control for medical.'MedcoHealth Solutions (NYSE: MHS - News)Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH - News)AT&T (NYSE: T - News)EMC (NYSE: EMC - News): 'I think that EMC is a better way to play VMware right now.'Intuitive Surgical (NasdaqGS: ISRG - News): Freeport-McMoran (NYSE: FCX - News): 'This is a gold company and a copper company in a deflationary spiral mandated by the Federal Reserve. ... Am I backing away from it? No. ... I will say bull to Freeport.'First Solar (NasdaqGM: FSLR - News)Exelon (NYSE: EXC - News): 'Well-run ... can do well. ... I say two thumbs up to Excelon/'Hawaiian Electric (NYSE: HE - News): 'I like the utilities here. This one's got a very high yield. It's in a growth market. ... I stick with Hawaiian Electric.'
Bearish calls:
J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP - News): 'I have been doing some work on J.C. Penney. 52-week low ... retail very hard to own ... I like to wait and see the quarter.'Posco (NYSE: PKX - News): 'It's not a House of Pain anymore. It's literally a Nation of Pain ... Don'tBuy, because it can go lower.'One National Banc (NYSE: ONB - News): 'Every bank is for sale here. ... I cannot recommend a bank on this show. I can't because I like other sectors so much more. Don'tBuy Don'tBuy Don'tBuy.'BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP - News): ' I am not going to walk away from these, but you have to understand, these stocks are in the crosshairs of the Fed, and they are going to go down.'Fuel-Tech (NasdaqGM: FTEK - News): ' ... is so speculative in this environment.'Downey Financial (NYSE: DSL - News): 'Downey is a stock that will fly up 20 points when the Fed decides to blink. ... I think Downey's book value is pretty clean. I am surprised it got down to $47. I can't back away here.'VMware (NYSE: VMW - News): '$60 is my target, and we're already up another $7 today.'Accuray (NasdaqGM: ARAY - News): 'Accuray, frankly, is not a stock that I can pull the trigger on.'Akamai (NasdaqGS: AKAM - News): 'We know that Akamai's the wrong thing.'
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: ARAY, BHP, CAH, DSL, EMC, EXC, FCX, FSLR, FTEK, HE, HMSY, ISRG, JCP, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, MHS, ONB, PKX, T, VMW

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Thursday:
Estee Lauder (NYSE:EL - News) reports earnings on Thursday morning; look for $0.50 EPS. EL's PowerRating is 4.
When Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO - News) announces quarterly earnings on Thursday before the market opens, watch for $0.23 EPS. FLO's PowerRating is 6.
FTD Group (NYSE:FTD - News) is expected to report $0.28 EPS on Thursday before the bell. FTD's PowerRating is 5.
Analysts are watching for JC Penney (NYSE:JCP - News) to report $0.78 EPS when the company announces earnings on Thursday morning. JCP's PowerRating is 5.
Watson Wyatt (NYSE:WW - News) should announce $0.67 EPS before the bell on Thursday. WW's PowerRating is 4.
Guess (NYSE:GES - News) and Hewlett Packard (NYSE:HPQ - News) both announce earnings on Thursday afternoon; GES should report $0.33 EPS, and HPQ is looking for $0.65 EPS. GES's PowerRating is 6, and HPQ's PowerRating is 6.
PowerRatings (for Traders) are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: EL, FLO, FTD, GES, Hot Stocks, HPQ, JCP, WW

Stocks surged Thursday, carrying the Dow Jones industrials into record territory as investors gleaned some positive consumer spending trends from retailers' generally sluggish June sales reports.
A new bid for aluminum maker Alcan Inc. added to the upbeat mood on Wall Street, which drove the Dow up more than 100 points to a new intraday high. Helping stocks was a move by Wal-Mart, one of the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones industrial average. The company's report helped ease some investors' worries about the health of the consumer ahead of the Commerce Department's Friday report on U.S. retail sales. The stock market got an additional boost after mining company Rio Tinto offered to buy Canadian aluminum producer Alcan for $38.1 billion. The offer topped a bid from Alcoa Inc. that Alcan's board rejected in May, and Alcoa is considering whether to make another bid. In late morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 143.55, or 1.06 percent, to 13,721.42, after climbing to 13,724.11, an intraday record. The Dow's record close is 13,676.32, set June 4.
Broader stock indicators also surged higher.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 12.35, or 0.81 percent, to 1,531.11, nearing its record close of 1,539.18, which also came on June 4.
The Nasdaq composite index rose 18.81, or 0.71 percent, to 2,670.60. Light, sweet crude rose 72 cents to $73.28 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Alcan and Alcoa shares jumped Thursday following Rio Tinto's move to top Alcoa's hostile bid for Alcan.
Source: Madlen Read, AP Business Writer

Labels: AA, AL, HD, JCP, M, MOT, RTP, SHLD, WMT

J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP - News), Sears (NasdaqGS: SHLD), Deere (NYSE: DE - News), Kohl's (NYSE: KSS - News), Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL - News), Saks (NYSE: SKS - News)
Cramer thinks retail is going higher since gasoline prices have peaked. Although there the shorts are betting heavily against retail "people got these wrong," he said. However, retailers focusing on outdoor goods and furniture might have a problem, since DE indicated outdoor was not going to do well. Cramer is bullish on JCP, KSS and SHLD, but thinks it is ironic that Citigroup rose 2.5 points on the news of Eddie Lampert's $800 million share in the company, while Lampert's own company, SHLD, "has done nothing for months." Cramer adds RL is "very right" at $93, and stressed SKS is a go-name; 'Saks reports next week, and it would be a godsend if the stock goes down.'
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: DE, JCP, Jim Cramer, KSS, RL, SHLD, SKS, Wall Street Confidential

J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP - News), Kohl's (NYSE: KSS - News), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News), Target (NYSE: TGT - News), Home Depot (NYSE: HD - News)
Cramer thinks retail stocks will improve with the weather and should rise in the summer. April was stormy for consumer spending, gas prices, and housing, and it was also, well, stormy; "I wish that retail was more immune to the weather, but it isn't," Cramer said, noting when the weather improved the last 1o days of April, so did the stocks. Cramer would buy JCP, KSS, and reversing preferences, he says he now likes WMT better than TGT. He was worried that a bad report and a negative forecast from HD would bring down the rest of the sector, but he did not expect the macro number and the healthy consumer price index to give the market momentum. Since the number indicated inflation is not a major problem, Cramer declares a Fed rate cut is "back on the table."
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: HD, JCP, Jim Cramer, KSS, TGT, Wall Street Confidential, WMT

Six Flags (NYSE: SIX - News): 'We are big fans of Mark Shapiro... I like the advanced ticket sales. I like what he's doing. I am bullish on SIX, but I have to believe that you don't want to pull the trigger until it is below $6.'Ford (NYSE: F - News): 'People are believing in Alan Mulally [CEO}, and it's about time. He's shrinking the company ... we have heroes on Wall Street, not just villains, and Alan is one of the heroes!'Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC - News): 'Best in show bank. 14x multiple. Unbelievable. WFC is good - don't buy, don't buy - but I want you to pull the trigger on GS!'Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News): ' ... at $225, and I think it's going to $350... I want you to pull the trigger on GS.'Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU - News)Chemed (NYSE: CHE - News)Charter Communications (NasdaqGM: CHTR) 'CHTR's going higher! CHTR is now up almost a dollar from where we recommended it.'J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP - News)Kohl's (NYSE: KSS - News)Saks (NYSE: SKS - News): 'Somebody upgraded it today. They're finally getting on board. I like that one too!'Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS - News)Lowe's (NYSE: LOW - News)Federated Department Stores (NYSE: FD - News): 'That stock has gotten too cheap. I'd like to buy that. Buy, buy, buy.'Sears (NasdaqGS: SHLD): ' ... is a stock that everybody now hates... (buzzer sounds)... Meanwhile, I say, c'mon. The guy's making money. Give him the BOD - give him the benefit of the doubt!'Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT - News): ' ... why would you not buy Caterpillar instead, which is best in show, much too low versus the rest of the group.'Joy Global (NasdaqGS: JOYG): 'I like JOYG, but it is to CAT that I am pointing you to...'Syneron Medical (NasdaqGS: ELOS): 'We're still sticking with ELOS ... We like the lasers. We believe in the dental laser. Has it taken off yet? Not yet, but we still like it. I would stick with ELOS.'China Medical (NasdaqGS: CMED): 'The stock is good... A very strange combination of hospice and Roto Rooter... I am sticking by CMED. I would take a little off, because ... hogs get slaughtered... but CMED was a good one and it remains so.'New York Stock Exchange/Euronext (NYSE: NYX - News): '.... was so ugly today that... I've never seen such a bear raid on a stock ... The Euronext numbers that came out were great!'
Bearish calls:
Consol Energy (NYSE: CNX - News): 'Keep looking! Don't pull the trigger! Don't buy, don't buy.'Massey Energy (NYSE: MEE - News): ' ... that one is just awful! House of pain...'DivX (NasdaqGM: DIVX): 'I cannot get behind DIVX. That was one of the ugliest quarters out of the chute that I've ever seen... I cannot do the right thing when management screws up. I am not getting behind DIVX. No way, no how!'Big Lots (NYSE: BIG - News): 'BIG is not a favorite of mine.'Sport Chalet (NasdaqGM: SPCHB)Central Garden & Pet (NasdaqGS: CENT): 'Pass on CENT... Inconsistent. Not a great company. Way too levered to whether we have a good garden season, which is really bad. Sell, sell, sell!'

Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: BIG, BTU, CAT, CHE, CHTR, CNX, DKS, F, FD, GS, JCP, Jim Cramer, KSS, Lightning Round, LOW, NYX, SIX, SKS, WFC

J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP), Kohl's (NYSE: KSS), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Target (NYSE: TGT), Home Depot (NYSE: HD)
Cramer thinks retail stocks will improve with the weather and should rise in the summer. April was stormy for consumer spending, gas prices, and housing, and it was also, well, stormy; "I wish that retail was more immune to the weather, but it isn't," Cramer said, noting when the weather improved the last 1o days of April, so did the stocks. Cramer would buy JCP, KSS, and reversing preferences, he says he now likes WMT better than TGT. He was worried that a bad report and a negative forecast from HD would bring down the rest of the sector, but he did not expect the macro number and the healthy consumer price index to give the market momentum. Since the number indicated inflation is not a major problem, Cramer declares a Fed rate cut is "back on the table."

Labels: HD, JCP, Jim Cramer, KSS, TGT, Wall Street Confidential, WMT

Time Heals all Wounds: Kinetic Concepts (NYSE: KCI - News) and Smith & Nephew (NYSE: SNN - News)
Although Cramer usually prefers medical stocks which are a "pastiche," he likes KCI as a speculative stock even though it is levered only to wound-care and therapeutic service products. He is not concerned about the "nasty beating" KCI has taken, since the bulls and bears tend to fight it out over companies like KCI, and Cramer thinks the bulls will win. Another concern is KCI has reached 90% saturation in wound care and now has to compete for market share with SNN which recently acquired Blue Sky Medical. Cramer believes KCI has many competitive advantages, its 3% drop was "overdone," and only 10% of its revenue comes from bandages. He is confident KCI will bounce back.
On the Mend: Micrus Endovascular (NasdaqGM: MEND), Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX - News) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ - News)
While those holding the stock may be in the "House of Pain" after MEND failed to get approval in China for its cerebral aneurysm treatment, Cramer thinks its $2 fall is a good opportunity to buy. He believes approval has been postponed and not cancelled, and would sell into strength once the treatment is approved. Cramer is not worried about large competitors BSX and JNJ. He also notes MEND could be a takeover target; "It either makes you money or it will get bought out." Cramer would buy the stock in increments andwould use limit orders.
Game Plan for the Coming Week: Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO - News), J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP - News), Kohl's (NYSE: KSS - News), Home Depot (NYSE: HD - News), TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX - News), Jack in the Box (NYSE: JBX - News), Deere (NYSE: DE - News)
Cramer would look into buying scientific-instruments producer TMO before its analyst meeting on Tuesday. He also likes retailers JCP, KSS which report Thursday, and he thinks the downside has been priced into the stocks. Cramer is currently bullish on retail, and would buy half a position in HD before its Tuesday report, since he believes its management is developing "retail-savvy." Tuesday is also the day Cramer believes investors will see a "terrific" report from TJX and a "gigantic beat" from JBX, and he would buy ahead. However, Cramer would wait until after DE's report on Wednesday before buying, because the stock has increased, and he would wait for a selloff and a price drop.
CEO Interview: Mark Shapiro, Six Flags (NYSE: SIX - News)
Mark Shapiro is looking forward to an "extremely good summer season" given the number of group sales and season passes SIX has already sold. Meanwhile, the company has been investing in more aggressive marketing, employee training and recruiting. Although the weather is an unknown variable, Shapiro's aim is to "increase value proposition for our guests." Cramer remarks Shapiro is "good to go" and is sticking with Six Flags.

Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: BSX, DE, HD, JBX, JCP, Jim Cramer, JNJ, KCI, KSS, Mad Money, SIX, SNN, TJX, TMO

Brother, Can You Spare a Nickel? North American Palladium Ltd. (AMEX: PAL - News)
Although PAL is known for its palladium, Cramer thinks this $10 stock is a great way to play nickel consolidation. PAL is not yet a well-loved stock, is not covered by any analysts, and if it gets a takeover bid for its nickel, Cramer comments he "can't even imagine how high this orphan stock would jump." He notes nickel prices are rising while PAL's production costs are falling and the company produced 2.7 million pounds of nickel last year. He believes it will get a bid, but warns that it is a speculative stock and investors should use limit orders when buying.
"Statement Buying": L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LLL - News)
Cramer calls insider buying which occurs when a company is at or near its 52-week high "statement buying" since it is a good indication of an upward move. Insiders cannot buy and sell rapidly like regular investors, but according to SEC rules, they must hold for a specified amount of time. Cramer discussed insider buying at LLL, the "archetypal high-tech defense contractor" which specializes in communications and sensor equipment. Insider buying may be due to the conviction the company will be taken over after the passing of founder Frank Lanza, or because those in the company feel the bears are wrong in believing the Democrats will undermine the war effort. Cramer believes sooner or later the analysts will "break" and upgrade LLL. Right now, however, he thinks the company is sandbagging in an effort to underpromise and overdeliver.

Enterprise Products Partners LP (NYSE: EPD - News)
The second stock close to its 52-week high with aggressive insider buying is EPD, which manages pipes for transporting natural gas. Chairman Dan Duncan, the 34th richest person in America from a list of 400, bought up a large amount of stock while it was at its high, which is an indication the company is undervalued, says Cramer. He concludes EPD is a conserative stock with a great dividend and gives it a triple buy.
Mad Mail: Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT), Yahoo (NasdaqGS: YHOO), Sun Microsystems (NasdaqGS: SUNW), Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO - News), Abercrombie & Fitch(NYSE: ANF - News), JC Penney (NYSE: JCP - News) Federated (NYSE: FD - News)
When a viewer asked if MSFT will buy YHOO or SUNW, Cramer said he doesn't see MSFT taking over SUNW and YHOO is very expensive and hasn't performed well. He imagines some upside if CEO Terry Semel or Sue Decker will leave, since the problem with the stock is a "hall of shame management issue." Another viewer asked about ARO and Cramer commented its is hard to predict where stocks like ARO and ANF will go from one month to the next. He suggests looking at JCP or FD, but only after a Thursday's report, since he doesn't think same-store sales will be good.
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Labels: ANF, FD, JCP, Jim Cramer, LLL, Mad Money, MSFT, PAL, YHOO

Seagate (NYSE: STX):Far from thinking Seagate has bottomed, Cramer said the disk drive company still "has lower written all over it" and would stay away from the entire group in spite of low prices.
J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP ), Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL) , Kohl's (NYSE: KSS), United Technologies (NYSE: UTX): Cramer declares JCP a "multiyear story" because of Sephora cosmetics and the private label deal with RL, and would give the retailer the benefit of the doubt in spite of its lackluster quarter. Cramer comments JCP and KSS are stores which make customers feel "they're richer than they are." He predicts JCP will be up to $85 from $81.50. He added UTX has the earnings power to go to $70 from $66.

Labels: JCP, Jim Cramer, Jim Cramer's Stop Trading, KSS, RL, STX, UTX

Bullish Calls:
Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE: ADM): 'We're not going to go into the ethanol business! If we do, we're going to buy the one ethanol company that I think actually has earnings and a business model, which is ADM!'Danaher (NYSE: DHR): 'Down $4 from the high. I want you to pull the trigger. I want you to get long DHR.'Citigroup (NYSE: C): 'Chuck Prince overpaid today, made a dilutive acquisition for a hedge fund... Once again, board members... Mr. George David, Mr. Kenneth Derr, Mr. Rubin... Will you please broom the guy! C'mon! C - I like it, because I think the company will eventually come to their senses and give Chuck Prince the boot... 'Haynes (NasdaqGM: HAYN): 'Did we nail that one after the secondary? What did we pick up? A quick $12 there? This stock is going higher. This is one of those high-performance alloy stocks ... The stock is on a ramp. Yes! HAYN is a keeper!'Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY): 'LLY's finally starting to get a little jiggy here. It is not my favorite at all ... I think it goes to $60 by options expiration next Friday, and then, I want you to sell it. Not until then.'Abbot Laboratories (NYSE: ABT)Crocs (NasdaqGS: CROX): 'How much do we like CROX?! ... Literally, literally, more than a quarter of