Jim Cramer Blog

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.
LSI Logic (NYSE:LSI - News). LSI's PowerRating is 7.
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.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGM:VNDA - News). VNDA's PowerRating is 8.
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.
United Industrial (NYSE:UIC - News) & Life Time Fitness (NYSE:LTM - News). UIC's PowerRating is 7, and LTM's PowerRating is 6.
Stocks Down 10% or More: These are stocks that have lost 10% or more over the past five days and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that have lost 10% or more over the past five 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.
Radvision (NasdaqGS:RVSN - News). RVSN's PowerRating is 7.
Bearish
5+ Consecutive Up Days: These are stocks that have closed up 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 close up for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE - News). PFE's PowerRating is 4.
2-Period RSI Above 98: These are stocks that have a 2-period RSI reading above 98 and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving with a 2-period RSI reading above 98 have shown negative returns, on average, 1-day and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - News). MOH's PowerRating is 3.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: Hot Stocks, LSI, LTM, MOH, pfe, RVSN, UIC, VNDA

Cramer says he subscribes to the "great man theory" when it comes to his bullishness on next week's IPO, Clearwire, which is the brainchild of Craig McCaw, "the greatest moneymaker" in the telecom sector. McCaw sees potential in WiMax, which enables wireless without cable and DSL and is more efficient than Wi-Fi; Cramer says that broadband is "the place to be." He expects the IPO to be somewhere between $23 or $25, but he would be willing to pay up to $35 for it. Cramer would buy a quarter or half a position initially and the other portion when it dips after the "initial buying frenzy." Cramer remarks that Clearwire is not just a trade, but "a stock I like long term. Be patient and build a position."
Sell Block: BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty (NYSE: BPT - News) and Frontline (NYSE: FRO - News)
A high dividend is not always a good thing, particularly if a company cannot support it, and huge yields such as those offered by BTP and FRO give a false impression of a company's health, says Cramer. When a dividend is excessively high, the stock will go lower, he said, or a company will have to cut the dividend to survive. Cramer would sell these stocks.

CEO Interview: Bahram Akradi, Lifetime Fitness (NYSE: LTM - News)
When Cramer asked why LTM was down $1.77, Bahram Akradi confessed that he did not understand the drop given the company's great quarter. He says that analysts don't like the gym's three-story urban-residential model because they are assuming that what doesn't work for retail won't work for fitness centers. However, Akradi believes that the company's merits will shine through and doesn't worry about short-term bearishness. Cramer added, "The numbers are good... Don't believe The Street."

Labels: BPT, FRO, Jim Cramer, LTM, Mad Money

Ameren Corp. (NYSE:AEE - News) reported fourth-quarter earnings of $61 million, or 30 cents a share, up from a year-ago profit of $20 million, or 10 cents a share. The latest results included storm-related costs of $28 million, or 13 cents a share. Revenue slid in the latest three months to $1.62 billion from $1.7 billion in the same period a year earlier. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial was for a profit of 39 cents a share in the December period. Looking ahead, the St. Louis-based electricity and natural gas utility operator said it expects non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings of $3.15 to $3.60 a share for fiscal 2007. Wall Street's current consensus estimate is for a profit of $3.85 a share for 2007.
AMR Corp. (NYSE:AMR - News) was downgraded to neutral from buy at Goldman Sachs.
Baidu.com Inc. (NasdaqGM:BIDU - News) said fourth-quarter net income rose, as revenue gained, to 122.8 million yuan ($15.8 million), or Y3.54 per share (46 U.S. cents), from Y$24.5 million, or Y0.71 per share, during the same period in the prior year.
Baker Hughes Inc. (NYSE:BHI - News) said that fourth-quarter net income rose to $326.2 million, or $1.02 a share, from $257.9 million, or 75 cents a share, a year ago, after charges related to a settlement deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice amounted to 12 cents a share, or $46 million. Analysts had been expecting the drilling and oil services provider to post earnings of $1.19 a share according to data compiled by Thomson Financial. Sales rose 23% to $2.5 billion. Baker Hughes said that it's expecting revenue outside North America to rise by between 17% and 19% in 2007.
Biogen Idec Inc. (NasdaqGS:BIIB - News) said Thursday its fourth-quarter net income more than doubled to $108.6 million, or 32 cents a share, from $55.6 million, or 16 cents, a year earlier. The biotechnology company said Thursday it earned 53 cents a share before items for the latest fourth quarter. Fourth quarter revenue increased 12% to $708.3 million from $632.9 million, driven primarily by sales of its Avonex multiple sclerosis drug and its Rituxan rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, on average, expected the San Diego company to earn 55 cents a share on revenue of $714.2 million for the final quarter of 2006. For 2007, Biogen Idec expects net income of $1.69 a share to $1.84 a share. It also expects to earn $2.50 to $2.65 a share before items on revenue growth in the mid-teens on a percentage basis.
Bonso Electronics (NasdaqGM:BNSO - News) reported a loss of $630,000, or 11 cents a share, for its fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, wider than a loss of $76,000, or a penny per share, in the year-ago period.
Cimarex Energy (NYSE:XEC - News) said fourth-quarter net income dropped 65% to $58.7 million, or 70 cents a share, on a 41% decline in gas prices and a 2% drop in oil prices. It also took $1.4 million, or a penny a share, in repair costs from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 71 cents a share. Oil and gas production averaged 441 million cubic feet from 431 million Mcfe a day in the year-ago quarter. It plans to spend between $800 million and $1 billion on capital spending for 2007 and sees first-quarter production between 435 and 445 million Mcfe a day.
Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX - News) agreed to acquire Talx Corp. (NasdaqGS:TALX - News) in a stock and cash transaction valued at $1.4 billion, including the assumption of debt. Equifax, an Atlanta-based information technology company, said the acquisition is aligned with the company's long-term growth strategy of expanding into new markets and acquiring proprietary data sources.
Evergreen Solar (NasdaqGM:ESLR - News) said its fourth-quarter net loss widened to $5.47 million, or 8 cents a share, from $5.04 million, or 8 cents a share, in the same period last year. The Marlboro, Mass.-based maker of solar power products said revenue more than doubled to $32.4 million from $11.6 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had expected a per-share loss of 8 cents, on revenue of $34 million. For the first quarter, Evergreen sees a net loss of $7 million to $7.5 million.
EXCO Resources Inc. (NYSE:XCO - News) said it is proposing to offer up to $2 billion in preferred stock. The offer includes the private placement of up to $400 million of 6% cumulative convertible perpetual preferred stock, and $1.6 billion of 11% cumulative preferred stock to institutional investors.
Favrille (NasdaqGM:FVRL - News) said that its fourth-quarter net profit widened to $10.2 million, or 35 cents a share, from $9.6 million, or 48 cents, a year ago. Analysts were expecting the company to post earnings of 39 cents a share, according to data compiled by Thomson Financial. Research and development costs rose to $7.7 million, from $7.5 million at the same point a year ago primarily due to extra personnel and non-cash expenses. The company said that it expects total operating expenses for 2007 in a range of $48 million to $52 million, and said it believes that its cash should be sufficient to fund operations for at least 12 months.
Foundation Coal Holdings (NYSE:FCL - News) said it lost $21.9 million, or 48 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, hit by charges related to its Wabash mine and other costs. The company earned $28.6 million, or 61 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding charges, the company would have earned $2.2 million, or 5 cents a share, in the quarter. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial was for earnings of 23 cents a share. Coal sales revenue rose to $345.9 million from $334.4 million. Thomson Financial was looking for revenue of $343.8 million. The company said it expects revenue of $1.49 to $1.58 billion in 2007 and earnings of 90 cents to $1.50 a share. Thomson is looking for revenue of $1.45 billion on earnings of $2.19 a share.
Granite Construction (NYSE:GVA - News) shares fell after the company unveiled plans for a restructuring in order to improve profits at its Heavy Construction Division projects. The company also said it expects revenue from the Heavy Construction Division to be about $800 million in 2007, down from a total of $1.1 billion in 2006. Granite also posted a provide of $600,000, or 2 cents a share, for the fourth quarter, reflecting a $18 million goodwill write-down. In the year-ago period, the company earned $35.8 million, or 86 cents a share.
Hanover Compressor Co. (NYSE:HC - News) said that it swung to a fourth-quarter net profit of $30.1 million, or 28 cents a share. The company said that it returned to profitability due to favorable markets and a focus of capital return. The results also included a $10.2 million tax benefit. Analysts had been expecting the company to report earnings of 14 cents a share. Last year, the gas compression services company reported a net loss of $4.2 million, or 4 cents a share. Revenue rose 15% to $101.5 million.
Heartland Payment Systems (NYSE:HPY - News) said it expects earnings of 16 to 18 cents a share for the first quarter. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial is for a profit of 20 cents a share in the March period.
Hornbeck Offshore (NYSE:HOS - News) said fourth-quarter net income rose to $17 million, or 64 cents a share, from $15.1 million, or 55 cents a share, with revenue up 14% to $65 million. Excluding the impact of FAS123R accounting rules, it would've earned 66 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 59 cents a share. It expects 2007 earnings between $2.19 and $2.68 a share and first-quarter earnings between 42 and 55 cents a share. Analysts, on average, expected 2007 earnings of $2.55 a share.
Lifetime Fitness (NYSE:LTM - News) said it expects earnings of $1.71 to $1.74 a share for fiscal 2007 on revenue of between $640 million and $650 million. Wall Street's current consensus estimate is for a profit of $1.72 a share on revenue of $646 million for the year from the Eden Prairie, Minn., fitness center operator.
Lufkin Industries Inc. (NasdaqGS:LUFK - News) said fourth-quarter net income for the three months ended Dec. 31 rose to $23 million, or $1.52 a share, from $15.4 million, or $1.03 a share in the year-ago period. Operating income increased to $28.2 million from $23.7 million. Revenue rose to $165.6 million from $145.4 million. Two analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial forecast earnings of $1.21 a share, on average. The seller of pumps for oil extraction expects first-quarter profit of 95 cents a share to $1.15 a share, compared with $1.01 a share last year.
Olympic Steel Inc. (NasdaqGM:ZEUS - News) reported fourth-quarter earnings of $3.8 million, or 35 cents a share, down from a year-ago profit of $7.3 million, or 70 cents a share. Sales rose 10.4% in the latest three months to $226.1 million from $204.8 million in the same period a year earlier. The average estimate of Thomson Financial was for a profit of 39 cents a share in the December period. "High fourth quarter service center inventories, as reflected by the Metals Service Center Institute, clearly caused a deteriorating market at yearend, said Michael Siegal, the company's chairman and CEO. "We believe that situation will be remediated by the end of the first quarter of 2007, as demand is increasing, imports are being significantly reduced, input costs (such as scrap) are on the rise again, and domestic steel production appears in control."

Published By MarketWatch

Labels: AEE, AMR, BHI, BIDU, BIIB, BNSO, EFX, ESLR, FCL, FVRL, GVA, HC, HOS, HPY, LTM, LUFK, TALX, XCO, XEC, ZEUS

On Speculation: Landec Corp (NasdaqGS: LNDC)
Cramer announced that he was going to discuss speculative stocks on Fridays to give investors a weekend to cool off before pulling the trigger on potentially risky companies. Friday's speculative play was LNDC, a $12 stock that, according to Cramer, is in the hottest part of one of the hottest sectors, which is seed technology. LNDC's technology, "intellicoat," prevents seeds from germinating and absorbing water too early, and allows farmers to plant up to four weeks ahead of time. Cramer says, "if corn is the next oil, LNDC is the equivalent of a pressure pumper that gets more oil out of the well." He advised investors to use limit orders and not to buy an entire position at one time.
The Week Ahead: Prudential (NYSE: PRU - News), Metlife (NYSE: MET - News), Aon Corp (NYSE: AOC - News)
Cramer commented that he doesn't like the market here, that the financials are "acting terrible," the real estate market is a "total collapsed bubble," and that gold, "ever the enemy of paper" is going up and that gold investors should take profits. In this "glass is half-empty" environment, Cramer warns of selloffs in even the best companies, and suggests buying only half of the intended amount and making a move at the end of the week after the "selling squall." He likes Prudential, which reported a "beautiful quarter," AOC, and MET, which is best-of-breed and is the "big sleeper" of next week with 10% accelerated growth. Cramer would buy it before and after its earnings report and recommends patience if it doesn't rise immediately.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG - News) and Denny's (NasdaqCM: DENN)
Concerning CMG and DENN, Cramer says he doesn't mind fact that these companies have debt because their financials are still good, they can refinance at low rates thanks to the strong bond market, and can raise earnings per share by decreasing interest payments. He calls Denny's a "bad going to good" story, but would wait, and calls CMG a "good going to better" story which will have a "fantastic quarter." However, Cramer would hold off until CMG gets hit and would buy it low.

Life Time Fitness (NYSE: LTM - News), Baidu.com (NasdaqGM: BIDU), Psychiatric Solutions (NasdaqGS: PSYS)LTM has "come in a tad" from where Cramer recommended it as a generational play, but he would still buy it as a long-term stock. He comments that BIDU has just a fraction of Google's value and better growth potential, but is in a precarious position because of China's Communist government. Since BIDU tends to trade wildly after it reports, he would use a downturn as an opportunity to buy it cheaply. Cramer notes that PSYS' management has been bullish ahead of the quarter, and would buy some stocks ahead of time, since PSYS has been acquiring companies, and Cramer expects a "big number bump" next week.

Masco Corp. (NYSE: MAS - News), KBH Home (NYSE: KBH - News), Daktronics (NasdaqGS: DAKT), Reliance Steel (NYSE: RS - News)
Cramer would ring the register on MAS before it reports, since it has had a big run. He predicts that KBH will see a huge selloff, and would sell it before it reports and buy the stock back lower. Cramer likes DAKT which is "remaking the billboard industry in its own digital image" and is building huge billboards at sports stadiums. He would use the 8% dip as an opportunity to get in before it reports. Cramer would take profits in RS because it has risen 8 points since he recommended it.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AOC, BIDU, CMG, DAKT, DENN, KBH, LNDC, LTM, MAS, MET, PRU, PSYS, RS

Life Time Fitness (NYSE: LTM - News) and Town Sports (NasdaqGM: CLUB)
Since many people make New Year's resolutions to lose a few pounds, the time period between January and March is a good time to own fitness companies, says Cramer who chooses LTM as his "No. 1, best-of-breed, health club pick." He prefers LTM to CLUB, because it has better operating margins, higher revenue per customer and is not costly. In addition, Cramer comments that LTM has better and larger clubs and a superior business model. In spite of Prudential's negative rating, Cramer believes that LTM is a buy, regardless of the money the company will have to spend as it expands into wealthier areas, since the gym then will be able to charge higher prices.
Yo-Yo Diet Stocks: NutriSystem (NasdaqGS: NTRI) and Weight Watchers (NYSE: WTW - News)
Cramer commented that NTRI has gotten "crushed" because of its awful guidance; it was "flying high, then got pounded." He says that this stock is not safe to buyand is a "one-hit wonder," since its customers tend to abandon the product after 10 weeks, and everyone knows about the company. Cramer prefers WTW for growth and customer loyalty.
Mad Mail: Waste Services (NasdaqGM: WSII)
When asked how to buy WSII with a limit order, Cramer gave guidelines on how to respond to his picks, and discouraged viewers from buying stocks on the night he discusses them. Day one, an investor should do homework, day two, wait for other investors to give up and throw away the stock, and day three, do a mon' back (buy).
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: CLUB, Jim Cramer, LTM, Mad Money, NTRI, WSII, WTW