Jim Cramer Blog

Exxon (XOM), Conco-Phillips (COP), Schlumberger (SLB), Ultra Petroleum (UPL), Apache (APA), Anadarko (APC), XTO Energy (XTO), Arch Coal (ACI), Peabody Energy (BTU), First Solar (FSLR), Applied Materials (AMAT), MEMC Electronics (WFR), Mosaic (MOS), Deere (DE), CSX (CSX), Chicago Bridge and Iron (CBI), Jacobs Engineering (JEC), Shaw Group (SGR)
Contrary to popular belief, retail did not cause the rally in the Dow and the Nasdaq, but the culprit was oil, which is the umbrella that makes everything work. Not only did oil stocks like XOM, COP and SLB do well, but Cramer says oil will fuel other stocks the energy sector such as UPL, APA, XTO, ACI and BTU, as well as alternative energy plays FSLR (which reported a better-than-expected quarter and historically fabulous upside guidance), AMAT and WFR. Cramer considers ag stocks as members of the energy sector, given the development of ethanol, and would look at MOS, DE. He added rail such as CSX, and infrastructure, CBI, JEC and SGR will also rise with the oil umbrella.
Conviction Stock: FMC Corp (FMC)
A rally one day may spell a down day the next, and it is hard to know what a stock is really worth in this mad market, said Cramer. He was looking for a conviction stock which could give a little bit of certainty about what it was worth, and came up with FMC, a soda ash company in an underexposed sector which is currently enjoying a silent bull market. Soda ash is used to make glass, brick, water softener and most importantly, agricultural chemicals. Cramer says he feels certain that FMC will reach $70, a 30% upside.

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Labels: ACI, AMAT, APA, APC, BTU, CBI, COP, CSX, DE, FSLR, JEC, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, MOS, SGR, SLB, UPL, WFR, XOM, XTO

Shaw Group (SGR), ABB (ABB)
Infrastructure is one of Cramer's favorite bull markets, and nuclear energy, particularly for emerging economies like India and China, is the sweet spot. Cramer's pick in this sector is Shaw Group, which reported a "beautiful quarter" with a 40% increase in revenue and a backlog of projects which is up 57% since last year and is triple the size of the company. Cramer prefers Shaw to ABB and added, "Given its diminutive size, I would be shocked if it was independent a year from now. But anyhow we like this one for the long haul."
Good as Gold: Yamana (AUY) Barrick (ABX)
Cramer reiterated his two favorite gold picks, Barrick and Yamana, as insurance against inflation. He stressed these are stocks to hold onto and should not be sold if one doesn't see immediate results. He noted AUY has a large mine in China, and ABX succeeds finding and producing more gold when other companies in the sector have stalled.
Sell Block: Peabody Energy (BTU), Massey Energy (MEE), Arch Coal (ACI), International Coal (ICO), Apache (APA), XTO Energy (XTO) Andarko (APC), ConcoPhillips (COP)
King Coal has been dethroned by a recent bill in Congress which threatens to raise dramatically the costs of burning the fuel, and will render stocks in the sector as "untouchable." While investors have been "coining money" with BTU, Cramer would sell the stock, as well as MEE, ACI and ICO. At the same time, Cramer declared "2008 is going to be the year for natural gas," and recommended buying XTO, APC, APA and COP.
CEO Interview: Matthew O'Connell, GeoEye (GEOY)
Matthew O'Connell announced the launch of the company's third satellite, and mentioned Boeing, General Dynamics and ITT participated in the production and launch of the satellite. "We paid up to get a great team," said O'Connell. Cramer said GEOY is and will remain a great speculative stock.
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Labels: ABB, ABX, ACI, APA, APC, AUY, BTU, COP, GEOY, ICO, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, MEE, SGR, XTO

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

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Tuesday from TradingMarkets.com:
Cost Plus (NasdaqGS:CPWM - News) beat earnings expectations on Monday afternoon, announcing -$0.63 EPS over an expected -$0.77 EPS. CPWM does not have a PowerRating (for Traders) due to volume constraints.
AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - News) reports earnings before the open on Tuesday morning, with analysts looking for $1.91 EPS. AZO's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Sanderson Farms (NasdaqGS:SAFM - News) announces results before the bell on Tuesday; look for $1.19 EPS. SAFM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
When Shaw Group (NYSE:SGR - News) reports quarterly results tomorrow morning, be watching for $0.56 EPS. SGR's PowerRating (for Traders) is 2.
Chico's FAS (NYSE:CHS - News) is expected to report $0.11 EPS on Tuesday after the market closes. CHS's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
Analysts are watching for Guess (NYSE:GES - News) to announce $0.58 EPS tomorrow afternoon. GES's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Wind River (NasdaqGS:WIND - News) is looking to report $0.05 EPS tomorrow after the market closes. WIND's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.

Labels: AZO, CHS, GES, SAFM, SGR, Stocks to Watch, WIND

On Thursdays show, Cramer talked about the confusion in the markets, and how you should be looking to invest in companies that can control their own destiny and have strong customers. Cramer thinks that Quanta Services (PWR) is a stock that fits this profile. He said it is an infrastructure play, they have a large backlog, and they bought one of their major competitors in August, so they have less competition now. Cramer does not think this is the time to make a trade into this stock, but he thinks it will make money over the longer term.
After that Cramer went to the phonelines. The first caller asked if now is the time to buy transportation infrastructure stocks, and Cramer recommended Chicago Bridge and Iron (CBI), plus told the caller to watch for another pick later in the show. The next caller asked about Mueller Water (MWA), and Cramer said that he likes Tetra Tech (TTEK) instead because he thinks Mueller is poorly run. Third caller asked about Shaw Group (SGR) since it has dropped so much recently, and Cramer said that it is a strong company that is coining money, so you should stick with it.
Cramer's other big infrastructure recommendation, Aecom (ACM). He has a bullish position on the stock since the stock is off $9 from his 52 week high. Its biggest customer is the federal government so it knows it will get paid, and one of its biggest competitors was just bought out. Cramer has been promoting the stock for several months now, and the stock has gone up since his initial recommendation.
Sell Block: Cramer started off by talking about private equity, specifically Blackstone (BX) and Fortress (FIG). Cramer said he does not understand how these companies work, therefore doesn't want to invest in them. He's putting the entire sector in the Sell Block, including companies like Cerberus that are not public, but are considering an IPO.
The CEO of California Pizza Kitchen (CPKI) was on the show to talk about their growth plans and how they plan to contain their costs. Cramer said that although the restaurant business is difficult, the stock is near a 52 week low and it is a well run company. He wants you to do some homework and take a look at the stock.
Sudden Death: He was bearish on every stock mentioned. They were Coeur d'Alene Mines (CDE), Tata Motors (TTM), Build a Bear Workshop (BBW), Gerdau Ameristeel (GNA), and Hansen Medical (HNSN).

Labels: BBW, CBI, CDE, CPKI, GNA, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, Mad MOney Recap, MWA, PWR, SGR, TTEK, TTM

Erin Burnett hosted. Melissa Lee of CNBC says the financial and tech sectors are down for the third day in a row. IBM and Hewlett Packard are among the top losses. Jeff Auxier, of Auxier Focus Inv. says volatility is normal an healthy because it takes out investors' egos. He says it is a great time to invest if you can be patient. Zimmer Holdings and Telef de Mexico are his top picks for the day. Next, David Malpass of Bear Sterns comments on the drowning dollar. He says the rest of the world is getting richer much quicker than our economy is growing right now. He says we have a small business economy with growth based in innovation, and with time we can improve our weak dollar situation. UPS is set to raise shipping rates by 5% by the beginning of 2008. Julia Boorstin of CNBC reports on the Writers Guild of America Strike on day 5. She says there is an upside for investors in the way of movie rentals and DVD mail order such as NetFlix. The logic behind this is the lack of new content and material for daily television, resulting in a consumer increase in theatre and rental establishments. Next topic was the growing oil prices. Crude Oil, at $96/barrel has obviously been a main concern of many consumers and investors. Bruno Stanziale of Bank of America says that ultimately, it is not possible that we will hit $100 a barrel before 2008. He says the oil prices are due to a lack of demand, as well as a change in market participation. Next, NovaGold of Alaska, announces deal with Barrick Gold to begin Donlin Creek Project. They will be working on projects in Alaska and Western Canada. They will mine gold copper and silver, and jointly owns or partnerships with Rio Tinto and Barrick Gold. Stop trading with Jim Cramer was next. ShawGroup (SGR), Foster Wheeler (FWLT), First Solar (FSLR), and MEMC Electronics (WFR) are his picks for the day.

Labels: CNBC, Crude Oil, Erin Burnett, FSLR, FWLT, HPQ, IBM, SGR, WFR

On Tuesday’s show, Cramer focused on green stocks that are good investments. Cramer reviewed his green picks from back in April to see how they had done since then.
Shaw Group (SGR): It is up 143% from about $30 to $74 since April.
Foster-Wheeler (FWLT): It is up 99% since April and had great earnings last quarter.
BorgWarner (BWA): It is up 38% since April, and Cramer thinks it will go higher because it has an increasing backlog.
OM Group (OMG): This is the only stock that is down since April, falling 5%. Cramer thinks the stock has started to bounce back from its lows already.
First Solar (FSLR): The stock has climbed 171% and Cramer is still bullish, but wants you to wait until after it reports earnings on Wednesday before buying more.
Fuel Tech (FTEK): This stock is up 35%, but guided down after reporting earnings Tuesday morning.
MEMC (WFR): This stock is up 20% since April and Cramer thinks the company will grow 52% over the next two years.
Tatra Tech (TTI): It is up 14% since April, and Cramer thinks it will keep going up slowly but steadily.
Cramer thinks every one of these stocks will go higher, and thinks that going green is good for business.
Cramer then went to the phone lines. The first caller asked about Zoltek (ZOLT), and Cramer said that although he recommended this stock a while ago he pulled out because he thought he was getting greedy. He now thinks this stock will keep going up. The second caller asked about BP (BP), and Cramer doesn’t think you can own this company because of its green initiatives. The next caller asked about SunPower (SPWR) and Cypress (CY), and Cramer said that Cypress is safer, but he likes both stocks.
The CEO of Wells Fargo (WFC) was on the show to talk about their alternative energy investments and positions, as well as the prospects. Cramer said this is the only banking stock he wants you to buy.
“Am I Diversified?”
The first email asked about UBS (UBS), and Cramer said that he has messed up with every financial pick he had made recently, and thinks you should wait until the stock hits $45 before you buy. The next email asked about Oceaneering International (OII), and Cramer said he didn't like the most recent earnings call. The next email asked if the recent investment in Tesoro (TSO) by Kirk Keorkian's was a bet that oil will drop, and Cramer said that could be right, but that TSO could drop if oil prices decline. The final email asked about lululemon (LULU), and Cramer said he wants nothing to do with the stock since it has gone up so much.

Labels: BP, BWA, CY, FSLR, FTEK, FWLT, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, OII, OMG, SGR, SPWR, TTI, UBS, WFR, ZOLT

On Tuesday's show, Cramer began by analyzing another stock that has been put on sale after Friday's drop in the market. Shaw Group (SGR) had the best earnings of the quarter so far. Cramer thinks this is time to back up the truck and load up on the stock. Cramer still likes infrastructure plays like Shaw, and the earnings make it even more attractive.
Cramer then went to the phonelines. The first caller asked about Aecom (ACM), which Cramer recommended a couple of weeks ago. Cramer said it is still one of his favorites. The next caller asked about uranium prices, which Cramer attributed to production problems, and recommended Mosaic (MOS) as a good uranium play.
Next, Cramer discussed another pick he made based on the book "Microtrends," which Cramer has been plugging for about the past week. He found that the number of people working from home is increasing, which he thinks will be profitable for Cisco (CSCO), since its products will be needed to connect people to the office, including offerings from some companies they have bought out over the past few years.
Another caller asked about the tech sector in general, and Cramer said that he is the only person bullish on tech. The next caller asked why Cramer likes Cisco, and Cramer said he thinks it will be up consistently 15% a year.
Am I Diversified?
first caller asked about five stocks: Amgen (AMGN), Under Armour (UA), PetSmart (PETM), Goldman Sachs (GS) and EMC (EMC), the latter two of which Cramer owns for his charitable trust, Action Alerts PLUS. Cramer said, "That is definite, definite diversification." The second caller named these five plays: IBM (IBM), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Pfizer (PFE), Disney (DIS) Citigroup (C), which Cramer also owns for his charitable trust.
Mad Mail: The first email thanked Cramer for the show he did on October 19, where he gave his 5 rules for investing. The writer thinks that those tips will save him money in the future. The next email asked why Cramer didn't talk about Dry Ships (DRY) when he did his dry bulk shippers segment. Cramer said that it has gone up so much that he had to pass on it. The next writer invited Cramer to his daughter's Bat Mitzvah because the profits from his stock picks are paying for it, and the last email asked what to do with some Hershey (HSY) stock they own, and Cramer said to sell it any time the stock goes up.

Labels: ACM, AMGN, CSCO, DRYS, EMC, GS, HSY, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, Mad MOney Recap, MOS, SGR

Bullish Calls:
Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK - News): 'The whole complex of natural gas is so ridiculously too low. Just because we had a couple of months stored... CHK is a great driller. It's got great assets. I believe that natural gas will come back in vogue.'Wynn Resorts (NasdaqGS: WYNN - News): 'Look, Macau gambling is for real! I've been behind the Macau gambling... I still like Wynn.'Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS - News)Apache (NYSE: APA - News): 'I like APA. It has oil, it has gas, and it's right. It's beaten down, and I would pull the trigger today! 'Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB - News): 'Do you know that Schlumberger is selling at 17x next year's earnings?... This is just a very inexpensive stock... how could I not recommend that unbelievable best-of-breed?...'Helix Energy (NYSE: HLX - News): ' ... as much as I like the HLX... If SLB's selling at 17x earnings, I mean, how could I not recommend that unbelievable best-of-breed?... 'Shaw Group (NYSE: SGR - News): ' ... don't hold me to it, but I think that's going to be good. And SGR is on a remarkable run!... Now, look, understand... We had that horrible bridge tragedy, but all of us know the infrastructure is woefully needing repair. It's SGR. The infrastructure bull market is probably the strongest market on earth!'Fluor (NYSE: FLR - News)McDermott (NYSE: MDR - News)DaimlerChrysler (NYSE: DCX - News)Boeing (NYSE: BA - News): ' ... but I am reiterating absolutely that Boeing is a buy, and the orders will trickle down. It's just that we don't have them right now.'Cisco (NasdaqGS: CSCO - News): ' ... reported a blowout quarter tonight - as we've been predicting endlessly, and finally it happened... Remember, he did announce the $5 billion buyback at the end of his last quarter... buy, buy, buy - CSCO, even above $31. 'Level 3 Communications (NasdaqGS: LVLT - News)Garmin (NasdaqGS: GRMN - News): ' ... conference call for GRMN was amazing. The guide up was huge... GRMN's a keeper! Stay with GRMN - buy, buy, buy! 'Crocs (NasdaqGS: CROX - News)Under Armour (NYSE: UA - News)Temple Inland (NYSE: TIN - News): ' ... Temple Inland remains my favorite, courtesy of Carl Icaan and his restructuring. '
Bearish calls:
Zebra Technologies (NasdaqGS: ZBRA - News): 'I personally think that the bar code business has peaked. It's just not exciting to me. I don't want to be in it. Don't buy, don't buy.'Haynes International (NasdaqGM: HAYN - News): '... didn't report a good quarter..., is the aerospace bull market caput?... I think that there's a big lag between when the (Boeing) Dreamliner gets built, and all of these stocks blow away their numbers... Now it's still painful ... I think this group is going to be on hold, and the better side is the defense stocks right now..'.Starbucks (NasdaqGS: SBUX - News): ' ... I want good, solid growth... and consistent growth... and SBUX can no longer give that to me. Don't buy, don't buy. At $23, I'll pull the trigger.'Juniper Networks (NasdaqGS: JNPR - News): 'I believe that CSCO is better than JNPR. I am telling you - sell, sell, sell - JNPR.'Weyerhauser (NYSE: WY - News): 'They can't deliver.'
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Labels: APA, BA, CHK, CSCO, DCX, FLR, GRMN, HLX, Jim Cramer, JNPR, Lightning Round, LVLT, LVS, Mad Money, MDR, SBUX, SGR, SLB, WYNN, ZBRA

OM Group (NYSE: OMG - News), Fuel Tech (NasdaqGM: FTEK), Foster Wheeler (NasdaqGS: FWLT), Shaw Group (NYSE: SGR - News)
Completing his week-long segment which featured "green" stocks, Cramer unveiled his two favorite environmental companies: OMG and FTEK. OMG has 25% of the world's supply of cobalt which is used for hybrid car batteries. Cramer predicts cobalt should remain stable or go higher, especially since there are no new sources until 2009. OMG also has exposure to copper, which Cramer thinks will become more valuable, and is fixing its balance sheet. While he recommended FWLT and SGR earlier in the week as clean power picks, Cramer says they are for conservative investors, but for those who are looking for some risk, he likes FTEK as the ultimate speculative Green Day play. The company has technology to make coal power cleaner by reducing nitrogen-oxide emissions and has been getting "contract after contract." Since 49% of electricity in the US is derived from coal, and ethanol is not yet efficient, FTEK is "pretty important." On a general note, Cramer said even though the market is up, he is still bullish; “I am not exaggerating when I say the best is yet to come. We are going to be up 17%" this year."
Picks for the Week Ahead: VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC - News), Parker-Hannifin (NYSE: PH - News), Eaton (NYSE: ETN - News), Honeywell (NYSE: HON - News), Akamai Technologies (NasdaqGS: AKAM), Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL), Boeing (NYSE: BA - News), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP - News), Allegheny Technologies (NYSE: ATI - News), Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM - News), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL - News), Level 3 Communications (NasdaqGS: LVLT), NYSE (NYSE: NYX - News), Cummins (NYSE: CMI - News), National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV - News)
While Monday will be quiet, Cramer says there will be a lot going on the market for the remainder of the week. On Tuesday, VFC and PH will report, and he expects an upside for both companies since VFC is a "Benefit of the Doubt" play, and he predicts PH will ride the wave with ETN and Honeywell. Wednesday will be busy, and Cramer limited his picks to five; he would buy Akamai for its streaming video and Apple for its iPhone ahead of their earnings reports, BA because it is going to $100, and ATI which will report a "giant number" and Pepsi. On Thursday, he would take a look at XOM, which will report, as well as HAL and LVLT, both of which have "lagged” but may run. Cramer's growth stock of the year, NYX, also reports on Thursday. Cummins and NOV are on the agenda for Friday and are “not done going up"
Mad Mail: Lamson & Sessions (NYSE: LMS - News), Charter Communications (NasdaqGM: CHTR), Dynegy (NYSE: DYN - News), Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News)
Cramer likes LMS as a potential acquisition and predicts the risk/reward is 1 point down and 6 points up. Concerning the CNBC 's Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge, Cramer said his favorite stocks are CHTR, DYN and RAD as "great single-digit plays and LVLT as a "good game name."
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Labels: ATI, BA, CMI, DYN, ETN, HAL, HON, Jim Cramer, LMS, Mad Money, NOV, NYX, OMG, PEP, PH, RAD, SGR, VFC, XOM

Green Day: Foster Wheeler (NasdaqGS: FWLT) and Shaw Group (NYSE: SGR)
Cramer declared April 2, the day the Supreme Court ruled against the EPA for not regulating carbon emissions "Green Day," and announced his decision to devote a week-long series to environmental stocks. He believes this "landmark decision" will put a "higher multiple on everything green," and suggests buying FWLT and SGR. FWLT is "a leader in fluidized bed boilers," which create fewer sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. He added FWLT has a low multiple and predicts it will rise from $68 to $105. Cramer thinks nuclear is the best anti-global warming fuel and likes SGR because it "has a huge inside edge on nuclear projects in the U.S. and abroad," has recently won contracts and expects to attract more in the near future. Cramer concluded these stocks should make people some mad money in a few years.

Kellogg (NYSE: K), Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Capital One Financial (NYSE: COF)
Cramer doesn't regret his aversion to fearmongering, a strategy which might have won him some media praise, but would have been "painfully wrong." Instead, he is glad he recommended buying KO and K seven weeks ago. Concerning banks, "the second bottom that I called is still happening," he said and predicts analysts will start upgrading these stocks this week. He has no worries about suggesting GS, since it is a cheap financial stock which he feels will go higher. Cramer also is bullish on COF because he feels "the stigma of credit cards is going to go away."
Related: Ticker Sense wonders if GS failure to take part in last week's rally is cause for concern.
Mad Mail: ValueClick (NasdaqGS: VCLK) and aQuantive (NasdaqGS: AQNT), Steel Technologies (NasdaqGS: STTX)Although VCLK and AQNT have risen, Cramer still likes them because they are attractive takeover targets. He told another viewer no one could have predicted the STTX buyout, because the bears were focusing on the excess of steel, and Cramer predicts more consolidation in this area, which will leave only three or four companies standing.
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Labels: AQNT, COF, FWLT, GS, Jim Cramer, K, KO, Mad Money, SGR, STTK, VCLK

Alcoa (NYSE:AA - News) shares rose Wednesday as its fourth-quarter earnings report sparked cheers in the financial markets.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - News) shares rose to another all-time high Wednesday as investors continued to throw their support behind the company, its new high-end iPhone and its push into consumer-products markets.
Audiovox Corp. (NASDAQ:VOXX - News) said it swung to third-quarter net income, as the cost of sales fell, of $3.85 million, or 17 cents a share. During the same period in the prior year, the company reported a net loss of $10.3 million, or 46 cents a share.
Carrington Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ:CARN - News) said Wednesday its subsidiary, DelSite Biotechnologies Inc., has granted a non-exclusive license to EndoBiologics Inc. for the development of vaccines against bacillary dysentery and other bacterial diseases using DelSite's nasal powder vaccine delivery technology. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Irving, Texas-based Carrington said the goal of the program is to develop needle-free vaccines that can be stored without refrigeration.
Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CTIC - News) filed for a special protocol assessment for the design of its phase III trial of Xyotax for women with advanced lung cancer with the Food and Drug Administration.
Choice Hotels International Inc. (NYSE:CHH - News) was upgraded to peer perform from underperform at Bear Stearns.
CKE Restaurants (NYSE:CKR - News) said December same-store sales rose 7.4%. The owner of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's also said it'll boost its stock repurchasing plan by $50 million.
Cosi (NASDAQ:COSI - News) said it expects earnings before stock compensation expense of between 8 to 12 cents a share for fiscal 2007 on revenue of between $150 million and $155 million for company-owned locations. For 2008, the Deerfield, Ill., restaurant chain sees earnings of 35 to 45 cents a share before stock compensation expense. Cosi sees a loss of 18 cents a share for 2006, excluding stock based compensation with revenue growing 8.3% to $126.9 million.
Delta Air Lines Inc. (Other OTC:DALRQ.PK - News) shares rose after U.S. Airways Group raised its hostile merger bid for Delta.
Digimarc (NASDAQ:DMRC - News) shares jumped after the company said it expects revenue of between $110 million and $117 million for fiscal 2007, a level that would represent growth of 5%-10%. The Beaverton, Ore., developer of secure identity and media management technology products said the revenue could be higher depending upon the timing and impact of continuing market adoption of digital watermarking as well as expanded sales to existing U.S. driver license customers. The company also entered a licensing agreement with USA Video Interactive Corp. (OTC BB:USVO.OB - News). The deal calls for the licensing of Digimarc's digital watermarking patents to USA Video for use in forensic tracking applications of certain video products.
EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering (NASDAQ:EXFO - News) shares jumped after the company reported first-quarter earnings of $3.5 million, or 5 cents a share, up from a year-ago profit of $400,000, or a penny per share, in the same period a year earlier. The latest results included costs of $900,000 related to amortization of intangible assets and $300,000 from stock-based compensation. Sales at the Canadian provider of test and measurement equipment for telecommunications applications surged 31.4% in the first quarter to $35.5 million.
Genomic Health Inc. (NASDAQ:GHDX - News) signed a national payor contract with United HealthCare Insurance Co., an affiliate of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - News) for Oncotype DX, Genomic Health 's test service. The agreement establishes coverage across all of UnitedHealthCare's plans for women with early-stage breast cancer, Genomic Health said. Coverage is scheduled to become effective for claims performed on or after Jan. 3. The Oncotype DX test quantifies the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence and predicts the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit.
Shares of ImClone Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:IMCL - News) soared after the company reported its Erbitux cancer treatment passed a key test in treating metastatic colorectal cancer.
Innkeepers USA Trust (NYSE:KPA - News) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
Innodata Isogen (NASDAQ:INOD - News) shares rose after the Hackensack, N.J.-based provider of IT and business process outsourcing services said it has secured several new projects in the fourth quarter which the company expects will produce roughly $9 million in revenues in 2007. "We project that revenues for 2007 will include an approximately $40 million head start consisting of the $9 million we are announcing today, $6 million from existing one-time projects, and $26 million of recurring revenue," said Steve Ford, the company's chief executive, in a statement. "This compares with $41 million of revenues that we project for all of 2006."
Insmed (NASDAQ:INSM - News) shares surged after the Richmond, Va.-based biopharmaceutical company said the Italian government has asked Insmed to make its drug Iplex available to physicians in Italy to treat patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. Through an agreement with Cephalon Inc. (NASDAQ:CEPH - News), which holds European patent rights to IGF-1 related to the treatment of ALS, Insmed said it will be able to distribute Iplex through an expanded access program, with Insmed receiving payment for the drug from the Italian government.
International Aluminum Corp. (NYSE:IAL - News) agreed to be acquired by Genstar Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, for roughly $228 million. Genstar said the deal values International Aluminum at $53 per share, compared to Tuesday's close at $50. International Aluminum, a Monterey Park, Calif., maker of aluminum building materials, generated revenue of more than $280 million for the year ended June 30.
McKesson (NYSE:MCK - News) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Merrill Lynch. The firm cited valuation.
Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ:MHGC - News) was upgraded to overweight from equal-weight at Morgan Stanley. The firm lifted its price target on the stock to $20 from $17.
Ocean Bio-Chem Inc. (NASDAQ:OBCI - News) shares rocketed up Wednesday morning after the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based maker of maintenance products for boats and cars said it has begun increased product distribution to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. . In a company filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ocean Bio-Chem said Wal-Mart will carry an increased assortment of its products in roughly 2,700 outlets, many of which did not previously carry any of its products.
Perficient (NASDAQ:PRFT - News) lifted its revenue outlook for the fourth quarter to between $48.4 million from $49.6 million. Its previous outlook was for revenue of $42.4 million to $45.1 million in the quarter.
Placer Sierra Bancshares (NASDAQ:PLSB - News) agreed to be acquired by Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC - News) for an estimated $645 million. The consideration is dependent upon an exchange ratio based on the volume-weighted average of the daily volume-weighted average price of a share of Wells Fargo common stock for each of the 20 consecutive trading days.
RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ:RFMD - News) said it expects fiscal third-quarter profit to improve over the sequential second quarter, as revenue growth exceeded expense growth and due to increased production and internal assemble. The New York mobile communications technology company said the sale of its Bluetooth assets to Qualcomm will benefit earnings by 4 to 6 cents a share a year.
Sears Holdings (NASDAQ:SHLD - News) said same-store sales for the November to December period fell 5.6% at domestic Sears stores and declined 1.2% at Kmart stores. The decline at Sears was attributable to lower lawn and garden and appliance sales, which was partially offset by growth in women's apparel sales, while lower Kmart sales was due to lower transaction volumes. The Hoffman Estates, Ill. retail chain said it expects fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $750 million to $830 million, or $4.87 to $5.39 a share, up from $648 million, or $4.03 a share, a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call had been expecting earnings of $4.86 a share, on average.
Shaw Communications (NYSE:SJR - News) was upgraded to outperform from underperform at RBC Capital Markets. The firm also lifted its price target on the stock to $45 from $34.
Shaw Group (NYSE:SGR - News) plans to delay filing a fiscal first-quarter 2007 report to account for a 20% investment in Westinghouse but said its results would be generally in the range of its previous outlook. The Baton Rouge, La., engineering and construction firm said its revenue would be $1.27 billion in the quarter ended Nov. 30, 2006. Operating income is expected to be $36 million compared to $53.7 million in the year-earlier period. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call forecast earnings, on average, of 19 cents a share and sales of $1.2 billion.
Sunstone Hotel Investors (NYSE:SHO - News) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ:SNCR - News) shares leapt after the company said its ActivationNow platform was selected by Cingular for Apple Inc.'s iPhone product, which was unveiled on Tuesday. Bridgewater, N.J.-based Synchronoss also reaffirmed its 2007 earnings forecast of 44 cents to 48 cents a share, excluding items, on revenue of $99 million to $100 million.
Taitron Components (NASDAQ:TAIT - News) said its board of directors has declared a 10 cents-a-share annual cash dividend to be paid Jan. 31. The announcement follows the decision by Taitron, which distributes electronic components, to declare an annual dividend of up to 10 cents for a period of five years.
USANA Health Sciences (NASDAQ:USNA - News) said it now expects earnings of 58 to 60 cents a share for the fourth quarter, above its prior forecast for a profit of 56 to 58 cents a share. The company also said it sees sales of about $101 million for the quarter, prior to the reclassification of what was previously termed associate incentive expense as a sales discount. After the reclassification, the Salt Lake City provider of nutritional products expects sales of about $99.5 million for the quarter. The current average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call is for a profit of 57 cents a share in the December period.
XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:XMSR - News) shares rose after Citigroup lifted its 12-month price target on the stock to $21 from $16. The firm told clients that increasing numbers of customers who buy cars and trucks equipped with XM radios are likely to sign up for the service. It also added that the possibility of a merger with rival Sirius Satellite Radio should provide "downside support" for XM stock.
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Labels: AA, AAPL, CARN, COSI, DMRC, GHDX, IAL, IMCL, INOD, OBCI, PLSB, PRFT, RFMD, SGR, SHLD, SHO, UNH, VOXX, WFC, XMSR

Alcoa (NYSE:AA - News) beat earnings Tuesday after the close, announcing $0.74 EPS over an expected $0.64 EPS. AA's PowerRating is 5.
WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC - News) missed earnings by a long-shot, announcing $0.33 EPS vs expectations of $0.43 EPS. WDFC's PowerRating is 7.
Synnex (NYSE:SNX - News) beat earnings on Tuesday afternoon, with $0.48 EPS over an expected $0.46 EPS.
Ruby Tuesday (NYSE:RI - News) matched earnings expectations with $0.28 EPS. RI's PowerRating is 4.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - News) unveiled its new iPhone today, and changed the proper company name to Apple Inc., to reflect the company's focus on consumer electronics. AAPL's PowerRating is 5.
Shaw Group (NYSE:SGR - News) is set to announce $0.19 EPS before the open on Wednesday. SGR's PowerRating is 8.
Genentech (NYSE:DNA - News) reports quarterly earnings on Wednesday afternoon, so watch for heightened price action and volume before the close. DNA's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: AA, AAPL, DNA, RI, SGR, SNX, WDFC

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Wednesday from TradingMarkets.com:
Alcoa (NYSE:AA - News) beat earnings Tuesday after the close, announcing $0.74 EPS over an expected $0.64 EPS. AA's PowerRating is 5.
WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC - News) missed earnings by a long-shot, announcing $0.33 EPS vs expectations of $0.43 EPS. WDFC's PowerRating is 7.
Synnex (NYSE:SNX - News) beat earnings on Tuesday afternoon, with $0.48 EPS over an expected $0.46 EPS.
Ruby Tuesday (NYSE:RI - News) matched earnings expectations with $0.28 EPS. RI's PowerRating is 4.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - News) unveiled its new iPhone today, and changed the proper company name to Apple Inc., to reflect the company's focus on consumer electronics. AAPL's PowerRating is 5.
Shaw Group (NYSE:SGR - News) is set to announce $0.19 EPS before the open on Wednesday. SGR's PowerRating is 8.
Genentech (NYSE:DNA - News) reports quarterly earnings on Wednesday afternoon, so watch for heightened price action and volume before the close. DNA's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: AA, AAPL, DNA, RI, SGR, SNX, WDFC

With only two days left in Santas officially sanctioned rally, much of that bull has already been put to rest. For the abbreviated and suspect work week, the NASDAQ Composite ($COMPQ) and S&P500 ($SPX) saw fit to tack on another .60% thereabouts and onto their existing yearly and not-so-ruff gainers of 10% to 14%.There were no Monday morning marriage agreements this past week, seeing how the home offices were closed for the holiday. However, the market did kick things off on the right foot Tuesday. Handily lower oil prices (USO) on a discounting of idle supply threats from Iran and mild weather on the east coast [down -2.40% on week] helped traders along with profit-engine leadership from the energy sector. The bulls had further help in a no headlines required situation, as an existing and well-positioned technical bounce and seasonal window were gifts left for Wall Streeters still watching the flickering red and green lights. Wednesday offered up some pleasant surprises with light fare M & A stories from Cenveo (