Jim Cramer Blog

Here are 7 trading ideas for today. These lists come directly from the TradingMarkets Stock Indicators page and are based upon our latest quantitative research.
Bullish
Gaps Down 5% or More: These are stocks that gap down by 5% or more and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that gap down by more than 5% have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Scholastic Corporation (NasdaqGS:SCHL - News). SCHL's PowerRating is 6.
Laps Down 5% or More: These are stocks that lap down by 5% or more and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that lap down by more than 5% have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Syniverse Holdings (NYSE:SVR - News). SVR's PowerRating is 5.
5+ Consecutive Down Days: These are stocks that have closed down for five or more consecutive days and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that close down for five or more days have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Guess? (NYSE:GES - News). GES'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.
General Motors (NYSE:GM - News). GM's PowerRating is 7.
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.
Harrah's Entertainment (NYSE:HET - News). HET's PowerRating is 6.
Bearish
5+ Consecutive Up Days: These are stocks that have made a higher high for five or more consecutive days and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving average that make higher highs for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS - News). LVS's PowerRating is 3.
5+ Consecutive Higher Highs: These are stocks that have made a higher high for five or more consecutive days and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving average that make higher highs for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Kemet (NYSE:KEM - News). KEM's PowerRating is 4.
PowerRatings (for Traders) are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: GES, GM, HET, Hot Stocks, KEM, LVS, SCHL, SVR

Barr Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:BRL - News) said it lost $390.9 million, or $3.67 a share, vs. a profit of $94.9 million, or 88 cents a share a year earlier. Excluding items, earnings for the quarter ending Dec. 31 would have been 83 cents a share. Revenue rose 79% to $584 million from last year's $325.5 million, with product sales growing 85% to $536.6 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had been expecting earnings of 73 cents a share and revenue of $521.3 million, on average. Looking ahead, the Woodcliff Lake, N.J. pharmaceutical company expects 2007 adjusted earnings of $3.00 to $3.30 a share, surrounding analyst forecasts of a $3.23 a share.
Bitstream (NasdaqCM:BITS - News) shares fell after the Cambridge, Mass.-based software development company reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $630,000, or 6 cents a share, down from $788,000, or 8 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $5.55 million from $4.62 million.
BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:BLK - News) said it is raising its quarterly cash dividend 60% to 67 cents a share from 42 cents. The dividend is payable March 23 to shareholders of record as of March 7, the New York-based investment management firm said.
Blount International (NYSE:BLT - News) shares slumped after the Portland, Ore.-based outdoor products and power equipment company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $9.04 million, or 19 cents a share, down from $56.2 million, or $1.17 a share, in the year-ago period. The company said the results in the year-ago quarter were favorably impacted by a significant income tax benefit. Revenue fell to $158.1 million from $176.9 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were expecting a per-share profit of 20 cents on revenue of $156.2 million. Blount expects 2007 sales in a range of flat to down 3%, and operating income of $85 million to $90 million.
Emcore Corp. (NasdaqGM:EMKR - News) filed to expand the scope of its patent infringement lawsuits against Optium Corp. (NasdaqGM:OPTM - News) to include one additional patent and an additional product line.
E.W. Scripps & Co. (NYSE:SSP - News) cut its first-quarter earnings forecast, citing greater-than-expected weakness at its newspapers. The Cincinnati-based media company said it now expects a profit from continuing operations of 33 to 37 cents a share in the March quarter, down from its previous estimate of 39 cents to 43 cents a share. A year earlier, Scripps earned 49 cents per share. The company pointed to lower-than-expected newspaper advertising sales, costs related to a leadership change at the retail search engine Shopzilla, and weaker-than-expected results for its Internet search business.
Fremont General Corp. (NYSE:FMT - News) shares slid after the mortgage lender said late Tuesday it will postpone the release of its fourth quarter and full-year 2006 results, which was scheduled for Wednesday. Santa Monica-based Fremont also said it will not file its 2006 Form 10-K by March 1.
Idera Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:IDP - News) was initiated with a buy rating at Canaccord Adams.
Integra LifeSciences (NasdaqGS:IART - News) said fourth-quarter net income slipped to $10.1 million, or 34 cents a share, from $10.6 million, or 33 cents a share, while revenue climbed 72% to $125 million on sales of acquired products, surgical instruments and ultrasonic surgical systems. Adjusted for equity-based compensation charges, acquisition-related charges, and other items, it would've earned 50 cents a share compared to 37 cents a share last year. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 42 cents a share on revenue of $121 million. For 2007, earnings are seen between $1.70 and $1.80 a share on revenue between $508 million and $520 million, growing to $2.05 to $2.25 a share in earnings in 2008 on revenue between $570 million and $590 million.
Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG - News) swung to a fourth-quarter profit, boosted by lower severance expenses, professional fees and production costs. The New York advertising and marketing services company had fourth-quarter earnings of $69.1 million, or 11 cents a share, compared with a loss of $22.9 million, or 8 cents, a year earlier. Interpublic said revenue fell 1%, to $1.88 billion from $1.9 billion a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected, on average, earnings of 21 cents a share on revenue of $1.88 billion. In addition, Interpublic said it has re-mediated a significant number of its existing material weaknesses, and it remains on track to be compliant with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act by the time it files its 2007 annual report.
Joy Global (NasdaqGS:JOYG - News) shares dropped after the company posted a first-quarter profit of $60 million, or 51 cents a share, on sales of about $560 million. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial was for earnings of 60 cents a share in the January period on revenue of $629.4 million.
LECG Corp.'s (NasdaqGS:XPRT - News) fourth-quarter net income fell 39% to $3.52 million, or 14 cents a share, from $5.81 million, or 23 cents a share, a year earlier. The Emeryville, Calif., economic consulting company's revenue grew 22% to $88.9 million form $73 million in the year-ago period.
Magellan Health Services Inc. (NasdaqGS:MGLN - News) reported fourth-quarter net income of $22.5 million, or 58 cents a share, down from $52.2 million, or $1.38 a share, earned in the same period during 2005. Quarterly revenue generated by the Avon, Conn.-based health-care management services provider reached $461.3 million from the prior year's $436.4 million. Earnings in the latest quarter benefited from one-time favorable contractual settlements of $5.1 million as well as out-of-period favorable care development of $1.7 million, Magellan Health said. The year-earlier period reflected in part the sale of certain assets to Aetna. Analysts were looking for earnings of 48 cents a share on revenue of $464 million, according to estimates compiled by Thomson Financial.
Ormat Technologies (NYSE:ORA - News) swung to a fourth-quarter profit from a year-earlier loss on 13% higher revenue. Earnings were $4.2 million, or 12 cents a share, compared with a loss of $5.1 million, or 16 cents, in the year-earlier period. Revenue reached $66.7 million from $58.8 million. In the latest period, the earnings reflect 1 cent a share from compensation expense. The year-ago loss reflects a $10.3 million charge to refinance debt.
PRA International (NasdaqGS:PRAI - News) shares slumped after the Reston, Va.-based provider of clinical development services reported fourth-quarter net income of $5.72 million, or 23 cents a share, compared with $7.5 million, or 31 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $92.5 million from $76.5 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were expecting a per-share profit of 29 cents on revenue of $81.7 million. PRA forecast 2007 earnings of 48 cents to 58 cents a share and adjusted earnings 95 cents to $1.05 a share. The company expects 2007 service revenue, excluding reimbursed out-of-pocket costs associated with client projects and programs, to be in the range of $330 million to $350 million. Analysts are looking for earnings of $1.28 a share.
Salary.com Inc. (NasdaqGM:SLRY - News) said underwriters of its initial public offering have exercised in full their over-allotment option to buy an additional 855,000 shares of common stock. The shares were purchased at the IPO price of $10.50 a share.
Salix Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGM:SLXP - News) forecast earnings of 85 cents a share on total product revenue of about $260 million for fiscal 2007. The current average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial is for a profit of 87 cents a share for the year.
Sierra Health Services Inc. (NYSE:SIE - News) expects to incur a loss in fiscal 2007, due primarily to an enhanced version of its Medicare Part D prescription drug program. In January, Sierra began offering an enhanced version of its PDP, which provided prescription-drug benefits through the coverage gap.
Syniverse Holdings Inc.'s (NYSE:SVR - News) fourth-quarter net income surged to $59.1 million, or 88 cents a share, from $15.3 million, or 23 cents a share, a year ago. Cash net income was 20 cents a share, the company said. The Tampa, Fla., provider of technology services said revenue increased 2.7% to $85.8 million from $83.6 million a year ago.
URS Corp. (NYSE:URS - News) reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $26.3 million, or 51 cents a share, up from $25.9 million, or 51 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue at the San Francisco-based engineering and construction management company rose to $1.09 billion from $1.07 billion.
Published By MarketWatch

Labels: BITS, BLK, BLT, BRL, EMKR, FMT, IART, IDP, IPG, JOYG, MGLN, ORA, PRAI, SIE, SLRY, SLXP, SSP, SVR, URS, XPRT

Alcoa Inc., (NYSE:AA - News) and United Auto Workers Local 1050 reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract at Alcoa's Cleveland facility, the company said on Sunday. The union negotiating committee backs the deal and will bring it to members for a vote at meetings on Dec. 27, Alcoa said. A ratified accord would end a seven-week strike and send the plant's 830 employees back to work on Jan. 2, Alcoa said in a statement.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:APC - News) agreed to sell its Vernon and Ansley fields to Exco Resources Inc. (NYSE:XCO - News) for $1.6 billion. Both fields are located in Jackson Parish, La. Houston-based Anadarko said six drilling rigs and four work-over rigs are currently active in the fields, and that, as of Nov. 1, the fields were producing 192 million cubic feet equivalent per day. The company expects the deal to close in the first quarter.
Applica (NYSE:APN - News) shares jumped after Nacco Industries Inc. (NYSE:NC - News) increased its acquisition offer for the company to $7.50 per share from $7, continuing a battle between Nacco and Harbinger Capital Partners to acquire Applica.
Cerus (NASDAQ:CERS - News) shares rose after the company said it's received a $5 million cash milestone payment from BioOne Corp. Concord, Calif.-based Cerus said the payment was triggered by its receipt of CE mark regulatory approval for the Intercept Blood System for plasma in Europe. Cerus also expects to receive an additional milestone payment of BioOne preferred stock worth $5 million in early 2007.
CPAC Inc. (NASDAQ:CPAK - News) agreed to be acquired by Buckingham Capital Partners II LP for $8.65 a share, or $42.8 million plus the assumption of 6.7 million in debt. CPAC, Leicester, N.Y., said the offer is a 16% premium to the average closing price of its common stock over the past 90 trading days.
EpiCept Corp. (NASDAQ:EPCT - News) shares rose after the company granted Durect Corp. (NASDAQ:DRRX - News) exclusive worldwide rights to certain intellectual property for a transdermal patch containing bupivacaine to treat back pain.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE:GT - News) said it's reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers on a new master contract covering 12,600 employees at 12 tire and engineered products plants in the United States. The USW is expected to schedule ratification votes at all plants in coming days. The prior 3-year labor agreement expired July 22, and the USW members have been on strike since Oct. 5.
GP Strategies (NYSE:GPX - News) shares advanced after the company said it's agreed to acquire certain assets and the business of Sandy Corp., a unit of Automatic Data Processing (NYSE:ADP - News), for $11.7 million, in cash and assumed debt.
Par Pharmaceutical Cos. (NYSE:PRX - News) said it's received final approval for its abbreviated new drug application for ondansetron orally disintegrating tablets in 4 mg and 8 mg strengths from the Food and Drug Administration. Ondansetron ODT is the generic version of GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Zofran ODT, used for the prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with emetogenic cancer chemotherapy, certain radiotherapies, and the prevention of postoperative nausea and/or vomiting. Par said it has been awarded 180 days of marketing exclusivity for the product, which will be marketed by Pliva Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Pliva d.d., which is a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. . Under the terms of an agreement, Barr will have exclusive rights to market, sell and distribute ondansetron ODT in the United States. The product will be manufactured by Par, and the companies will split profits from the sales. Annual U.S. sales of Zofran ODT are about $300 million, according to IMS Health.
QuickLogic Corp. (NASDAQ:QUIK - News) said it completed its internal stock-option review and filed its quarterly report for the second quarter ended July 2. The Sunnyvale, Calif., maker of semiconductor components said its review found errors in the process of accounting for stock options, and QuickLogic identified a total pre-tax stock-based compensation charge of $964,000 that should have been reported in previous financial statements.
Syniverse Holdings (NYSE:SVR - News) said its board has named Robert Marino non-executive chairman, effective Dec. 31. Marino succeeds G. Edward Evans, who is leaving the company at the end of the year as previously disclosed. Marino has been a director with Syniverse since February 2004.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN - News) said the 2006 holiday season was its "best ever" and noted that it shipped more than 99% of its orders in time to meet deadlines worldwide. The Seattle-based Internet retailer said Dec. 11 was its busiest day as customer orders exceeded four million items.
-MarketWatch

Labels: AA, ADP, AMZN, APC, APN, CERS, CPAK, DRRX, EPCT, GPX, GT, NC, PRX, QUIK, SVR, XCO