Jim Cramer Blog

Crude oil closed at another record high at $97.10 and finally finished Tuesday at $96.70. Adami tells viewers they can play Valero (VLO) on valuation or go with Tesoro (TSO).
Finerman offers EnergySolutions (ES) as an idea since it is scheduled to IPO next week. She would also consider Cameco (CCJ) but only with options. Najarian continues to favor Cypress Semiconductor (CY).
Auto Stocks
General Motors (GM) is set to report earnings Wednesday morning before the bell and Ford Motor (F) is set to report earnings on Friday before the bell. Adami likes Ford Motor. General Motors traded down 3% after hours on news that the company will take a $39 billion non-cash charge on financial assets in the mortgage arm. Macke says that Toyota Motor (TM), Honda Motor (HMC) and Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ) all lose from the continued improvements at Ford and General Motors.
Financials: Macke says we saw a counter trend rally on Tuesday and everything worked accept Citigroup (C) and the retailers. Goldman Sachs (GS) denies write-down speculation for the fourth time on Tuesday.
Google (GOOG) continues to surprise investors with news like the recent entry into the mobile handset market. Najarian thinks the trade is Focus Media Holding (FMCN), which is a China play that sells advertising space on mobile handsets. Google, Apple (AAPL), Intel (INTC), Cisco (CSCO) and Research In Motion (RIMM) all hit 52-week highs Tuesday. Yahoo (YHOO) shares took a hit Tuesday. Cisco Systems (CSCO) is set to report earnings Wednesday.
Adami thinks if the Fed is done cutting rates then Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG) will go lower and you can buy it in the low $80’s.
Pops & Drops
Pops- Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) traded up 7% on a strong profits report.
Jacobs Engineering Group (JEC) traded up 5% after profits rose 43%.
XM Satellite Radio (XMSR) traded up 12% on speculation that the merger with Sirius could get done by year end.
IndyMac Bancorp (IMB) traded up 10% after the CEO said the company would survive the mortgage blowup.
Church & Dwight (CHD) traded up 9% after posting a 34% jump in profits.
MasterCard (MA) traded up 7% after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock and slapped a $250 price target on the credit card name.
Beazer Homes USA (BZH) trades up 10% after shareholders demand the CEO be fired.
Tenet Healthcare (THC) popped 22% as revenues per patient rose 8%.
Drops- NBTY (NTY) fell 5%.
Cooper Tire & Rubber (CTB) fell 14% as sales and profits missed estimates.
Molson Coors Brewing (TAP) fell 2% after third quarter profits fell amid charges.
Final Trade
Najarian recommends shorting MBIA (MBI).
Macke grabs buy tickets for Intel (INTC).
Adami picked Ford Motor (F).
Finerman advises shorting Lehman Brothers Holdings (LEH)

Labels: CCJ, CNBC's Fast Money, CSCO, CY, F, Fast Money AAPL, Fast Money Recap, FMCN, GM, GOOG, GS, HMC, HTZ, INTC, PEG, RIMM, TM, TSO, VLO, YHOO

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Wednesday from TradingMarkets.com:
RPM (NYSE:RPM - News) reports earnings on Wednesday before the bell, with analysts looking for $0.55 EPS. RPM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Wolverine (NYSE:WWW - News) should announce $0.53 EPS before the stock market opens on Wednesday morning. WWW's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Immucor (NasdaqGS:BLUD - News) is looking to report $0.22 EPS on Wednesday after the bell. BLUD's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - News) announced plans to cut 600 jobs related to its home loan division; MS rallied over 3% on the news. MS's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Ford (NYSE:F - News) announced that U.S. sales of light vehicles fell more than 20% in September; F rallied nearly 4% despite the news. Rival General Motors (NYSE:GM - News) managed to record a slight jump in sales, while Toyota (NYSE:TM - News) also posted a decline. F's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6, TM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4, and GM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.

Labels: BLUD, F, Ford Motor co., General Motors Corp., GM, Hot Stocks, Morgan Stanley, MS, RPM, TM, Toyota Motor Corp., WWW

Ford (F): Cramer began Monday's show by recommending investors buy Ford. Thinks that it will profit off the fact that GM broke the unions with its latest negotiations and that it is selling some of its units. Jim then took a couple of phone calls. The first call was about Tata Motors (TTM), which Cramer likes, but he thinks is too expensive. The second caller asked about Toyota (TM). Cramer won't back Toyota because the weak dollar hurts their sales and the Japanese market is the worst in the world.
In the next segment, Cramer continued to talk about investing opportunities related to GM's success against the UAW. He looked off the beaten path and found American Axle and Manufacturing (AXL) since the company makes auto parts, and has a labor contract that ends in the near future.
Cramer then took some more phone calls. He was asked about Garmin (GRMN), which Cramer thinks fell too much, but he will be concerned about it once the Navteq (NVT) and Nokia (NOK) merger is completed next year. Another caller asked about Eaton (ETN), and Cramer said that it’s one of his favorite manufacturing stocks. The next caller asked about CarMax (KMX), and Cramer said that you should think about pulling the trigger in late November to avoid tax-loss selling.
After the lightning round, Cramer talked about a stock that went public this summer without much attention and considers it an overlooked IPO. His pick is Dolan Media (DM), which helps process mortgage defaults.
Mad Mail:
Cramer read emails about NYSE-EuroNext (NYX), which Cramer thinks he "blew it" when he recommended the stock. Boeing (BA): Despite past devastating news, Cramer believes in it. Siemens (SI): Cramer thinks is in great shape and that you should hold onto it.

Labels: AXL, BA, DM, ETN, F, GRMN, Jim Cramer, KMX, Mad Money, Mad MOney Recap, NOK, NVT, NYX, SI, TM, TTM

Equities once again fell hard in afternoon trading after credit worries and some rather soft economic news brought the bears out of their two-day hibernation. The Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all ended the week on a sour note with each losing more than -2%. In the energy pits, news of a slowing economy helped drive down the price of oil, with crude ending the session lower by -$1.38 to $75.48.
On the economic docket today, the Labor Department said that employers added fewer jobs in July than forecast. For the month just ended, payroll growth slowed to 92,000 jobs, down from 126,000 in the prior month. The jobless rate increased to 4.6% from 4.5%. In a separate report, the Institute for Supply Management showed service industries, which include banks and retailers, expanded less than expected.
Shares of Bear Sterns (NYSE: BSC - News) plunged -5.9% on the day after the company said its profitability in the current quarter may sink to a historical low following losses in its hedge funds as well as exposure to the tumbling mortgage market. However, top brass at the Wall Street investment firm defended its company stating, "The firm's liquidity position, capital adequacy, and funding capacity remains extremely solid, notwithstanding the current market conditions." Also on the day, Standard & Poor's downgraded Bear's long-term credit to negative from stable.
On the earnings front, Japanese automaker Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM - News) posted a 32% jump in profits in its fiscal fourth quarter. The company reported net income of 491.5 billion yen on sales of 6.52 trillion yen, an increase of 15.7% over the same period last year. Profits were fueled by increased sales of vehicles overseas.
Consumer product giant Proctor & Gamble (NYSE: PG - News) earned $2.27 billion, or 67 cents a share, in its fourth quarter, up from $1.9 billion, or 55 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Sales rose 8% to $19.27 billion. Analysts were looking for a profit of 66 cents per share on revenue of $19.11 billion. The company also said it would buy back $24-30 billion of its own stock over the next three years and that it expects to post earnings of 88-90 cents for the first quarter. It sees full-year earnings coming in at a range of $3.44-3.47. Shares fell -0.5%. Subscribers can read our analysis of Proctor & Gamble in today's issue.
Timber company Weyerhauser (NYSE: WY - News) said net earnings plunged -89% on the back of a weak housing market. For the second quarter, the company reported net earnings of $32 million, or 15 cents a share, down from $298 million, or $1.19 a share, last year. Excluding one-time items, it earned $104 million, or 48 cents a share. Revenue declined -11% to $4.33 billion. Shares reversed earlier gains and ended the session down -3.1%.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: BSC, PG, TM, WY

Bullish Calls:
Woodward Governor (NasdaqGS: WGOV - News): 'That's in the bull market of aerospace. It's in the bull market of infrastructure.'Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT - News)Sears Holdings (NasdaqGS: SHLD - News): 'Everybody's decided ... it's too hard ... am not giving up on Eddie Lampert. Let everyone else give up. I am not. I'm with him.'Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM - News): 'Long term, Toyota's the winner. ... In 2010, this company's going to own the world. Now, if you can't take the pain between now and 2010, by all means, go buy a mutual fund.'Macy's (NYSE: M - News): 'They've all given up on Macy's. ... Me? I don't know. Terry Lundgren's pretty good. .... I'd rather pull the trigger. I'd rather run toward what looks like a house of pleasure.'
Bearish calls:
Manitowoc (NYSE: MTW - News): 'This stock has just been hammered unfairly. ... We've got to wait till it settles, and it's not going to settle, because it's still in freefall.'Alcoa (NYSE: AA - News): 'It did not get the bid in the end ... it's trading only on fundamentals. On fundamentals, it's worth $35. ... I got too greedy on Alcoa.'
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AA, CAT, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, M, Mad Money, MTW, SHLD, TM, WGOV

Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC): 'I like APC. They loaded the boat up with properties. They still have to pay down some things.'XTO Energy (NYSE: XTO): 'I think APC is good, but I think that XTO rocks the boat, and will beat APC - in the long term race - to $100.'URS (NYSE: URS): 'They finally did something. They bought Washington Group. They got it cheaply, and the stock is, at last, on the move ... Buy, buy, buy! ... Washington is historically not a great operator. But at least there is a pulse at URS.'Level 3 Communications (NasdaqGS: LVLT): 'LVLT is going to sink or swim on the fundies. I think the fundies are good. I want to back up the truck in the mid $5s... 'Olin (NYSE: OLN): ' OLN did not buy Pioneer, they stole Pioneer! ... OLN's on the move... They suddenly have religion. Buy, buy, buy!'Carmike Cinemas (CKE): 'This is the one to play. I would sell the others and buy that one, and that's new information from me.'General Maritime (NYSE: GMR): 'Peter Georgiopolous, CEO and founder of GMR is the guy we back... He spent a lot of money buying back stock. He's got the safest yield. That's who we're going with.'Edison International (NYSE: EIX): 'EIX is one of the great... The utilities had an unbelievable bull market, but that's just one of the effects of the utilities... they're reorganized, they're terrific.'Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED)Dominion (NYSE: D)Cisco (NasdaqGS: CSCO): 'This is a stock that is growing at 15% that has a 20x multiple ... It just didn't say the right things on the conference call ... Let's buy some CSCO here.'Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM): 'The only stock I'm recommending over there [Japanese Market] is Toyota Motor, and even that's stalledthat's stalled. Although I do like that, and I own it for my charitable trust, and I continue to buy that stock.'Vodafone (NYSE: VOD): 'I'm going to send you to Vodafone after that beautiful quarter. VOD's got growth.'Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ): 'You know I'm a backer of WMT down here... Good article about China and WMT in The Wall Street Journal.'
Bearish calls:
Stratasys (NasdaqGS: SSYS): 'Computer-aided design and automation for semiconductors. No thank you. I want you to take your money and run there. Sell, sell, sell!'Ultra Clean Holdings (NasdaqGS: UCTT): 'No ... if the semiconductor capital equipment business is in bear market mode, I don't want to touch it.'DivX (NasdaqGM: DIVX): 'We are not going back to DIVX. Sell, sell, sell! 'American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO): 'AEO is too hard for me, my friend ... I am strictly going to put it in the 'don't buy' category.'Cinemark (NYSE: CNK - News)Regal Entertainment (NYSE: RGC)Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NYSE: NTT): 'I don't like the Japanese market at all... NTT does not have growth.'

Labels: AEO, CNK, CSCO, DIVX, ED, EIX, GMR, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, LVLT, Mad Money, OLN, RGC, SSYS, TM, UCTT, URS, VOD, WMT, XTO

Sole Survivor: Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM), Ford (NYSE: F), General Motors (NYSE: GM) and DaimlerChrysler (NYSE: DCX)
While Ford and General Motors are declining and Cerberus' acquisition of DCX should shrink it into a "teeny weeny auto company," Toyota will be the last big car company left, says Cramer. Although the stock is down after reporting disappointing numbers, Cramer believes TM will keep "growing and improving." Its decline in operating profit was the result of investing resources for growth, and Cramer notes TM is expanding while its competitors are shrinking. Cramer would buy TM while it is cheap.
Sweet as Honeywell (NYSE: HON)
Cramer continued his series on "transformational CEOs" with Dave Cote of Honeywell, who took the reins from "despised figure," Michael Bonsignore. The company was buried in asbestos problems, but since Dave Cote has taken over, the company has improved sales and cash flow. Athough it is up 10 points, Cramer is still bullish on HON.
Mad Mail: Level 3 Communications (NasdaqGS: LVLT), Syneron Medical (NasdaqGS: ELOS)
Cramer says LVLT is a good bandwith shortage play, and says CEO James Crowe is "bankable." While there is some concern over management change at ELOS, Cramer likes the company's recent numbers and says it is a "product story."

Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: DCX, F, GM, HON, Jim Cramer, LVLT, Mad Money, TM

Stocks traded gingerly preceding today's decision by the Federal Reserve to hold the line on interest rates, then the markets resumed the upward pace that has characterized trading in the past month. The advance by the major averages wasn't dramatic, but it was another move higher and established yet another closing record for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In other markets, the 10-year Treasury note and crude oil futures closed lower.
The Fed's decision not to alter interest rates came as little surprise and there was little change in the wording of the central bank's announcement that would tip its hand about future rate cuts. The policy makers are maintaining their inflation-fighting bias, though this month around there was some acknowledgment that growth has slowed. Overall, it's steady as it goes for Fed policy.
In corporate news, shares of Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO) sank -6.5% after the network equipment maker offered a weak sales outlook as part of its profit report, which was released after last night's closing bell. The company suggested a modest slowing of sales growth in the 15-16% range for the current quarter, compared with the 19-20% it forecasted or delivered in the past few quarters. Chipmaker Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) moved higher after the company's CEO offered an upbeat assessment of gross margins in an address to analysts.
Media companies were also in the spotlight. Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) said its fiscal Q2 profit rose 27%. Disney reported net income of $931 million, or 44 cents a share, compared with $733 million, or 37 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. Revenue rose to $8.07 billion, which missed the $8.13 billion target analysts expected. Disney cited strength in its cable channels as a growth driver.
News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), meanwhile, said its net income rose 6.2% on the strength of profits from the company's movie unit. Chairman Rupert Murdoch also addressed his surprise $5 billion bid for Dow Jones & Company (NYSE: DJ) in the company's conference call. He suggested the $60 a share bid that is on the table for The Wall Street Journal publisher won't rise, calling it "more than fair." Enough members of the Bancroft family, which controls the company's future through ownership of a super-voting class of stock, have indicated opposition to the deal to block it. Murdoch said he hoped they might be persuaded to change their minds and was seeking a private meeting. Dow Jones closed down -5.1%.
Elsewhere, Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM) posted a smaller-than-expected profit. The company's net income rose 8.9% to $3.7 billion, but its operating profit declined -2.8%. On the M&A front, The Wall Street Journal reported that at least three private equity groups are looking at wireless carrier Alltel (NYSE: AT). The company's low debt relative to its cash flow make the company attractive to leveraged buyout firms. Alltel stock closed up 2.1%.

Labels: AT, CSCO, DIS, DJ, NWS, TM, TXN

Stocks drifted through the morning session on mixed economic news, then gained strength in the afternoon on M&A activity. The Blue Chip Dow Jones Industrial Average made the boldest move, with tamer advances from the Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 indexes. The price of crude oil, as well as the 10-year Treasury note, both declined.
The private Institute for Supply Management's April manufacturing index came in at 54.7, which was stronger than last month and also above Wall Street forecasts. A reading above 50 shows the manufacturing sector is expanding. It also makes it less likely that the Federal Reserve will see the need to cut interest rates to stimulate the economy. On the downside, housing and autos remain weak. The National Association of Realtors said pending sales of existing homes fell by another -4.9% in March.
Meanwhile, U.S. carmakers reported another month of slow sales. Ford Motor (NYSE: F - News) said its domestic sales in April slid -12.9% from a year ago. Car sales at General Motors (NYSE: GM - News) fell -9.5%. Even Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM - News), which has had a seemingly endless string of increased monthly sales, reported a -4.4% sales decline. There were two less selling days in April 2007 than the previous year.
In a rare occurrence, Dow Jones & Co. (NYSE: DJ - News) was more newsworthy than the stock index that bears its name. Shares of the publisher of The Wall Street Journal rocketed up 54.7% after news of a $5 billion unsolicited takeover bid from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (NYSE: NWS - News). The $60-a-share offer, which was submitted to the company's board in mid-April, marks a substantial premium over where the stock has traded in the last year. Dow Jones is controlled by the Bancroft family through a two-tier stock system and cannot be sold without its consent. The family was said to be studying the offer.
Other newspaper publishing companies gained today as well, as investors eyed the sector for further consolidation. Moving higher today were shares of New York Times (NYSE: NYT - News), McClatchy (NYSE: MNI - News), Gannett (NYSE: GCI - News), and the Washington Post (NYSE: WPO - News). News Corp., however, traded lower.
On the earnings front, Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG - News) reported a 14% increase in its fiscal Q3 net, but those results disappointed investors who had become accustomed in recent quarters to results from the consumer products company that came in above forecast. With its Q3 figures only matching Wall Street's expectations, the shares declined -2.2%. Subscribers can read our take on P&G's earnings in today's issue.
Electronics retailer Circuit City (NYSE: CC - News) shed -5.3% after it withdrew its guidance for the first half of the year after announcing that April sales were "substantially" lower than what the company expected. Circuit City is facing intense competition from the larger Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News) and is in the midst of a restructuring effort.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: BBY, CC, DJ, F, GCI, GM, MNI, NWS, NYT, PG, TM

Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY):' ... none of these is as good as Lundin or Yamana Gold. So let's just stick with the winners.'Lundin Mining (AMEX: LMC):Genco Shipping (NYSE: GNK): 'You've got a good one, I salute you, and keep the pressure on. Keep buying these stocks with good dividends.'MetLife (NYSE: MET)Prudential (NYSE: PRU)Manulife (NYSE: MFC)eBay (NasdaqGS: EBAY): 'I'm not ready yet to take the victory lap ... I didn't get back on the eBay horse until 28. I like this stock here. I don't want to sell it ... I feel strongly that we're in the first quarter of a major turn for eBay. ... The stock goes higher.'Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM): 'I think the stock's gonna be up pretty big now. ... the Japanese love a trend reversal ... that stock sees 125 by Friday.'Energy Metals (NYSEArca: EMU)Mosaic (NYSE: MOS)Brocade (NasdaqGS: BRCD): 'I think the stock works its way over time to 12.'EMC (NYSE: EMC): ' EMC went from 10 to 15. I think Brocade only will do the same.'Ameren (NYSE: AEE): 'Why is Ameren still independent? ... It should have been taken over by now. ... I want you to stick with it.'Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM): 'The shorts right now are in a House of Pain ... WaMu's doing better than we thought ... not as bad as what the shorts thought.'
Bearish calls:
Northgate Minerals (AMEX: NXG)Northern Orion (AMEX: NTO): 'Reminds me of Northgate Minerals ... but none of these is as good as Lundin or Yamana Gold. So let's just stick with the winners.'Uranerz Energy (AMEX: URZ): 'I think you should ring the register.'Intel (NasdaqGS: INTC): 'I'm not gonna be a bear on Intel down here, but it's simply Don'tBuy ... it's not expensive, it has a lot of cash. But there's nothing happening there that would make me recommend the stock.'

Labels: AEE, AUY, EMC, GNK, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, LMC, Mad Money, MET, MFC, MOS, NTO, NXG, PRU, TM, URZ, WM

Bullish calls:
Sears (NasdaqGS: SHLD)Monsanto (NYSE: MON - News): 'The bears and the analysts refuse to get behind this stock ... They think it's overvalued as a chemical stock. It's part of the ag play ... hybrid corn seeds, in a world where we are short corn seeds. MON is not done going up. I would be an aggressive buyer right here at $59. ('mon-back sound).'Agrium (NYSE: AGU - News)Deere (NYSE: DE - News)Spartan Motors (NasdaqGS: SPAR):' I want you in SPAR. That's the one to pull the trigger on right now.'Virgin Media (NasdaqGS: VMED): 'I want VMED to be bought here! VMED is the play for cable in Europe, in London... It has been stalled here ... I think you want to pull the trigger on VMED. I like it as much as ever. All aboard.'Time Warner (NYSE: TWX - News): 'Other cable companies - notably CMCSA and TWX - have started to move back up.'Comcast (NasdaqGS: CMCSA) Research In Motion (NasdaqGS: RIMM): 'RIMM hit a 52-week high today ... Almost no other tech stock I follow has done that. I think it's a sign of strength ... I bet RIMM is having a great quarter. They have survived every single war imaginable. I'm not backing away. I still like the stock. I would still be a buyer. Buy, buy, buy!'Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM - News): 'The stock is stuck... It's been hurt by weak sales of Tundra - their F-150 competitor... It's also been hurt by a strong yen ... That's a mistake. $126? Come on. I'm doing a triple buy.'Hexcel (NYSE: HXL - News): 'HXL is engineered product. That stock is down more than 20% from its high? That's a colossal mistake. Buy, buy, buy!'Allegheny Technologies (NYSE: ATI - News): 'Did you know that ATI - my stock of the year last year - another new high today! That one's a winner.'Foster Wheeler (NasdaqGS: FWLT): 'FWLT is the way to play construction. They've got the best order book.'Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News)L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL - News)General Dynamics (NYSE: GD - News)Theravance (NasdaqGM: THRX): 'THRX was the stock that stumped me last week, and one of the reasons why it stumped me is that it's moving up very rapidly ... The stock had a big run but, you know what? I think it's really got that great bloodline now... So I like THRX.'
Bearish calls:
Hudson City Bancorp (NasdaqGS: HCBK): ' ... with the yield curve... with the 10-year at 4.75%, and the short rates higher, that's a nightmare for any regional bank ... Don't buy, don't buy.'Force Protection (NasdaqCM: FRPT): 'I believe that SPAR, which then gives the products to FRPT, is the better play.'Veraz Networks (NasdaqGM: VRAZ): 'This one I got behind. It is not working. That is worrisome to me. When they don't work like this, I've got to pull my situation, and do more work.'XM Satellite Radio (NasdaqGS: XMSR): 'XMSR is very problematic ... The FCC and congress have made this dea (merger with Sirius Satellite Radio) too difficult ... I want to sell XMSR.'Crystallex (AMEX: KRY - News): 'KRY has been creeping up ... I would recommend sell at $4 and change. I'll buy it back at $2 and change. I do not trust this Chavez. You can't either.'CDW (NasdaqGS: CDWC)Washington Group (NYSE: WNG - News): 'I like the construction group, but you know my favorite has not been WMG, but it's been FWLT.'SAIC (NYSE: SAI - News): 'I don't want to be linked to government spending right now, because I think it's not trustworthy... '
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Labels: AGU, ATI, BBY. RIMM, CMCSA, DE, FWLT, GD, HXL, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, LLL, LMT, Mad Money, MON, SHLD, SPAR, THRX, TM, TWX, VMED

The best monthly sales performance ever for Toyota and gains by fellow Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan helped the industry in March top last year's best month for U.S. sales despite declines by GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler.
Toyota's U.S. sales jumped 11.7 percent in March compared with a year ago, boosted by record hybrid sales and strong overall car sales. Industrywide, light vehicle sales by major automakers rose 0.8 percent to 1.54 million, Autodata Corp. said Tuesday.

Labels: DCX, F, GM, TM, Toyota Motor Corp.

Signs that tensions were easing between Iran and Britain over captured British sailors sparked a sharp drop in crude oil prices today and helped spur a rally on Wall Street. Investors were also encouraged by a report that indicated home sales might be picking up. Trading was light, however, on a day that marks the start of Passover. The 10-year Treasury note closed lower.
The National Association of Realtors reported that pending sales of existing homes increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.7% in February compared with January. The industry group tracks signed contracts for used homes. Its index is still -8.5% below year-ago levels. In the oil markets, comments from a senior Iranian diplomat that the dispute over 15 British sailors and marines Iran says it captured trespassing in its waters would be resolved soon helped to cool a recent rise in futures prices.
Health insurers spiked today on a surprise announcement from the federal government that it would increase payments to firms operating private Medicare benefits plans by a greater amount than was expected. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said preliminary payments to companies that run Medicare Advantage programs will increase 3.5% in 2008. The market was looking for increases of between 2% and 3%. Among the shares rising today was Aetna (NYSE: AET - News). Also gaining today was Humana (NYSE: HUM - News), up 3.6%; Wellcare Healthplans (NYSE: WCG - News), which added 2.2%; and Coventry Health Care (NYSE: CVH - News), which closed 1.9% higher.
American automakers continued to fall short of efforts to post market share gains. Ford Motor (NYSE: F - News) reported a -9% drop in March vehicle sales; General Motors (NYSE: GM - News) said its sales declined -7.7%; and the Chrysler unit of DaimlerChrysler (NYSE: DCX - News) reported a -4% decline. Japan's Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM - News), meanwhile, continued its assault on Detroit, posting a 12% gain in U.S. sales during the same period. Despite the advance, Toyota has not yet overtaken Ford as the No. 2 U.S. automaker.
Shares of Google (Nasdaq: GOOG - News) rose 3.1% after it announced a deal with EchoStar Communications (Nasdaq: DISH - News) to create a system for auctioning advertising time over EchoStar's satellite TV network. Under the deal, Google will develop an online auction system, with advertisers bidding on the amount of money they are willing to pay per thousand households watching each commercial. Google has undertaken similar efforts in the radio and newspaper ad markets.
The planned merger of the two Chicago exchanges is on hold. Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings (NYSE: CME - News) announced it was postponing an April 4th shareholder meeting to vote on its proposed acquisition of CBOT Holding (NYSE: BOT - News). CBOT previously postponed a shareholder vote on the CME bid so its board could consider a competing offer from Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE - News). ICE is reported to have submitted a bid that is as much as $1 billion more than the $8 billion CME offered for its Chicago rival.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: AET, BOT, CME, CVH, DISH, F, GM, GOOG, HUM, ICE, TM, WCG

Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday said its U.S. auto sales climbed in March, as sales of its Prius hybrid more than doubled and demand for its luxury Lexus brand rose. Toyota -- which is close to elbowing Ford out of the No. 2 U.S. sales spot -- sold 242,675 vehicles in March, up 11.7 percent from 217,286 vehicles a year ago. Total car sales jumped 19.4 percent to 140,009, while truck sales edged up 2.7 percent to 102,666. Toyota sold 19,156 Prius hybrid cars in March, compared with 7,922 a year earlier. The car maker's popular Corolla and Camry sedans were top-selling models, as well. Corolla sales rose 6.3 percent to 34,355, while Camry sales increased 8.4 percent to 42,254. Offsetting the gains, sales of Toyota's Scion brand models all declined. In its truck division, Toyota saw stronger sales of both sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. Adjusted for one additional selling day last month, total sales rose 7.7 percent in March. Year to date, total sales have risen 11.2 percent to 605,855 from 544,851. Adjusted for the two additional selling days in the 2007 period, sales climbed 8.3 percent. General Motors Corp. is the top seller of vehicles in the U.S. Toyota American Depositary Shares rose 18 cents to $127.10 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Published by AP

Labels: Auto Sales, GM, TM

Bullish calls:
Suncor Energy (NYSE: SU - News): 'If you want to be tar sands, oil sands, you're going to have to go with SU or ECA.'EnCana (NYSE: ECA - News)Verizon (NYSE: VZ - News): ' You've got VZ selling cheap... You've got T selling cheap.'AT&T (NYSE: T - News)Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ - News): 'I know a lot of people are saying, 'Jim, shouldn't you run tail; shouldn't you just admit that HPQ wasn't a good quarter?...' No! HPQ was a good quarter. The guidance was good. Mark Hurd has done a great job ... I am telling you to back up the truck HPQ - right here at $40. I see good quarters out for the next 8 quarters ... triple buy!'Vasco Data (NasdaqCM: VDSI): 'This is a data security company that looks so much more like every other one that has been taken over, and it has good earnings ... I would buy it, but not with reckless abandon, because it's at its 52-week high.'Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN - News): ' ... if you want ... a takeover, and possibility of big numbers in the out year ... move into DVN. DVN has got that giant Gulf of Mexico find, and the stock is only up 4 points from when it was announced. Pull the trigger on DVN.'Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI - News): 'How about that buyback? It's gigantic. The stock is up 10% from when I recommended it... ACI is not done going up!'Peabody (NYSE: BTU - News): 'I also like BTU.'General Maritime (NYSE: GMR - News): 'I have been telling people that, if you have to own a tanker stock - if you just insist on owning one - own GMR. GMR had a really beautiful quarter. They've returned unbelivable amounts of money to their shareholders. That is one of the great companies. Buy, buy, buy!'Prudential (NYSE: PRU - News): ' Stick with it. It goes to $100.'Toyota (NYSE: TM - News): 'TM will be the largest hirer and major company in this country over the next five years. There will be no backlash. I remain a buyer of TM.'Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX - News): 'People think the margins are bad ... The quarter is going to be good! The margins are good! The stock is cheap! I would buy, buy, buy DGX!'
Bearish calls:
Oilsands Quest (AMEX: BQI - News): 'No, c'mon!... If you want to be tar sands, oil sands, you're going to have to go with SU or ECA.'Cellcom Israel (NYSE: CEL - News): ' Way too dicey ... Just pull the trigger to exit.'Sprint (NYSE: S - News): 'Stay away from Sprint.'Petrohawk Energy (NasdaqGS: HAWK): 'It's been a punching bag, because of that natural gas exposure ... I would swap out of the HAWK, and move into DVN.'Frontline (NYSE: FRO - News): 'I say ix-nay on the FRO.'Tronox (NYSE: TRX - News): '... I don't like TiO2. It's too commoditized.'
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: ACI, BQI, BTU, CEL, DGX, DVN, ECA, FRO, GMR, HPQ, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, Mad Money, PRU, S, SU, TM, TRX, VZ

Labels: CFC, DCX, F, FSLR, GM, Jim Cramer, Jim Cramer's Stop Trading, LEND, TM

Daimler Chrysler (NYSE: DCX - News), Toyota (NYSE: TM - News), Ford (NYSE: F - News), General Motors (NYSE: GM - News), Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI - News), Lear (NYSE: LEA - News), Applebee's (NasdaqGS: APPB), Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG - News)
Cramer told Gregg Greenberg, host of Wall Street Confidential, that he was flabbergasted by the media's negative spin on Fed chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks: "Our short rates are way, way too high and totally out of whack," Cramer said. "It is driving me crazy to see the conventional wisdom reading him negatively. There will be a cut in May." Concerning the deep cuts at DCX, Cramer comments that many companies can't make cars profitably to meet the high demand, that DCX's move to join Ford and GM in focusing on profits rather than market share is "remarkable" and notes that the three, along with TM are "flying." However, Cramer thinks it is wiser to get into auto parts, and he sees JCI reaching above $100 and Lear to $41 or $42. "Applebee's is the kind of deal that will cause a backlash," says Cramer and does not think the restuaurant should put itself up for sale.; "The cash flow can be turned off on a dime here. I really don't like this deal." He adds that he does like Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: APPB, CMG, DCX, F, GM, JCI, Jim Cramer, LEA, TM, Wall Street Confidential

Ethanol producers and health care service providers are among the potential corporate beneficiaries of policies proposed by President Bush, while domestic automakers and oil companies could get slightly stung.
The winners and losers will be more apparent in the months ahead, as the Democrat-controlled Congress responds to the president's State of the Union speech, though economists said they expect few drastic changes in Washington between now and the 2008 election. In this scenario, the status quo prevails -- a trend Wall Street tends to prefer.
"The business community is quite skeptical that much, if anything, will be produced out of