Jim Cramer Blog

The administration has to present this as: If you vote against this, you want to kick people out of their homes, Jim Cramer said on Wednesday's Stop Trading segment on CNBC, referring to the government's proposed bailout plan.
Cramer offered his opinion on four financial stocks. AIG (AIG), he said, is a total loser. I think AIG would be down substantially if not for the reason you can't short.
He called Freddie Mac(FRE ) and Fannie Mae(FNM) interesting. Since you can't short them and since both companies - and particularly Fannie Mae - have portfolios that would benefit greatly from the government's plan, Cramer said, he can understand why some might see a rational for owning them and flipping them. But, he said, I don't want to buy any dollar stock.
People see potential for Washington Mutual(WM), too, he said. There's a lot of people who feel like the moment the plan gets in, there's going to be a premium bid for Washington Mutual. I think that's just ridiculous.
Moving away from financials, Cramer said that if the rules against offshore drilling are done away with and we actually open up our shores, Schlumberger's(SLB) a big win, not just Transocean(RIG). Transocean is the leader, he said, and Schlumberger will follow.
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: AIG, American International Group, CNBC's Stop Trading, Fannie Mae, FNM, FRE, Freddie Mac, Jim Cramer, Stop Trading, Washington Mutual, WM

Washington Mutual (NYSE:WM) is now officially on sale, with potential acquirers including JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM). The Short Term PowerRatings for WM and JPM are 5 and 4 respectively.
SanDisk (NasdaqGS:SNDK) is the target of an unsolicited takeover bid from Samsung Electronics. Samsung has offered $5.85 billion for the company. The Short Term PowerRating for SNDK is 4.
Among the best performing stocks were those related to gold and mining. Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:ABX) was up nearly 13% on the day. Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) gained more than 9%. The Short Term PowerRatings for ABX and NEM are both 3.
Reporting earnings Thursday morning before the market opens, FedEx (NYSE:FDX) is expected to announce earnings per share of $1.21. The Short Term PowerRating for FDX is 5.
Shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) fell more than 27% on Wednesday despite beating analyst estimates by more than 50 cents after the close on Tuesday. The Short Term PowerRating for MS is 7.

Labels: ABX, FDX, Hot Stocks, JP Morgan Chase and Co., JPM, Morgan Stanley, MS, SNDK, Washington Mutual Inc., WM

Scale out of Apple AAPL Jim Cramer said on CNBC's "Stop Trading!" segment Monday.
Cramer told investors to sell as Apple CEO Steve Jobs discussed the next-generation iPhone at the Worldwide Developer Conference. The phone has faster data downloads and may outpace devices from Apple rivals Palm PALM and Research In Motion RIMM.
Cramer called the news "marginally positive," saying, "You wanted to sell most of your position into this launch because of the hoopla." He said that he would have changed this strategy if the new phone had a camera that could simulate Apple's iChat software for its Mac computers. "I'm not changing my view," he said.
"I think Apple has been a great trade in a really bad market," Cramer said. However, "the odds do not favor another run on top of this."
As for RIM's prospects, Cramer said he doesn't want to sell the stock. "I still think that BlackBerry is a terrific name." He said he would be a buyer of RIM shares at around $120.
Cramer ended the segment by saying that debt downgrades in the homebuilders sector spell more pain for the space. He said that regional banks Washington Mutual (WM) and National City (NCC) also face similar difficulties. "When I see the homebuilders being downgraded, I know there's more pain ahead," he said.
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: Apple Inc., Blackberry, iChat, iPhone, Jim Cramer, NCC, PALM, RIMM, Steve Jobs, Stop Trading, WM

News that the Centro smartphone was taking customers away from the iPhone boosted shares of Palm (NasdaqGS:PALM) which manufactures the Internet-capable device. The Short Term PowerRating for PALM is 3.
An upgrade from Deutsche Bank AG helped oil refiners such as Tesoro (NYSE:TSO) move higher on Monday. The Short Term PowerRating for TSO is 3.
Lehman Brothers (NYSE:LEH) was among a number of Wall Street investment banks that saw its debt rating downgraded by Standard and Poor's on Monday. The Short Term PowerRating for LEH is 6.
Acorda Therapeutics (NasdaqGM:ACOR) was a standout stock on Monday as investors bid shares higher in the wake of positive clinical trial results for the biotech company's multiple sclerosis drug.
Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL) is scheduled to announce quarterly earnings tomorrow morning before the bell. Analysts are expecting a loss of 0.87 EPS. The Short Term PowerRating for TOL is 5.
The board of directors of Wachovia (NYSE:WB) finally removed CEO Ken Thompson, while Washington Mutual (NYSE:WM) announced that Kerry Killinger would be replaced as chairman - though Killinger will stay on as CEO. The Short Term PowerRating for WM is 6.

Labels: ACOR, Hot Stocks, LEH, PALM, TOL, TSO, WB, WM

The Vs and the Dopeys; IndyMac, Washington Mutual (WM), Citigroup (C)
Cramer says the current optimism in the market is due to two groups, the Vs who believe in a quick and complete recovery and the Dopeys who feel that nothing is wrong in the first place. The convergence of these two groups is bringing the stocks up, said Cramer. However, Cramer does not identify with these camps; 'I need to see that all numbers are weak' since the fed is really dense and unsophisticated and will not make more cuts unless it is obvious there is a recession. The Fed is very reactive said Cramer and will use the bullish January retail sales as ammunition to do nothing. The purpose of cuts is not to bail out the economy, but to help IndyMac, Washington Mutual and Citigroup stay afloat, he added. The issue is not fundamentals, said Cramer, but credit risk and a bunch of institutions that are overextended.

Labels: C, Jim Cramer, Wall Street Confidential, WM

The Federal Reserve finally got it right by cutting its target rate 50 basis points, Jim Cramer said on CNBC's "Stop Trading!" segment Wednesday.
"There's no interpretation, this was just positive," Cramer said. "We have money flush from the sidelines." He believes that the financials will mount a recovery based on the Fed's move. "Bank of America (BAC) will want to buy Countrywide (CFC)."
"Fifty basis points is good," Cramer continued. He anticipates a market recovery thanks to the rate cut.
Cramer observed that some positive results are already visible. "People bought the WaMu (WM)preferred. That's good. ... This is a huge positive, and the market should react. ... It's huge. ... GM's (GM) breaking out. The GM preferred ... is a fantastic piece of paper."
Investors should get in now, although "perhaps they'll give you something that is negative to give you another chance," Cramer said.
In Cramer's view, the export economy is "red hot." He said he was "raising numbers on all financials."
"All is forgiven," Cramer said of his previous animosity toward the Federal Reserve. "Financials should be bought."
Cramer added that playing the agriculture boom is still a smart move. "Oil's going to $100. ... I think you can still own Bunge (BG) upgraded. ... Archer Daniels (ADM) is good."
On the overall economy, Cramer declared, "I am bullish. ... I'm not going to change my mind ... [the Fed] did it right."

Labels: ADM, BAC, BG, CFC, GM, Jim Cramer, Stop Trading, WM

Stick with agriculture and recession stocks, Jim Cramer said on CNBC's "Stop Trading!" segment Friday.
"Mosaic (MOS) is terrific. ... I think Agrium (AGU) is a catch-up ... to Mosaic," Cramer said. "You're going to do better with that than ... betting against Procter (PG)."
More broadly, Cramer believes the market is frantic as shorts try to cover their bets on the bond insurers. "Today's a big short-squeeze day. 'Let's short squeeze Ambac (ABK) and MBIA (MBI).'"
In the financial sector, Cramer expects more take-unders like Bank of America's (BAC) purchase of Countrywide (CFC). He foresees Washington Mutual (WM) on the auction block, adding that CEO "Kerry Killinger is doing his best to do a bad job. ... Washington Mutual at $15 is like Countrywide at $8."
Cramer encouraged investors to play conservatively. "I would be partial to Coke (KO)," he said, adding that he was encouraged that commodity prices are down for the soft-drink company. Pepsi (PEP) is another good pick, he added.
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: AGU, BAC, CFC, CNBC's Stop Trading, Jim Cramer, KO, MBI, MOS, PEP, PG, WM

Amback (ABK), Wachovia (WB), Countrywide Financial (CFC), MGIC (MTG), Washington Mutual (WM), Fannie Mae (FNM), Freddie Mac (FRE), Pepsico (PEP), Colgate (CL), Procter and Gamble (PG), Diageo (DEO)
Cramer said the Fed's liquidity strategy is going to make banks suffer more and noted the bad performance of ABK, WB, CFC, MTG, WM, FNM and FRE. He said favorite defensive stocks PEP, CL, PG and DEO were thriving. Cramer called on the Fed to vacate its Ivory Tower and find out what is really going on in the market.
Apple (AAPL), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Google (GOOG), Research in Motion (RIMM), Intel (INTC), Nvidia (NVDA), Texas Instruments (TXN), Sigma Designs (SIGM), AT &T (T)
Cramer commented if the Fed had cut half a point, there would be more stocks to recommend, but with a quarter point interest rate reduction, it looks like slim pickings, except for tech. His perennial favorites in the sector: AAPL, HPQ, GOOG, RIMM, INTC, NVDA, TXN are in great shape, Cramer said.
In addition, Cramer singled out Sigma Designs as a play on the decline of cable companies and as comparable services are provided by telephone companies. AT &T announced it is spending $5 billion on its U-verse TV service, and Sigma, which designs the chips for service, will benefit. Analysts raised their price targets after Sigma reported a fantastic quarter, and the company has a high quality problem of not making enough chips to meet demand. Cramer suggests letting SIGM come down a bit before buying.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AAPL, ABK, CFC, CL, DEO, FNM, FRE, GOOG, HPQ, INTC, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, MTG, NVDA, PEP, PG, RIMM, TXN, WB, WM

The Fed's creation of a temporary term auction facility to help ease the pain felt in the credit markets was "just another stupid thing that they did," Jim Cramer said on CNBC's "Stop Trading!" segment Wednesday.
"The proof is in the pudding," Cramer said. "What's the group that acts the worst today? The group that this is was meant for!" He noted that although Apple (AAPL), Chevron (CVX), Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Google (GOOG) responded well to the market, the financial sector was performing poorly on the news.
"They should have changed the statements to 50 basis points - merry Christmas, do your best," Cramer said. Instead, "Their amount of action ... a day's worth of Washington Mutual's (WM) problems."
Cramer suggested that the Federal Reserve members resign. "You are running some kind of offense that no one understands. ... These guys are really jokers." He cited the Fed's lack of experience in the markets as the source of their ineptitude. "They never sat on the desk," he said. "Go sit on a desk at Merrill Lynch (MER)."
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: AAPL, CVX, GOOG, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, Stop Trading, WM, XOM

Fannie Mae (FNM), Freddie Mac (FRE), Washington Mutual (WM)
Cramer explained why aid for borrowers is not a moral hazard or a bailout:
“The companies that do mortgage servicing don't have the ability to renegotiate every one of these contracts," Cramer said. "It's better to do it en masse with the government's help so that the people who might fight this realize that they're fighting the government, but it's certainly no bailout." Cramer added, "We need to slow down the process because we don't want the bank examiners to shut down all the banks.”
He said it is a good strategy to tide Washington Mutual (WM) over with a few billion dollars until another Fed cut when it can start to be profitable again. He suggested spending $500 billion bailing out Fannie and Freddie, although Cramer added this kind of talk scares people. However, the only other alternative is if there is a sudden rush to buy houses.
Cramer reiterated his disillusionment of the Fed, which cut rates a half a point in the summer, and then felt it was “done.”
“Right now I think the Fed is torn between doing what would certainly be the right thing and doing the right thing incrementally over time," Cramer said. "What I'm saying is the more time you waste, the worse it gets. That's very clear from what's going on.”
Cramer said he wished it were the case that “if you were to put money in Washington Mutual in the big convertible that you don't expect to just lose money,"
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: FNM, FRE, Jim Cramer, Wall Street Confidential, WM

Stocks plunged after the Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by -25 basis points, leaving many on Wall Street wanting more. The Dow closed off -294 points on the day to end at 13,433. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq was down -67 points to close at 2,652, and the S&P was off -38 points to end the day at 1,478. Light, sweet crude prices traded higher with oil settling at $89.80 per barrel. Treasury prices climbed higher, while gold also gained to end at $817.10 an ounce. The dollar fell sharply versus the yen, but rose against the euro.
In economic news, the Federal Reserve voted to cut the Fed funds rate by -25 basis points to 4.25%. It is the third time the central bank has cut interest rate since September in an effort to protect the economy from a possible recession. The Fed also reduced its discount rate by -25 basis points to 4.75%.
On the earnings front, shares of FuelCell Energy (Nasdaq: FCEL - News) were up 16.2% in trading after it posted a narrowed fourth-quarter loss that beat Wall Street estimates. For the quarter, the company reported a loss of -$16.8 million, or -25 cents per share, versus a loss of -$25.1 million, or -47 cents per share, last year. Revenue for the quarter rose to $16.5 million, up 81% from $9.1 million in 2006. On average, analysts were predicting a loss of -27 cents per share on $13.1 million in revenue.
In a preliminary earnings report, H&R Block (NYSE: HRB - News) said it expects to post a huge second-quarter loss, with sizeable losses stemming from its beleaguered mortgage branch. For the period, the company said it expects to post a net loss of -$502.3 million, or -$1.55 per share, versus a loss of -$156.5 million, or -49 cents per share, in the prior year. The nation's largest tax preparer said it expects to post a loss from continuing operations of -$136.1 million, or -42 cents per share. Quarterly revenue rose to $434.6 million, up 10% from $396.1 million. Analysts were looking for a loss from continuing operations of -35 cents per share. The company is scheduled to post earnings late Monday. H&R Block's stock was off -3.3% in trading.
In corporate news, shares of Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM - News) tumbled -12.4% after the bank said it would slash its dividend and lay off more than 3,000 employees, as mortgage and credit concerns loom. The nation's largest savings and loan also said it is setting aside up to $1.6 billion for loan losses in the fourth quarter and would look to raise capital through a $2.5 billion convertible preferred stock offering.
Also today, Freddie Mac's (NYSE: FRE - News) Chief Executive Officer Richard Syron said the mortgage finance company expects to lose an additional -$5.5 to -$7.5 billion over the next few years, as the housing market continues to struggle. The company has already posted about -$4.5 billion in estimated losses through the first nine months of 2007. Shares of Freddie Mac were down -10.6% for the session.
Elsewhere, General Electric (NYSE: GE - News) reaffirmed its earnings-per-share guidance for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2007. The company said it expects Q4 earnings per share to grow between 14-18% to 67-69 cents per share. For the full year, GE said it expects earnings growth of 18-19% to $2.19-$2.21 a share. GE also announced it would raise its quarterly dividend by 11% to 31 cents per share, up from 28 cents per share. GE's stock was off -1.0% at the bell.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: FCEL, FRE, Freddie Mac, GE, HRB, WM

Washington Mutual Inc., the nation's largest savings and loan, said Monday problems in the mortgage and credit markets are forcing it to close offices, slash over 3,100 jobs, and set aside far more than expected for loan losses in its fourth quarter.
The company also said it was slashing its dividend 73 percent.
Additionally, WaMu announced a $2.5 billion offering of convertible preferred stock.
The company said it now expects to set aside between $1.5 billion and $1.6 billion for loan losses in its fourth quarter. That estimate is about twice the level of expected fourth quarter net charge-offs, WaMu added.

Labels: Washington Mutual Inc., WM

Cramer was pleased that now investors have more clarity about bad collateralized debt obligations, and now know that any loans issued and purchased by Fremont General (FMT), Novastar, New Century Financial, American Home Mortgage, and Washington Mutual (WM) are bad. The bad home equity issued between 2005 and 2007 might have been purchased as E*Trade, Wells Fargo and Citigroup.
"You have to take charge and get them off your books very quickly," Cramer warned. "We got this at Wells Fargo and that's great."
"We're finally getting clarity," he said. "We know that loans that were purchased from these clowns can't be owned. But it also means that we can purchase pieces of paper that may have been from 2001 to 2004 and 2007 paper beginning in July is safe, too."

Labels: FMT, Jim Cramer, Wall Street Confidential, WM

Shares of mortgage lenders soared Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled his willingness to slash interest rates again to prop up wobbly financial markets.
Bernanke, in a speech late Thursday, said the Fed will be "exceptionally alert and flexible" to find posThis echoes comments from other central bank officers in the past few days suggesting a cut in interest rates next month.
The Federal Reserve's task is to balance growth against inflation by setting an interest rate target that ensures the economy grows neither too quickly nor too sluggishly.
The Fed cut its target rate in September to 4.75 percent from 5.25 percent, and cut the rate further at the end of October to 4.5 percent. Paul J. Nolte, director of investments at Hinsdale Associates, said based on the rally in stocks this week people appear to expect the Fed will cut rates again.
Lower interest rates make it cheaper for mortgage lenders to raise cash and more enticing for people to buy homes. Presumably, they may also lure buyers back into the market for risky mortgage debt, although Nolte said he does not think interest rates will necessarily accomplish this.sible remedies for the housing slump and decaying mortgage credit quality.

Labels: Ben Bernanke, CFC, DFC, IMB, IMH, NFI, TMA, WFC, WM

Financials: Washington Mutual (WM) fell 16% on Wednesday after reporting that credit losses for the year could be as much as $2.9 billion. Adami concedes Goldman Sachs (GS) could trade down to $205 and that is where investors should look to buy it. Finerman likes Goldman and is currently long the company and short Lehman Brothers Holdings (LEH) and Merrill Lynch (MER). Najarian recommends State Street (STT). Morgan Stanley (MS) took a $3.7 billion write-down for the fourth-quarter.
Crude oil hit another record high on Wednesday trading up to $98.62. Addison Armstrong, Director of Market Research at Tradition Energy joined the show and said the long term trend is still bullish for oil. He sees that oil demand is strong and supply is very tight and the oil markets have zero margin for error right now. Najarian mentions the largest oil trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange told him that oil is the new currency and it's going to $150.
Consumer Trade
Same-store sales are set to be released for some of the biggest retailers on Thursday. Finerman likes that expectations are low and she still owns Wal-Mart (WMT) Adami declares the only way to play the retailers is with MasterCard (MA).
Word on the Street
American International Group (AIG) falls 3% after hours on a 27% drop in third quarter profits. Cisco Systems (CSCO) falls 9% after hours despite a 37% rise in first quarter profits. Research In Motion (RIMM) and Amazon (AMZN) bucked the market weakness to close higher on Wednesday. Adami mentions that Citigroup upgraded Allstate (ALL) and he would own it here for a trade, and stop out at $50. First Solar (FSLR) explodes up 22% after hours on a blowout quarter.
Pops & Drops
Pops - Potash (POT) traded up 2%.
Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX) exploded up 18% after the drug company posted a third quarter profit.
DirectTV (DTV) traded up 3% after subscribers grew by 400,000.
TurboChef Technologies (OVEN) traded up 9% after the oven maker reported a smaller loss.
Drops - Fannie Mae (FNM) fell 10%
Ford Motor (F) fell 5% in front of earnings set for Thursday.
Yahoo (YHOO) fell 8% after Alibaba.com fell 17%.
Capital One (COF) fell 16% after warning on credit losses.
Fluor (FLR) fell 6% after missing Wall Street estimates.
Final Trade
Seymour thinks its payday with Gold Fields (GFI).
Adami's play is Short Dow30 Proshares (DOG).
Finerman still recommends being long Goldman Sachs (GS) and short Lehman Brothers (LEH).
Najarian likes green play Evergreen Solar (ESLR).

Labels: AIG, CNBC, CNBC's Fast Money, CSCO, Fast Money, FSLR, GS, LEH, MER, RIMM, STT, WM

NCR (NCR) and Eastman Kodak (EK) are two stocks with a great deal of potential upside and a cushion to the downside. NCR, is a leading manufacturer and designer of ATMs and scanners. Because of its recent anonymity, NCR is a great play on the rise of the middle class in the former U.S.S.R. and the Third World. Cramer says NCR has a huge buyback coming. NCR is sporting 17% growth in ATM sales, with Europe having only 500 ATMs per million people and even fewer in China. A sleeper stock that deserves more attention. Eastman Kodak might not seem like a good buy being a couple points above a 52-week low. Cramer has been betting against Kodak since he started his hedge fund, but he believes the company is about to turn around. After years of losses, its balance sheet is healthy now, sporting $6 of net cash per share. With $82 million in digital income, Kodak is ready to come back alive.CEO Wall of ShameCramer finally removed Citigroup (C) CEO Chuck Prince from his Wall of Shame. He replaced Prince with Kerry Killinger, CEO of Washington Mutual (WM). WaMu’s Kerry Killinger rocketed past Motorola (MOT) CEO Ed Zander and Alcatel Lucent's (ALU) Pat Russo to the top position. Cramer said Killinger has done such a poor job running Washington Mutual that the Fed will cut rates to bail the bank out. Compared to total loans, Washington Mutual’s allowance for losses is far too low.
Mad Mail
The first writer asked Cramer how he intends to play the environment during NBC Universal’s Green Week? Cramer said all week he will work on individual ideas about how to play green, focusing on companies that make power cheaper but are still profitable. The second mailer questioned Cramer’s Apache call in the mid-$70s. Cramer said that his earlier statement; that the company would not go through $80, turned out to be wrong. He said he wished he’d given the stock more leeway, but he made the wrong call. He apologized for his mistake. The third viewer mentioned that Diana Shipping (DSX)
CEO Simeon Palios, whom Cramer had interviewed on the show last week, may have had trouble articulating his company’s story in proper English. The viewer wondered if Cramer had made any follow-up on the call. Cramer felt Palios indicated that the bull story wasn’t there and that he was negative.

Labels: ALU, C, EK, Jim Cramer, Mad MOney Recap, MOT, NCR, WM

Biogen (BIIB) announced plans to put the company up for sale after-hours. They hired Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch to search for a deal. Biogen management thinks that selling the company would represent a better value to shareholders. Adami offers Pfizer (PFE) as a possible buyer. Najarian suggests trading off the news with Elan (ELN). Merck (MRK) also traded up after-hours on winning FDA approval for a new HIV drug. Oracle (ORCL) announced a bid for rival software provider BEA Systems (BEAS) for $6.7 billion

Technology

CNBC Silicon Valley Bureau Chief Jim Goldman joined the show on Friday. Goldman doesn't expect anything big from Yahoo! (YHOO). In fact, he thinks they will disappoint. IBM (IBM) and Intel (INTC) will report good news. Goldman notes that a lot of people are concerned about eBay (EBAY) and the stock has already made a run. Adami agrees on Intel and thinks they can knock the cover off into earnings. Macke disagrees and thinks Yahoo! is setting up to work for a trade. Macke didn't agree on eBay because he thinks management is progressive. Najarian advises watching SanDisk (SNDK) for a takeover play.

Regional Banks

Regional bank names like Wells Fargo (WFC), US Bancorp (USB) Sovereign Bank (SOV), Washington Mutual (WM), PNC Bank (PNC) and Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) will report earnings next week. Adami likes US Bancorp.

Nike (NKE) was selected as the chart of the day after hitting all-time highs on Friday. Happy 52-week high Nike.

Word on the Street

Technology stocks rallied back strong on Friday with names like Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG) and Bidau.com (BIDU) all racking up solid gains. McDonald's (MCD) traded higher on Friday after reporting strong September sales. Macke is still bullish on MCD. Retail stocks continue to struggle even with Wal-Mart (WMT) finishing the week higher. Crude oil hit another record high this week trading up to $83.69. Adami thinks Tesoro (TSO) goes to $60 and he also likes Valero (VLO). Finerman continues to like ConocoPhillips (COP).

Pops & Drops

Pops- Monsanto (MON) traded up 3%

PetroChina (PTR) popped 13% even after Warren Buffett trimmed his stake in the Chinese oil giant.

BP (BP) popped 7% following crude oil prices.

General Motors (GM) and Ford (F) both traded up over 10% as the UAW settle strikes with GM and Chrysler.

Drops- Boeing (BA) fell 5% after delaying production of the Dreamliner.

JC Penney (JCP) fell 9% off of negative headlines.

SanDisk (SNDK) dropped 9%.

Final Trade

Najarian likes the global growth play in McDonald's (MCD)

Finerman would eat up Kraft (KFT).

Adami: Tesoro (TSO) and his $60 target.

Labels: BEAS, BIIB, CNBC, Ebay, Fast Money, Fast Money Recap, FITB, IBM, INTC, ORCL, SOV, WFC, WM

Stocks ended the week on a high note following a positive jobs report that showed a rebound in hiring by U.S. employers in September and a large upward revision to August's number. On the session, the Dow and S&P each touched above record highs with the Dow closing up 91 points and the S&P closing at a record 1,557.59 for the day. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq was up 1.7% at the close. Gold prices rose on the day, while oil prices for November delivery fell.
On the economic front, the Labor Department reported that U.S. payrolls posted a net gain of 110,000 workers in September, which was in line with the forecast of a 100,000 gain by economists surveyed by Briefing.com. August payrolls, meanwhile, were revised upward from a -4,000 loss to an 89,000 gain. In reaction to the news, bond prices dipped and yields rose as strong job growth may mean the Fed will hold tight with current rates.
In earnings news, shares of Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER - News) finished up 2.5% on the day following a warning that it would take an approximately -$5.5 billion hit as a result of this summer's lending fiasco. The brokerage firm said it would post a Q3 net loss of up to -50 cents a share when results are reported on October 24th, below previous forecasts of a $1.24 a share profit. Similar to other financial institutions, Merrill will write down $4.5 billion on lending issues, but the action is being viewed as a "one-time event" by some and an indication that the subprime chaos is in the past.
Likewise, Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM - News) also announced Friday that it will take a hit as a result of the dismal housing sector and credit crunch, saying it will see a -75% drop in net income for the third quarter. After reporting earnings of $748 million in the Q3 of 2006, the nation's largest savings bank is likely to post a profit in the neighborhood of $187 million for the same quarter in 2007. Shares of Washington Mutual closed up 2.2% for the day.
In other corporate news, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) announced today that it would be parting ways with the creator of its hugely successful "Halo" gaming series. While the software company will retain a minority stake in an independent Bungie LLC, the gaming studio will be free to pursue development deals with other gaming platforms.
M&A activity saw McKesson (NYSE: MCK - News) announce after Thursday's close that the drug distribution and healthcare IT provider would buy Oncology Therapeutics Network, a U.S. distributor of specialty drugs for the treatment of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, for approximately $575 million, which includes the assumption of debt. Shares of McKesson rose 0.7% for the day. Subscribers can read our take on McKesson in today's issue.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: MCK, MER, MSFT, WM

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC - News)
Cramer said Friday was a "great day for the market" and indicated the cut of 50 basis points to 5.75% was partly the result of his "heart felt plea" to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to slash the rate. Cramer reiterated his bullishness on WFC, but regrets he didn't recommend the stock earlier. Although investors are now "playing offense," Cramer says the change is one of psychology, not fundamentals.
Thornburg Mortgage (NYSE: TMA - News), Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC - News), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News), Lehman Brothers Holdings (NYSE: LEH - News)
Cramer wondered "where was that 500 point rally?" that was supposed to accompany a rate cut, but added the cut averted a 1,000 point decline. He said the slash in the rate saved TMA nd CFC from almost certain collapse. Although hedge funds are still in sell mode and the market could experience a hiccup, like the 5.4% drop in Japan's Nikkei, Cramer believes the worst is over and would buy GS and LEH on the rate cut.
"Post-Bernanke Enlightenment Game Plan:" Sears Holding (NasdaqGS: SHLD - News), Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC - News), Downey Financial (NYSE: DSL - News), Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM - News), Centex (NYSE: CTX - News), Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB - News), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL - News), NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX - News)
As always, Cramer likes SHLD, not only because of CEO Eddie Lampert but also because the company has "lots of cash." In addition to Goldman and Lehman, Cramer says it is time to buy financials BSC, DSL and WM. He added Countrywide and Thornburg's recent problems could lead to takeover bids. Because of hurricane season and renewed vitality in the housing sector, Cramer discussed CTX, which could see a short squeeze, and revisited his perennial favorites SLB and HAL. He thinks NYX will finally get some respect because its estimates are too low in spite of high trading volume. Cramer said these picks are good to "buy high and sell higher," and if they rise on Monday, Cramer would wait five days before buying.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: BSC, CFC, CTX, DSL, GS, HAL, Jim Cramer, LEH, Mad Money, NYX, SHLD, SLB, TMA, WFC, WM

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC - News), Countrywide Financial's (NYSE: CFC - News), Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM - News), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News), Wachovia (NYSE: WB - News)
Thursday's dash for financials may indicate the sector will be one of the "long-term beneficiaries" of Bernanke's position, but Cramer does not think they are safe. He tacked a double sell on WM but thought BAC and WB could survive. However, he reserved the lion's share of his praise for WFC, and said, "It is the great speculative play that should prosper." He believes WFC will "own the mortgage market" and will win with investors because it offers a great dividend. Cramer would wait for WFC to drop to the $32 - $34 range.
Sell Block: VMware (NYSE: VMW - News), H&R Block (NYSE: HRB - News), Capital One Financial (NYSE: COF - News), Friedman Billings Ramsey Group (NYSE: FBR - News) Lamson & Sessions (NYSE: LMS - News), Six Flags (NYSE: SIX - News)
Cramer urged investors to "stay the course" and added "no one ever made a dime panicking." However, he added it isn't too late to sell minerals and he feels tigher consumer spending will put pressure on retail. Cramer would sell VMW after its highly successful IPO, and would stay away from HRB, COF and FBR. He would also sell LMS as well as SIX because of low attendance due to the weather. He concluded it is better to invest in long-term stocks rather than quick trades in the current environment.
KKR Financial (NYSE: KFN -