Jim Cramer's Mad Money Review

This site is dedicated towards tracking Jim Cramer's stock picks on his TV show Mad Money. Read about and discuss Jim Cramer's ability to move markets. Be ahead of the stock market. Get the news before its news.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Jim Cramer's Mad Money Review Dec. 13th

Capital One Financial (COF), American International Group (AIG), CIT (CIT) Cramer said AIG and COF are not transparent enough to own, because no one is sure about their assets and liabilities. While a bigger interest rate cut might have saved these companies, Cramer said after the Fed's small cut, the two companies look "too darn bad" to hold. While he did like both of these companies at one time, unlike CIT which makes all pertinent information known to investors, COF and AIG have closed books. In addition, COF recently commented on rising delinquency with credit cards, wasted its capital buying back stock at a high price and has "virtually no yield support." While AIG insists it is not being affected by bad loans, it is not providing evidence to support this claim, and Cramer says its yield is insufficient.
CEO Interview: James Hackett Anadarko Petroleum (APC)
"I believe 2008 is going to be the year for natural gas," Cramer said. "It's leaner, meaner and cleaner than coal." APC is a Cramer's natural gas growth pick, since it has raised its production guidance and is actively drilling. Cramer asked James Hackett why the presidential candidates weren't discussing natural gas, and Hackett replied the fuel is unjustly overlooked. Hackett added the company is drilling ambitiously and has made acquisitions to facilitate working overseas. While it is a challenge to drill in the Gulf of Mexico because of federal regulations, Hackett said people who manage to drill in the region should be encouraged. Cramer called Hackett a "hero" who is "making you money."
Mercadolibre (MELI)
Cramer says MELI which processes e-commerce transactions and is based in Latin America has a similar story to Google and Baidu and will continue to run. While he would usually suggest waiting for a pullback, Cramer wouldn't wait too long to buy MELI
Published By SeekingAlpha

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Friday, November 23, 2007

CNBC's Fast Money Recap Nov. 22nd

The Dow closed down 211 points and the Nasdaq finishing down 34. The S&P 500 has now given up all of its gains on the year. Najarian continues to like the four horseman names like Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG) and Research In Motion (RIMM) which showed strength on Wednesday. Adami recommended getting long General Motors (GM) right here with a specific stop price in mind. Finerman found it strange that Fannie Mae (FNM) went up Wednesday. Crude oil came close to $100 on Wednesday, but fell just short and finished the day at $97.19. Gartman feels the stock market is behaving horribly and he is short names like Harley-Davidson (HOG), Tiffany (TIF) and Coach (COH) and long Microsoft (MSFT)and Apple (AAPL). Gartman's favorite position right now is short Cummins (CMI).
CNBC Pharmaceuticals Reporter Mike Huckman joined the show to discuss his take on big pharma stocks. Huckman explained that Pfizer (PFE) is having issues with safety concerns on a stop smoking drug, falling Lipitor sales and generic competition. Huckman also mentioned that Merck (MRK), Eli Lilly (LLY) and Bristol Myers (BMY) were all down on Wednesday. Finerman likes Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).
Investors tend to sell their biggest losers towards the end of the year to reduce the tax hit they take from their winners. Some of the names at 52-week lows are Citigroup (C), Pfizer (PFE), Merck (MRK), J.C. Penny (JCP), Capital One Financial (COF), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and AIG (AIG).
Word on the Street
Macke recommended buying The Gap (GPS) on dips. Finerman likes Limited (LTD) on valuation. Adami suggested buying Citi Trends (CTRN) ahead of earnings for Monday. Najarian likes Target (TGT) for its valuation in retail.
Deere & Company (DE) traded up 5% after profits rose 52%.
Najarian suggests looking at Agco (AG)
Najarian noted strong call options trading activity on Tibco Software (TIBX).
Pops & Drops
Pops - Google (GOOG) traded up 2%
U.S. Steel (X) traded up 5% also bucking the down trend in the market.
Drops - Tesoro (TSO) fell 3%
American International Group (AIG) fell 6%.
Circuit City (CC) fell 6% after a JPMorgan analyst downgraded the stock.
Jamba Juice (JMBA) plunged 30%
Final Trade
Macke says don't buy stocks if you don't have to and Adami and Finerman just gave thanks in the holiday spirit.
Najarian likes Apple (AAPL) and he thinks the stock will explode into January.

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Friday, October 05, 2007

Jim Cramer's Stop Trading Oct. 4th

Nokia (NOK), Navteq (NVT) and Motorola (MOT): Cramer would use the decline since the Navteq acquisition as an opportunity to buy NOK, and says that NOK far surpasses competitor MOT.
Capital One (COF): This bank may have finished its decline since there is reassuring news from California that the number of defaults will not be overwhelming, says Cramer.
Cisco (CSCO) and Ciena (CIEN): Cramer prefers Cisco to Ciena, which he would sell since it has jumped 10 points.
Bank of America (BAC), JP Morgan (JPM): BAC is inexpensive and should reach $60 from $52, Cramer predicted, adding that JPM's CEO Jamie Dimon is overrated.
Published by SeekingAlpha

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Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Jim Cramer's Wall Street Confidential Oct. 2nd

Astoria (AF),New York Community Bancorp (NYB) and Capital One (COF), Citigroup (C), JP Morgan (JPM)
Cramer calls TDBank’s acquisition of Commerce Bancorp a “natural fit” only the beginning of what he believes will be a larger trend of Canadian banks buying American banks such as Astoria, New York Community Bankcorp and Capital One. The matches are made in heaven, since the Canadian monetary and stock currency is strong, but they need deposits, and the U.S. is "riddled with deposits by companies that can't grow their business." While Canada avoided the U.S in the past because of the perception the U.S banks were overvalued and the Canadian loonie was undervalued, the loonie’s recent strength changes the landscape. While TD’s acquisition was wise, Cramer was critical of Citigroup’s taking over a bank in Tokyo which is "the worst market in the world. It's more mature than the U.S., which is hard to find and is led by a cast of people that don't favor great growth. That's what Citigroup does." Cramer notes even JPM isn’t making many acquisitions these days, which leaves plenty of room for the Canadians. While taking out Commerce Bancorp at nearly triple its value was “historically high,” Cramer commented, “ I believe that at three times, it does establish a new benchmark, if you can find banks that are equally as customer friendly." Cramer adds the Canadians are looking at banks mainly in the Northeast to get a hold on the New York area, “the only area in the country where real estate is going higher.”
Published by SeekingAlpha

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Friday, August 17, 2007

Jim Cramer's Mad Money Stock Recap Aug. 16th

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 - News), Thornburg Mortgage (NYSE: TMA - News) and Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI - News)
Not all high dividends are good dividends, Cramer declared and used KFN and TMA as examples. He added high-dividend names KFN and TMA aren't worth the investment because as their stocks fall so will the yields. Cramer likes RAI which has a dividend of 5.5% and is a "smart play" in this environment because "nothing is more defensive than cigarettes."
Mad Mail: Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC - News), Jones Soda (NasdaqCM: JSDA) and Google (NasdaqGS: GOOG - News)
Cramer would avoid BSC and JSDA whose climb was "how to make a million" in the market. He adds GOOG is safe and likes the tech sector for its pristine balance sheets and great products.
Published by SeekingAlpha

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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Hot Stock Options to Watch Today

Here are 7 options to watch for today. This list comes directly from the TradingMarkets Options Indicators page. The list is created using OptionVue options analysis software.
Most Underpriced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Capital One Financial Corp. Sept 85 Calls (NYSE:COF - News). COF's PowerRating is 5.
Most Underpriced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Baidu.com Sept 160 Puts (NasdaqGM:BIDU - News). BIDU's PowerRating is 3.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Mastercard Inc. Aug 180 Calls (NYSE:MA - News). MA's PowerRating is 7.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Southern Copper Corp. Aug 95 Puts (NYSE:PCU - News). PCU's PowerRating is 4.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
Symantec Corp. (NasdaqGS:SYMC - News). SYMC's PowerRating is 5.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggests an extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV - News). HOV's PowerRating is 5.
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT - News). MOT's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

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Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Jim Cramer's Mad Money Lightning Round May 7

American Tower (NYSE: AMT - News): 'I saw the quarter this morning ... I think the tower business is a great business ... I want to reiterate off that great quarter that AMT is best in show.'Crown Castle (NYSE: CCI - News)Rosetta Resources (NasdaqGS: ROSE): 'I think that ROSE is one of these terrific independent oil companies, that is way behind the group, that should be bought aggressively here, that people do not understand.'MasterCard (NYSE: MA - News)Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB - News): 'I believe very strongly that SLB is going higher ... The stock's right at its high. If that stock pulls back to $72-73, yeah, you bet what we're going to do with that one ('mon-back sound)...'Deere (NYSE: DE - News):'We would much rather own John Deere ... That's the only game in town.'Mosaic (NYSE: MOS - News)Incyte (NasdaqGM: INCY): 'Yeah, I mean, look, it's a spec ... It's doing fine. It's 50 cents off its high. I'm not backing away from that one. I like that.'Reliance Steel (NYSE: RS - News): 'I had been tempted - because we'd been up about 25 points from recommending RS - I was tempted to say ring the register, take profit. No. There's still too much opportunity. RS remains on my buy list.'Allegheny Technologies (NYSE: ATI - News):"The steels are still going higher."Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY - News): 'We've caught more than a double there.'Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC - News): ' ... We have started to cotton up to Kinross Gold.'Golden Star Resources (AMEX: GSS - News)
Bearish calls:
Sirius Satellite Radio (NasdaqGS: SIRI): 'I am increasingly nervous that Mel Karmazen ... is not going to get his wish and make that big merger. If he doesn't, that stock stays... maybe even goes lower. Maybe goes to $2. If he does, you make money. So, you're talking about 80 cents down, and $3 up. Why not pull that off? Because the 80 cents down could out first. Don't buy, don't buy ... I fear that one of those companies will go out of business.'Capital One Financial (NYSE: COF - News): 'This is very hard ... COF has mortgage problems. And while the mortgage market's gotten better, that acquisition they made of Greenpoint and North Fork - it's not working for them. So I have to tell you - sell, sell, sell!'Daktronics (NasdaqGS: DAKT): 'I want you - even down here - to sell it. Sell, sell, sell! And, I've got tell you something, it's a bit of a trainwreck when it comes to forecasting, and I'm very negative on that.'VeraSun Energy (NYSE: VSE - News): 'Ix-nay on the ethanol! 'Dendreon (NasdaqGM: DNDN): 'I think a lot of the upside is already in ... I think it's gotten too expensive. I don't think there's any more upside, even with the final approval.'US Gold (AMEX: UXG - News): 'No, no. We've anointed our gold, and we're not going to deviate.'
Published by SeekingAlpha

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Hot Stocks to Watch Today

Bullish
5+ Consecutive Down Days: These are stocks that have closed down for five or more consecutive days and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that close down for five or more days have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Research In Motion (NasdaqGS:RIMM - News). RIMM's PowerRating is 8.
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.
Krispy Kreme (NYSE:KKD - News). KKD'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.
Urban Outfitters (NasdaqGS:URBN - News) & Jinpan (NYSE:JST - News). URBN's PowerRating is 7, and JST's PowerRating is 8.
Bearish
5+ Consecutive Up Days: These are stocks that have closed up for five or more consecutive days and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving average that close up for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Intuit (NasdaqGS:INTU - News). INTU'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.
Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX - News). BSX's PowerRating is 3.
2-Period RSI Above 98: These are stocks that have a 2-period RSI reading above 98 and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving with a 2-period RSI reading above 98 have shown negative returns, on average, 1-day and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF - News). COF's PowerRating is 3.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Jim Cramer's Mad Money Stock Recap Jan. 22

Foreign Exchange: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (NYSE: RIO - News), BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP - News), Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP - News)
Cramer sees solid growth potential in foreign stocks, especially since they free the investor from Fed obsession. He says that foreign stocks can safely comprise up to 20% of a porfolio, and that while emerging markets may be a rough ride, there is no reason to be afraid of them. Cramer likes Brazilian companies RIO, BHP and RTP with RIO heading the list because of its acquisition of Canadian-based Inco, giving RIO a "hammerlock" on the metal. Nickle is going up while most other commodities are sluggish, and Cramer says that RIO is an exception to his rule about Latin American companies and can be a keeper rather than merely a trade. He adds that RIO is "dirt cheap," and he sees "endless upgrades" on RIO's horizon.
Oil Services Holdrs (AMEX: OIH - News), Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB - News)
A fall in oil prices caused a decline for OIH along with the entire sector until SLB reported a "ridiculously good" quarter, raised its dividend by 40% and revived oil, even through prices kept going down, observed Cramer. SLB was able to "turn bears into buyers" by stating in its conference call that the need for oil service stock is strong in spite of the fall in oil prices, which will not return to the $30s and $40s. SLB added that it expects to see " consistent high growth through the end of the decade." Cramer declared that oil stocks are a buy on weakness, particularly foreign companies because he is concerned about domestic drilling.
Capital One Finance (NYSE: COF - News)
In spite of its worse-than-expected earnings guidance on Thurday, COF jumped from $73 to $79 on Friday, mainly because the number of delinquencies decreased, a factor which raised COF's multiple. Since delinquencies have been reduced, Cramer trusts COF's earnings, comments that the stock is cheapnow and is going to $100, and calls it a triple buy.
CEO Interview: Joel Moskowitz, Ceradyne (NASDAQ: CRDN - News)
Cramer asked Joel Moskowitz about the recent Friedman Billings' report that there would be a decreased demand for body armor. Moskowitz responded "We have more orders for armor going into 2007 than we've had in the history of the company." In addition, he expects additional orders for 2007 and 08 because of "extended conversations" with the US government. Cramer commented that he is adhering to his bull stance on CRDN which is a "moneymaker."
Published by SeekingAlpha

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Monday, January 22, 2007

Jim Cramer's Mad Money Lightning Round Jan. 19

Bullish calls:
Covance (NYSE: CVD - News): 'This is one of those companies that is the arms provider to biotech and pharma... Yeah, they do the tests. You've got a two thumbs up, way up.'Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL - News)Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News): ' ... an analyst downgraded RAD, and it sent the stock down 31 cents, where I want to back the truck up ... Mary Sammons runs RAD, and is going to be on the show when that deal closes, and that is going to be a phenomenal one!'International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE: IFF - News)JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM - News): 'I am going to suggest that you buy JPM, because Jamie Dimond did a good call.'Capital One Financial (NYSE: COF - News): 'If you want a little risk, and big reward, you go with COF.'Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ: LVLT - News): 'I 'm reiterating my by for LVLT... If you want to be in fiber, you go into LVLT.'Best Buy (BBY): 'If you want to be in big-screen TVs, you go into BBY, and that's all there is to it.'AT&T (NYSE: T - News): 'I am so much a T man, so swap out of the Fair Point Commuications, and go into T.'Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM - News): 'I was a huge buyer of TM 10 points ago, for my charitable trust, and I'm reiterating my buy right here. I recommended TM, and it is only up a quick 15 points, and I'm not backing away, because they make good cars. 'Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI - News): 'This thing was downgraded by another analyst this week, and it was not even a glancing blow. It didn't even the guy, because the stock finished at or near its high. Why is that? Because the 'total access' program is working. He made us money - he's a guy we like. And BBI is a keeper.'Valero (NYSE: VLO - News): 'The refining game - if you want to get in that - I'm always going to send you to... VLO.'
Bearish calls:
JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU - News): 'Very tough. After the close tonight, they announce two resignations, including a guy that seemed pretty important from the sales and marketing side. I want to see the smoke clear ... and then I still don't want to buy it.'Bare Escentuals (NASDAQ: BARE - News): 'I said sell that stock at $31-32. It's at $34-35. I don't regard that as being anything that you missed. And I suggested instead that you buy IFF at $42. It went to $49. I say no on your bear - Sell, sell, sell. 'Sky Financial (NASDAQ: SKYF - News): 'Ring the register, my friend! You're getting Huntington Bank - not one of my favorite banks, because that company's already been taken over. It is time to sell, sell, sell.'Western Refining (NYSE: WNR - News): 'I do not like the refining stocks this quarter; I think that you'll get hurt, but they represent some great value longer term ...- I am not going to pull the trigger just yet on any refining company... 'Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS - News): 'No, no! Everyone's all excited about ERTS ... They don't have that much ... I don't trust ERTS here. Mid-40's - only then, pull the trigger.'FairPoint Communications (NYSE: FRP - News): ' Oh, this is that spinoff, right? They split the company up? You know what? I know they've got that good yield - I am so much a T man, so swap out of the FRP, and go into T.'Wal-Mart: (NYSE: WMT - News): 'sell, sell, sell!'Walgreen (NYSE: WAG - News): 'Now, at $46, I'm not as strong on WAG.'Corning (NYSE: GLW - News): 'I'm stuck with GLW. I have said that it's okay, but it's flatlined right here at $19, in part, because there's a glut of big-screen TVs; in part, because my national fiber shortage hasn't really started yet.'
Published by SeekingAlpha

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

Jim Cramer's Wall Street Confidential Jan. 17

Rackable Systems (NASDAQ: RACK - News), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC - News), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ - News), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT - News), Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO - News), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL - News)
Cramer says that investors should be selling tech because seasonality is working against the sector, and that RACK's problem has more to do with the time of year than its component shortage and competition. Concerning Intel, Cramer explains its new chip will not reach a 90% to 95% acceptance rate this year, and since gross margins will not rise until then, Intel "cannot be owned" right now. However, the problems with RACK and Intel do not alter Cramer's prediction that tech will outperform in 2007. Cramer would buy HPQ because it will benefit from Microsoft's Vista. Cramer would also pick up Cisco down at $26 or $25 because of the incredible ramp in cable; "If you have a product cycle, I think you can ride out the seasonable weakness," Cramer said. Apple transcends seasonality because it is a "secular growth story and and a product cycle story." He would take advantage of any decline to buy Apple.
JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM - News), Capital One Financial (NYSE: COF - News)
Cramer is bullish on JP Morgan because of its credit card growth and added that COF is one of the most hated stocks, noting that there is a tremendous January $75 put to buy COF. If the company reports a lackluster quarter, the puts will act as a trampoline. Cramer says that it is worth investing in airlines again, and would take profits and buy them again.
UPS (NYSE: UPS - News), Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG - News), Colgate (NYSE: CL - News), Kellogg (NYSE: K - News), General Mills (NYSE: GIS - News), Oil Service HOLDRs (AMEX: OIH - News), Caremark (NYSE: CMX - News), Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News), Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA - News), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX - News)
Cramer is bullish on UPS and likes rails, which are a buy on any decline because the trucking sector is suffering. He added that Goldman Sach's upgrade of PG was worth noting and, if it weren't for a strike, the stock could reach $67 or $69. He attributes the success of PG and CL to investor's desire to look for other soft goods that are not dependent on corn prices. However, since cereal is only 3% to 4% corn, Cramer thinks selling Kellogg and General Mills is premature. Concerning oil, Cramer thinks that OIH has been a reliable barometer for oil prices and is heading toward a bottom, but he hesitates to recommend it because it is an "easily manipulated index." Cramer would ring the register on Caremark, and of all the drugstores, he would own only RAD. Finally, Cramer predicted that Comcast is "headed dramatically higher" and said that, at $22, Time Warner is undervalued.
Published by SeekingAlpha

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Thursday, December 28, 2006

The 2006 Noisey Awards - Part 1

Best CEO Ouster Award: North America's largest sweater maker, Hampshire Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: HAMP - News), canned CEO Ludwig Kuttner in September for submitting $1.45 million in questionable expense reports over a ten-year period. Kuttner also happens to be Hampshire Group's largest shareholder, owning a more than 33% stake. No word on whether the security guards were wearing cardigans when Kuttner was escorted from the building.
Favorite New Institutional Investor: Former major league baseball player Lenny Dykstra, who disclosed a 7% stake in Lipid Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIPD - News) in November. Fortune recently profiled Dykstra, who claims to be worth $50 million now. His investment in Lipid has proved limp thus far, but Dykstra's nickname as a player was "nails" (as in, "tough as nails").
Patrick Byrne Worst CEO of the Year Award: For the second-consecutive year, Patrick Byrne of Overstock.com Inc. (Nasdaq: OSTK - News) took home the award named after himself. Byrne's list of "achievements" was long in 2006, but it was his raising of cash twice via private placements - after telling shareholders numerous times that the company's liquidity was fine - that clinched the deal. With his paranoid delusions and obvious ignorance of the day-to-day operations of his company (listen to Overstock's third-quarter conference call), Byrne also takes home the Richard Nixon Final Days Award.
The Batman Award: He's not Bruce Wayne, but Matthew Feshbach is as close as we're going to come to Batman in real life. Back in May, the chairman of dELiA*s, Inc. (Nasdaq: DLIA - News) told The St. Petersburg Times that he was the first person "to take a highly classified Scientology program called Super Power." Feshbach, a noted short seller turned value investor, told journalist Robert Farley, "I'm not dependent on my physical body to perceive things." According to Feshbach, Super Power has allowed him to outperform his peers in the money management business. It also gives him a leg up on fellow Scientologist Tom Cruise, who has to settle for sleeping next to Katie Holmes every night.
Walt Disney Award: Future Electronics, a Canadian electrical component distributor, recently took a 6.2% stake in ON Semiconductor Corp. (Nasdaq: ONNN - News). Future is headed by Robert Miller, a reclusive billionaire who has never been photographed and who is leaving some of his fortune to ensure that he is cryogenically frozen. Miller also reportedly flew in two former NHL players at the last minute during an amateur hockey tournament last year. His team, not surprisingly, won.
Unwired Award: Gunmaker Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. (NYSE: RGR - News) saw its stock blast off in early November after the company posted solid third-quarter results and two insiders at the company bought stock. Sturm, Ruger reported those Q3 results on October 23rd, filing a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission two days later disclosing its earnings. The company, however, never issued a press release publicly (though it was available on Bloomberg terminals and via Dow Jones Newswires). Even now, Sturm, Ruger still has not posted its Q3 earnings release on its website.
Favorite Insider of the Year: Josiah T. Austin, who with a name like that can only be a cattle rancher. Austin is also a director at Goodrich Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: GDP - News), where from May 2005 to October 2006 he plowed $14.8 million into the stock at an average price of just $21.21 per share. Austin also sat on the board of North Fork Bancorp., Inc., which was recently acquired by Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF - News). Austin's holdings in North Fork were valued at over $100 million ahead of the deal, and the total value of his public holdings is more than $350 million. Not bad for someone most people have never heard of.
Published by Ben Silverman, FindProfit.com

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