Jim Cramer's Mad Money Review

NYSE head Duncan Niederauer said today that the SEC is considering reinstating the uptick rule. "That would be fabulous," Cramer said. "I hope they don't just do a penny uptick, maybe a nickel or a dime. ... It's time to get away from that silly ban and bring back the uptick rule the way it's been for years."
Cramer also said that he agrees with Sen. John McCain that SEC CEO Christopher Cox is "very unsophisticated" and "not the right man for the job."
Addressing Warren Buffet's pledge to buy $3 billion of General Electric(GE) stock, Cramer said: "I believe that everyone now realizes that, 'Wait a minute, if this deal's in the hole, this is my last chance to buy GE cheaply.'" Cramer added that he was "completely conflicted" because he works for GE and owns GE stock contractually as well as in his Action Alerts PLUS charitable trust.
As for GE's need to raise capital, Cramer said that it's not alone. "No company is strong and solid," he said. "It's every man for himself. There's not a single company, aside from maybe Warren Buffet's company, that I would trust right now with their financials." He said that any company in the country that has an opportunity to raise cash right now should do it, including Citigroup(C ).
As for IBM (IBM), it's "caught up in this whole web of the notion that you need financing," Cramer said. "IBM has been money in the bank for a long time, but nobody trusts any company that needs financing right now."
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: C, Citigroup Inc., CNBC's Stop Trading, GE, General Electric Co., IBM, Jim Cramer, Stop Trading

InterContinental Exchange's price had risen dramatically since Cramer recommended the stock on "Mad Money," but has since returned to previous levels, Cramer said. Neither stock has responded favorably to today's news that the CME, which operates the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade, is in talks to buy ICE. "What is the ICE doing down?" Cramer asked.
Cramer also believes the economy is not headed for a recession. He named earnings calls from Honeywell (HON), Caterpillar (CAT), Parker Hannifin (PH) and others as signs of the market's health.
Cramer also noted that the KBW Bank Index and the PHLX Housing Sector Index are rallying because of the rate cuts.
In spite of the positive news, Cramer said he believes more action is needed. Given "the losses that we saw for the quarterlies from a Bank of America (BAC) or a Wachovia (WB) ... I genuinely feel that we are too close to the precipice to stop.
"That doesn't mean that a Honeywell isn't doing fine without it," Cramer cautioned. "It's like 1998, when the economy was booming. ... We had to stop the decline [in the financials] ."
Cramer believes the bank woes may remain independent of the broader economy. "The problems are not with IBM (IBM) or Verizon (VZ) ... AT&T (T ) ... Nokia (NOK) ... Microsoft (MSFT)."
Cramer added that the Federal Reserve's 75-basis-point rate cut last week was helpful. "You needed that cut to be able to raise all that money last week." However, the crisis isn't over. "Home price appreciation is nonexistent. ... We saw that number today. ... The oil futures are saying no recession. I think the Fed cuts are needed again."
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: BAC, CAT, HON, IBM, ICE, Jim Cramer, MSFT, NOK, PH, Stop Trading, T, VZ, WB

Cramer Cries Foul:
United Technologies (UTX), Microsoft (MSFT), Honeywell (HON), IBM (IBM), Fluor (FLR), Union Pacific (UNP), CSX (CSX)
Cramer declared he was sick and tired of taking abuse from people who say I've gotten it wrong, specifically Robert Samuelson who wrote in a recent Newsweek article that Cramer advocates rate cuts only to create a short-term lift for stocks. Cramer argued he has been advocating rate cuts for a year, and band-aid stimulus packages that give away taxpayer monies that we don't have are not the solution. Instead, he advocates a rate reduction of 1.75% and said the Fed was unsophisticated, arrogant and incredibly reckless. Cramer said in the current environment, he would consider buying UTX, MSFT, HON, IBM, FLR, UNP, CSX.
Excuses, Excuses: Motorola (MOT), Nokia (NOK)
Sometimes a loser company's excuses can bring down good companies. Cramer cited MOT, which reported abysmal numbers last week, admitted mobile sales were down 38% and blamed the economy. As a result, there was a huge selloff of MOT and NOK, even though NOK reported a 44% increase in sales, bigger market share and strength in foreign markets. Nokia should not be punished for Motorla's sins, particularly since MOT makes products no one wants to buy and lacks vision.
CEO Interview: Emanuel Chirico of Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) also with stocks Liz Claiborne (LIZ), VF Corp (VFC), Jones Apparel (JNY)
Cramer says retail is the place to be if there will be another rate cut and mentions he likes LIZ, VFC and JNY in addition to PVH. Emanuel Chirico said although his company was one of the first in the sector to issue warnings about a sluggish consumer, PVH recently beat its estimates by two cents a share. While inventories are up slightly, Chirico highlighted PVH's successful buyback program and its renaming Continental Airlines Area to Izod Arena, which will be a strong marketing tool. While Cramer likes all the retail names he mentioned, he adds PVH is the cheapest in the group.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: CSX, FLR, HON, IBM, Jim Cramer, JNY, LIZ, Mad Money, MOT, MSFT, NOK, PVH, UNP, UTX, VFC

Trish Regan started the show by stating that financials are up today, leading stocks to trade higher. The DOW is down about 5.3% for November. Nasdaq down 7.4% for November. Stocks are on pace for first 2 day winning streak this month. Next, the economy was discussed with Steve Liesman. He says the FED needs to take into account the market, despite dips in the credit institutions; flexible policymaking is required when dealing with volatility within the financial sector. AIG, American Express and IBM are the leaders in the financial sector today. Crude Oil reaches a two week low with a drop of almost 3%; at under $92/barrel. Freddie Mac and CITI Group are among the leaders for finances. The U.S currency index is up almost a point. Next, shareholders vs. the sec; Dan Pedrotty says that the sec is not following through to protect investors. Among these proxy proposals is the stipulation that shareholders, owning 5% or more of the company, can elect new company directors. The objective is to provide opportunities for involvement among the shareholders. Merrill Lynch is expected to have a good day. Next was the real estate market. Steve Liesman of CNBC says mortgage and interest rates are very tight. The mortgage lenders are demanding high equity loans, and those consumers who are aggressive can find the money they need, in the upcoming months. Next, David Fondrie of Heartland Investors says that Cimarex Energy (XEC) and Conocophillips (COP) would be good choices for buying today. Allan Hubbard resigns from his position as economic advisor to the Bush Administration. Keith Hennessey will be replacing him. Hubbard says he is leaving so he can spend more time with his children.

Labels: AIG, Citigroup Inc., CNBC, CNBC's The Call, COP, Fed, IBM, MER, The Call, trish regan, XEC

Trish Regan hosted Tuesday's show. Weak dollar and its positive impact on the housing market was presented first. Foreign investors are purchasing second homes and vacation condos here in America. Real Estate brokers say that Europeans are experiencing low prices for there vacation home purchases in locations such as Miami, FL. Mark Vitner of Wachovia says that foreign investors will, in a way, pave the way for an improvement in the weak currency. Dow up 170 pts. and S&P up 20 pts. Wal-Mart, IBM, J.P Morgan and American Express are today's DOW leaders. November is still on track to be worst month ever for stocks in five years. Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Tahlbots, and Aeropostale are among top retailers. Margaret Brennan of CNBC says Wal-Mart's improvement can be accredited to slow traffic within the stores, and correction with inventory consideration. Jeffrey Schwartz, Prologis Chairman and CEO; says under good management, there is always a way to appeal to the interests of the consumer, not just their budgets. Sirius Satellite Radio shareholders vote to approve merger with XM Satellite. Sharp Pullback for Oil; Rebecca Jarvis of CNBC says that Crude Oil is down 2%. Next, Kozlowski, former TYCO CEO gives prison tell all to CNBC. After taking millions upon millions from TYCO, Dennis Kozlowski will sit behind bars for the remainder of his life. Dow has biggest one day gain since October. Next, in the Tech Sector: Micrsoft Zune vs. Apple IPOD. Jim Goldman of CNBC says The Microsoft Zune will never compete with anything Apple can release. Apple has sold over 100 million IPODS since 2002. Lance Ulanoff, editor-in-chief of PC magazine says they gave the Zune the product of the year award because of unique features including a FM radio Tuner. Jim Goldman adds that despite Microsoft’s low prices, people have shown through the years that the price on Apple products does not reflect a decrease in consumption. They love the iPOD! Next, Wendy Bounds of WSJ says Forum is a type of professional group therapy. In forum sessions, advice is not given, but similar stories are shared. With more than 60,000 members worldwide, Forum sessions are ever popular with entrepreneurs of the average age of 39.

Labels: AME, CNBC, IBM, JPM, The Call, trish regan, Wal-Mart

Google (GOOG), IBM (IBM), Microsoft(MSFT), Intel (INTC)
While consumer weakness is hurting retail, people are still buying tech, said Cramer, explaining the sector is product-cycle driven; "The product cycle remains the Google -led product cycle, meaning that Google has become so important that people want to have fast taking of Google, fast downloading of Google, fast downloading of YouTube," Cramer said. IBM is the exception because "IBM identified its end-client basis." The success of Microsoft's Vista will extend from back-to-school to the holidays and maybe beyond. Cramer expressed annoyance at shorts who erroneously spread rumors about Intel's alleged double orders, and then refused to admit their mistake; "When I make a mistake ... I say I made that mistake," he said.
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: GOOG, IBM, INTC, Jim Cramer, MSFT, Wall Street Confidential

Bullish calls:
Wachovia (WB): 'I think WB is one of the most conservatively-managed of the big money center banks right now. The yield is safe.' Research in Motion (RIMM): 'I like RIMM much better [than Palm].' Altria (MO): 'It's going to be two different companies. One is going to be high-growth... The other is going to be domestic. It's going to have a big yield …they are going to announce one of the biggest buybacks in history.' Bidu (BIDU): 'I said that BIDU - you should take out all the money you put in and play with the house's money... I am not willing to have you swap out of Google, to go into BIDU, though... Just too risky.'
Neutral calls:
RBC Bearings (ROLL): 'This is a very plain vanilla company... I'm going to give you one thumb up, just because United … maybe even a don't buy, don't buy. Investools (SWIM): 'They've had hundreds of thousands of people go through their classes. I just wish they had more profits. They've got huge revenues. It doesn't seem to be flowing to the bottom line. I'm not pulling the trigger on that one either.'
Bearish calls:
Palm (PALM): 'I think PALM is really scary, and I don't trust it... And why don't I trust it? It's poorly managed, poorly run.' Macy's (M): 'I did like Terry Lundgren [CEO}... But the guy is beginning to get me nervous and worried … Retail is bad.' IBM (IBM): 'A lot of people felt that the service revenue was okay, but the hardware was bad ...I think you mark time at $115, until the next quarter when they can clear that up...' InvesTools (SWIM)
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Labels: BIDU, Hot Stocks, IBM, Jim Cramer, Lightning Round, M, MO, PALM, RIMM, ROLL, SWIM, WB

Technology
Najarian noted that Hewlett- Packard (HPQ) hit a 52-week high Monday and Research In Motion (RIMM), IBM (IBM) and VMware (VMW) all traded higher. Stacey Gilbert of Susquehanna Financial Group prefers Google (GOOG) whose call options are very active on the name. Najarian agreed and mentioned the Google December $750 calls were active on Monday. Other option notes: Najarian noticed some very unusual options activity in TJX Companies (TJX) on Monday, seeing 10,000 October $30 calls trade and also stepped-up activity in the November $30 calls. Macke predicts a big winner with TJX.
Keith O'Malley, a trader with Hold Brothers, came on the show to discuss his trading ideas. He declares that the Fed is done cutting interest rates. He likes Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Fluor Corp (FLR).
CEO's
Gasparino joined the show again to discuss his thoughts on CEOs who could lose their jobs. Gasparino gave out odds for how likely Chuck Prince, Jimmy Cayne and Stan O'Neal will lose their jobs. Prince is CEO of Citigroup (C), Cayne runs Bear Stearns (BSC) and O'Neal heads up Merrill Lynch (MER). He gave Prince 2-1 odds, Cayne 6-1 and O'Neal 10-1. Gasparino also said that John Thain, CEO of NYSE Euronext (NYX), is a candidate for CEO of Citigroup. CEO of Sprint Nextel (S) Gary Forsee has left the telecommunications firm. Sprint is a takeover stock with Chinese companies being possible buyers.
Word on the Street
Yum! Brands (YUM) traded higher Monday. Macke: 41% of sales came from China and recommends investors to buy the stock here.
Aeropostale (ARO) traded lower. You can sell retailers ahead of the numbers, according to Macke.
CTC Media (CTCM), Central European Media (CETV) and Cemex (CX). Seymour found these value names in the emerging markets. Seymour is committed and long CX.
Alcoa (AA): scheduled to report earnings Tuesday after the bell. Gilbert sees better plays in the titanium makers like RTI International (RTI) and Titanium Metals (TIE). Gilbert owns TIE.
China
The Shanghai Index has gone up a whopping 300% in the past 5 years. The Communist party will try to control the rise in food prices and make comments on the income gap between the wealthy and poor in the region. Seymour suggests buying dips in the iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXI) on any negative headlines.
Pops & Drops
Pops- Research In Motion (RIMM) traded up 4%. Has more room to go higher.
Valero (VLO) traded up 4% after Citigroup upgraded the stock. Seymour: A sell into the upgrade.
AK Steel (AKS) popped 11% after settling a lawsuit.
Apple (AAPL) traded up 4%. Macke: buy some stock of the iPhone maker.
China Digital TV (STV) exploded higher by 41%.

Drops- Ryder Systems (R) fell 7% after missing profit estimates.
Freeport McMoRan (FCX) dropped 2% as copper prices fell on Monday.
LDK Solar (LDK) plummeted 26% after Barron’s ran a negative story on the Chinese solar play.
Final Trade
Macke: recommends McDonald's (MCD)
Gilbert: feels positive about Titanium Metals (TIE).
Seymour: sell Banco Itau (ITU).
Najarian: likes ValueClick (VCLK).

Labels: CNBC, CSCO, Fast Money, Fast Money Recap, FLR, GOOG, HPQ, IBM, RIMM, TJX, VMW

Google Inc.'s stock price sailed past $600 for the first time Monday, extending a monthlong rally propelled by the lofty expectations surrounding the Internet search leader's upcoming third-quarter earnings report.
The Mountain View-based company's shares traded as high as $601.45 before slipping back to $600.33 in early afternoon trading, a gain of $6.28. It marked the sixth time in the past 12 trading sessions that the stock has reached a new peak, indicating investors are confident Google's third-quarter profit will be impressive. The results are scheduled to be released Oct. 18.
The latest milestone served as yet another reminder of the immense wealth created since Google went public in August 2004.
The shares have increased more than sevenfold from their initial public offering price of $85, bringing the 9-year-old company's market value to $187 billion -- more than bigger, more mature businesses like Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Coca-Cola Co., Hewlett-Packard Co. and IBM Corp.
It took 10 1/2 months for Google's stock to leap from $500 to $600 and more than a year for the journey from $400 to $500. The shares hurdled $300 in June 2005 after passing the $100 and $200 thresholds in 2004.
Analysts began predicting Google's stock would reach $600 at the start of 2006 when the shares were still hovering around $420. Some analysts already are predicting Google's stock will hit $700 within the next year, but the average target price for the stock is $614.64 among analysts polled by Thomson Financial.
Source: AP

Labels: GOOG, Hot Stocks, HPQ, IBM, KO, MSFT, WMT, YHOO

The information superhighway is proving to be a fast track to wealth for some investors.
While many still shudder when remembering their losses in the dot-bomb of 2000-01, tech earnings have helped bolster the stock market the past few months.
And exchange traded funds that group tech company stocks are shining.
One of the brightest performers for the past several weeks has been Merrill Lynch's Internet Architecture HOLDRs Trust (AMEX:IAH - News). It's up 24% for the year.
The seven-year-old fund tracks the performance of companies that have helped build and maintain the Internet. Of its 20 stocks, nearly 99% of its holdings are in the fund's top 10. Those 10 include some of the tech world's heaviest hitters.
Big Blue
And the heaviest of all is IBM (NYSE:IBM - News), the fund's top-weighted holding. Its stock climbed 4% last month after the company announced a second-quarter profit of $1.50 a share on better-than-expected earnings.
On Thursday, Big Blue launched a new ePedigree system to strike back at drug counterfeiters. The black market in counterfeit drugs is estimated to reach $75 billion by 2010.
The system will also help companies follow new track-and-trace regulations, which will be in effect in some states by 2009. Tagging each bottle or package with serial numbers will allow the system to track each stop on the supply chain, from manufacturer to distributor to point 15f sale at a pharmacy or hospital.
Recent mainframe simplifications and increased use of Linux have also helped boost IBM's stock performance, analysts say.
Another top holding, Juniper Networks (NasdaqGS:JNPR - News), continued to hit new highs this week. The uptrend follows a 12% surge last month after the network equipment maker raised its sales forecast to more than $2.7 billion from $2.6 billion.
The company recently announced an $86.2 million profit for the second quarter of 2007. Over the same period last year, Juniper lost $1.21 billion. The turnaround came as Juniper released new products and pushed service sales during the quarter.
Cisco Systems
Technology touchstone Cisco Systems (NasdaqGS:CSCO - News), another of the fund's top holdings, saw its stock climb more than 7% this week on huge volume. At 31.84, the stock is the highest it's been since 2004.
The swell came after officials announced Tuesday that the company's earnings per share leaped 32% to $1.17 in fiscal '07 from 89 cents in fiscal '06.
Companies' increased need for network upgrades helped fuel Cisco's earnings jump, said Chairman John Chambers. Investors were especially pleased that the company also raised its long-term revenue forecast.
Published by IBD

Labels: CSCO, IAH, IBM, Internet Companies, JNPR

CDW Corp. on Tuesday announced that the distributor of hardware, software and technology accessories has agreed to be acquired by a private equity company in a $7.3 billion deal.
Under the agreement with Chicago's Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, CDW shareholders will receive $87.75 in cash for each share of common stock, CDW said in a news release issued after the close of business.
CDW said that's a 16.1 percent premium over the Vernon Hills-based company's $75.56 closing share price Friday and a premium of approximately 31.4 percent over the average closing share price during the previous 90 trading days.
Earlier Tuesday, CDW's shares rose to $83.11, a seven-year high, after The Wall Street Journal reported it was in talks to be acquired. The acquisition is expected to be completed by early in the fourth quarter of this year.
The 23-year-old CDW buys computers and related equipment from such manufacturers as Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM Corp. and Apple Computer Inc. and markets them to small and mid-size businesses, governments and school systems, customizing the products and offering other services.
Last year, CDW earned $266.1 million on sales of $6.8 billion. The stock, which has traded as low as $50.28 in the past 52 weeks, topped its previous 52-week high of $79.71.
Source: AP

Labels: CDWC, HPQ, IBM

Six More Dow Stocks: International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM - News), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ - News), J.P Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM - News), McDonald's (NYSE: MCD - News), Merck Co. (NYSE: MRK - News), Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT - News)
Cramer continued his series on Dow Stocks by admitting his target of $110 for IBM was too conservative, and given the company's great dividend and buyback, it should reach $114, but no higher. JNJ is a sell in spite of Warren Buffet's buying the stock. Cramer thinks it is staying at $63, and opines that maybe Warren Buffet liked the steady nature of the band-aid business, but adds "With so many other great names in the Dow, why back up the truck for band-aids?" Cramer called JPM's CEO Jamie Dimond a "great banker," but thinks he is going to be prevented from bringing out the best in JPM by the Fed; "Three more points for JPM, and then I'd declare victory." While MCD has a great international business, Cramer thinks it will peak 4 points from now at $55. Cramer says he was too conservative predicting MRK would go to $50, but at $53, he says the stock is "pretty much done for the year." On the other hand, he admits he was too bullish on MSFT, but is not changing his $35 target, since the company may underpromise and overdeliver.
Google (NasdaqGS: GOOG - News) and Amazon (NasdaqGS: AMZN - News)
Google has been stalled for a while, but Amazon has brought "in the jumper cables," says Cramer. AMZN's move from $39 to $69 makes GOOG look cheap in comparison, especially since Google has 63% sales growth and almost no competition while AMZN has 33% growth with competition from almost every retailer in America. Cramer sets the target for Google at $600, but admits he is being conservative.
Sell Block: CA Inc. (NYSE: CA - News), Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI - News)
Cramer declared a special "Crime and Punishment" edition of this week's Sell Block, inspired by the crime of his "hubris" (overweening pride) last week when he broke his own rule about avoiding tech until August. He now regrets having recommended CA which is down 7.4% since last Friday and ADI which he "missed by a mile."
Mad Mail: MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR - News), Taser International Inc. (NasdaqGS: TASR - News), Rowan Companies Inc (NYSE: RDC - News), National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV - News)
When a viewer asked how to play the shortage of polysilicon in Chinese Solar IPOs, Cramer said WFR is the obvious choice, but it missed the quarter and at $58, it's a "no-go." Cramer told another viewer to hold on to Taser, which he recommended ahead of the French election, for at least a few more points. Cramer says RDC has "too much actual drill for me" and says NOV is still "best in show."

Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: ADI, AMZN, CA, GOOG, IBM, Jim Cramer, JNJ, JPM, Mad Money, MCD, MRK, MSFT, NOV, RDC, TASR, WFR

Alcoa Inc. shares hit a five-year high Wednesday, rising to the biggest midday gain on the Dow Jones industrial average after rival Alcan Inc. said its shareholders should turn down Alcoa's takeover offer.
The index added 48.68, to 13,588.63, with 22 of the 30 stocks in the green.
A Prudential analyst said Alcan may turn the tables and buy Alcoa. Alcan shares were also up, indicating investors think Alcoa will raise its bid or another company will make an offer for Alcan. Alcoa shares rose $1.8, or 4.6 percent, to $40.75, and peaked at $40.80.
Caterpillar Inc. stock also reached an annual high, continuing its gains for the week. Shares of the heavy machinery maker rose $1.54, or 2.1 percent, to $77.06. The stock climbed as high as $77.25.
Shares of home improvement retailer The Home Depot Inc. added 45 cents to $38.98, erasing Tuesday's loss.
On the losing side, Honeywell International Inc. shares fell 75 cents to $56.22. The stock neared a seven-year high Friday, and on Tuesday, Honeywell agreed to buy Dimensions International, a defense logistics company, for $230 million.
International Business Machines Corp. stock gave up 63 cents, to $106.07. Shares have been declining since Friday, when the stock reached a five-year peak after IBM said it could double its earnings by 2010 after cutting costs and buying back shares.
Shares of aerospace company Boeing Co. were down 67 cents to $95.80. Boeing reiterated its 2007 and 2008 forecasts at an investors' conference Wednesday, but investors may be disappointed that the company did not raise those outlooks.

Published by AP

Labels: AA, AL, BA, CAT, HD, HON, IBM

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.
Deutsche Bank July 155 Calls (NYSE:DB - News). DB's PowerRating is 6.
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.
Medtronic July 50 Puts (NYSE:MDT - News). MDT's PowerRating is 5.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Research in Motion July 185 Calls (NasdaqGS:RIMM - News). RIMM's PowerRating is 3.
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.
Google Inc. July 430 Puts (NasdaqGS:GOOG - News). GOOG's PowerRating is 5.
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.
Palm Inc. (NasdaqGS:PALM - News). PALM'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.
None today
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.
SiRF Technology Holdings (NasdaqGS:SIRF - News). SIRF's PowerRating is 5.
International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - News). IBM's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: DB, GOOG, Hot Stock Options, IBM, MDT, PALM, RIMM, SIRF

A Family Affair: William Wrigley Jr. Co. (NYSE: WWY - News)
Most of the companies Cramer has featured in his series on "transformational CEOs" have brought the businesses back from oblivion. However, William D. Perez, CEO of WWY had a different challenge, because he was faced with having to make changes at a decent company without ruffling the feathers of the Wrigley family. While WWY was stagnant for years, Perez helped move the stock from $46 to $57 and introduced 80 new products last year. Although the stock is expensive at 25 times earnings, Cramer expects a huge upside and gives the stock a triple buy, adding " ... you can buy the stock and chew gum at the same time!"
Sell Block: IBM (NYSE: IBM - News), Bausch & Lomb (NYSE: BOL - News), Syntax-Brillian (NasdaqGM: BRLC), SunPower (NasdaqGM: SPWR), Evergreen Solar (NasdaqGM: ESLR), Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL - News), First Solar (NasdaqGM: FSLR), Cypress Semiconductor (NYSE: CY - News)
Beginning this week's Sell Block with CEO Wall of Shame, Cramer exonerated Sam Palmisano, CEO of IBM, because he is buying back shares and the stock gained 10%, and Ron Zarrella, CEO of BOL, who is making the right move by selling the company. His new inmate is Vincent Sollitto, because he "comes on our show, says everything's great... files an equity offer... tells us not to worry... says that I'm being a 'meany' because I highlighted him... and then he reports a miserable quarter." Moving on, Cramer would say goodbye to sun power stocks, because, like the dot.com craze in the 90s, "I think you are going to get a textbook case of oversupply." Cramer would sell every solar stock including SPWR, ESLR, TSL and even his favorite FSLR. The only company with a solar connection Cramer likes is CY, a semiconductor company which is aggressively buying back shares and owns "the lion's share" of Sunpower. He feels the company could be split in two and urges investors to "buy CY before it buys itself."
CEO Interview: Steven Ells, Chipotle Mexican Grill's (NYSE: CMG - News)
Steven Ells discussed the company's great quarter; "We think we do something differently, and people are really catching on." He feels his restaurants provide a fresh alternative to typical fast-food service, products and atmosphere, and focus on healthy choices. Providing quality is "the right thing to do," he continued, "and once people are turned on to it, they'll appreciate it." Cramer says CMG and Ells are "the real deal" and would buy the stock every time it declines.
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: BOL, CMG, CY, IBM, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, WWY

IBM (NYSE: IBM - News): Although Cramer thinks IBM could rise 15% because unpopular CEO Sam Palmisano is taking a "permanent intellecutal vacation," he notes the stock could fall 20% if a new chief isn't chosen soon. Cramer suggested "maybe IBM could get a board of directors," which he thinks the company badly needs since it took so long to let Palmisano go.
Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL), Nokia (NYSE: NOK - News), Motorola (NYSE: MOT - News): Cramer says Apple is the one tech stock worth buying, since Wednesday is the final quarter before the release of its iPhone. He would pick up the stock at $90, especially since NOK and MOT are not doing well, and adds the only reason NOK is up 6 points is not due to its own strength but MOT's weakness.
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: IBM, Jim Cramer, MOT, NOK, Stop Trading

Stocks snapped this week's rally, as a mixed batch of earnings reports led some traders to take profits after two weeks of gains in the Dow Jones industrials.
Investors pulled back after Yahoo Inc. posted a surprising 11 percent drop in its first-quarter profit. Also making investors shudder were disappointing results from International Business Machines Corp. and Motorola Inc.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. gave some support to the Dow after the bank reported a 55 percent jump in profits that far surpassed Wall Street's expectations. The 30 companies that make up the index -- nearly half of which report earnings this week -- have been mostly beating the Street's predictions.
Wall Street was rattled by a sharp drop in the dollar, which is now at 26-year lows against the British pound. The U.S. currency has been weakening because interest rates have remained steady since the summer, and because the U.S. economy is slowing. In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 18.94, or 0.15 percent, to 12,754.10. The Dow has advanced in 12 of the past 13 sessions.
Broader stock indicators also fell. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down 2.13, or 0.14 percent, at 1,469.35, and the Nasdaq composite index shed 11.72, or 0.47 percent, to 2,505.23.

Labels: Dow Jones, IBM, JPM, MOT, Nasdaq, YHOO

A Second Look at Cigna (NYSE: CI - News)
Although Cramer has not liked Cigna in the past, he is taking another look at the non-pharma health care company because of its serious buyback plan. "Nothing is more reassuring than a company that believes in itself," said Cramer, noting that Cigna bought back 20% of the company since 2004 and is shrinking its number of shares so rapidly, it is "practically going private." Cramer declared, "The single biggest bull market is in the nonpharmaceutical health care sector," and he would buy Cigna.
Volcano (NasdaqGM: VOLC), Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX - News), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ - News), and General Electric (NYSE: GE - News)
A great way to play fears over drug-coated stents is to buy Volcano, a company that makes intravascular ultrasound catheters which examine the inside of arteries, according to Cramer. Although this technology is not new, it has been underused until the recent stent controversy. Volcano's largest rival is BSX, which Cramer calls "the Citigroup of healthcare" and Volcano has partnerships with JNJ and GE.

Beware of Tech: Oracle (NasdaqGS: ORCL), Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT), EMC (NYSE: EMC - News), SanDisk (NasdaqGS: SNDK), Seagate (NYSE: STX - News), Western Digital (NYSE: WDC - News), Komag (NasdaqGS: KOMG), IBM (NYSE: IBM - News), Micron's (NYSE: MU - News), Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN - News), Intel (NasdaqGS: INTC), Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD - News), Garmin (NasdaqGS: GRMN), Qualcomm (NasdaqGS: QCOM), Cisco (NasdaqGS: CSCO), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ - News), eBay (NasdaqGS: EBAY), Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL), Yahoo! (NasdaqGS: YHOO) and IAC/InterActive (NasdaqGS: IACI)
Cramer devoted his Sell Block segment to warning investors not to touch tech until summer, with a few notable exceptions. "Don't be bamboozled by hopeful analysts," he said, and added ORCL, MSFT, EMC, SNDK, STX, WDC, and KOMG are not buys right now. Cramer said IBM should not be bought until it has some "breakthrough earnings releases" and urged investors to ignore MU's upgrade and to avoid TXN, INTC and AMD. However, the few tech stocks worth buying now include GRMN, QCOM, CSCO and HPQ, EBAY, AAPL and YHOO. Cramer is removing IACI from his list of buys.
CEO Interview: David Snow, Medco Health Solutions (NYSE: MHS - News)
When Cramer asked David Snow how his company makes money off of drugs that go generic, he replied, "In the case of generics, $50 billion of branded drugs are going off patent between now and 2011. We are going to work very hard to appropriately move people from branded drugs to generic drugs, and we make money doing that." On the topic of Medco's cash flow, David Snow said the %5.5 billion buyback program is up and running, and the company might make a future acquisition. Cramer said Medco is the definition of a buy in the current environment.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AMD, BSX, CI, CSCO, EMC, GE, HPQ, IACI, IBM, Jim Cramer, JNJ, KOMG, Mad Money, MSFT, QCOM, STX, VOLC, WDC, YHOO

Summary: Why have BMC (NYSE: BMC - News) Software shares more than doubled since mid-2005, putting BMC's P/E at 18, vs. industry norms of 11-12? Mainly due to the growth prospects of market leader Remedy network service software, and BMC configuration management database software. But investors may be ignoring: 1) Flatter software license sales, revenues and cash flow in contrast to earnings growth. 2) Much of its cash flow is generated through sales of its receivables, generally with lower valuations, making cash flow/share overvalued. 3) BMC's mainframe services are getting strong price competition from IBM (NYSE: IBM - News) and Computer Associates (NYSE: CA - News) combined with a shrinking client base. 4) Previous weak fiscal years magnify earnings results. 5) Its somewhat unorthodox practice of reporting long terms contracts as immediate, full revenues. 6) $34 shares might price BMC out of acquisition range. BMC has reorganized, cutting operational costs and sharpening its sales force focus between mainframe and non-mainframe operations, and its scandal-plagued competitor is struggling. But if momentum falters and cash flow reality kicks in, Walter Pritchard of Cowen & Co. says BMC could go to the high 20's—15% lower.
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: BMC, CA, IBM

Summary: Tech IPOs are hot, especially since private equity groups are spending huge amounts of cash in taking established companies private. Shares of the 20 venture-capital financed tech companies that IPOed last year were up on average 14.3%, handily beating the Nasdaq's 10%, and the S&P's 13.5% return. Christopher McHugh of the Turner Investment Partners' Midcap Growth Fund likes the "new internet construction firms," like data-storage vendor IPG Photonics Corp. (NasdaqGM: IPGP). CommVault Systems Inc. (NasdaqGM: CVLT) is up 36% since its IPO, and Acme Packet Inc. (NasdaqGM: APKT) is up 67% -- both pricey, yet 'worth a bet' by growth investors; CVLT trades at 44x 2006 earnings, and APKT trades at 55x. The latest dot-com darlings? No, says McHugh. These companies are actually profitable, and may provide handsome growth over the next 3-5 years. Acme makes routers to direct internet phone calls among networks; neither Cisco Systems Inc. (NasdaqGS: CSCO) nor Juniper Networks Inc. (NasdaqGS: JNPR) has a product that can do that. CVLT boasts innovative backup software that is eating up market share, making it a potential buyout target for EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC - News) or International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM - News).

Labels: APKT, CVLT, EMC, IBM, IPGP