Jim Cramer's Mad Money Review

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.
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Labels: BAC, BSC, CFC, COF, FBR, GOOG, HRB, Jim Cramer, KFN, LMS, Mad Money, RAI, SIX, TMA, WB, WFC, WM, WMV

OM Group (NYSE: OMG - News), Fuel Tech (NasdaqGM: FTEK), Foster Wheeler (NasdaqGS: FWLT), Shaw Group (NYSE: SGR - News)
Completing his week-long segment which featured "green" stocks, Cramer unveiled his two favorite environmental companies: OMG and FTEK. OMG has 25% of the world's supply of cobalt which is used for hybrid car batteries. Cramer predicts cobalt should remain stable or go higher, especially since there are no new sources until 2009. OMG also has exposure to copper, which Cramer thinks will become more valuable, and is fixing its balance sheet. While he recommended FWLT and SGR earlier in the week as clean power picks, Cramer says they are for conservative investors, but for those who are looking for some risk, he likes FTEK as the ultimate speculative Green Day play. The company has technology to make coal power cleaner by reducing nitrogen-oxide emissions and has been getting "contract after contract." Since 49% of electricity in the US is derived from coal, and ethanol is not yet efficient, FTEK is "pretty important." On a general note, Cramer said even though the market is up, he is still bullish; “I am not exaggerating when I say the best is yet to come. We are going to be up 17%" this year."
Picks for the Week Ahead: VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC - News), Parker-Hannifin (NYSE: PH - News), Eaton (NYSE: ETN - News), Honeywell (NYSE: HON - News), Akamai Technologies (NasdaqGS: AKAM), Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL), Boeing (NYSE: BA - News), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP - News), Allegheny Technologies (NYSE: ATI - News), Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM - News), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL - News), Level 3 Communications (NasdaqGS: LVLT), NYSE (NYSE: NYX - News), Cummins (NYSE: CMI - News), National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV - News)
While Monday will be quiet, Cramer says there will be a lot going on the market for the remainder of the week. On Tuesday, VFC and PH will report, and he expects an upside for both companies since VFC is a "Benefit of the Doubt" play, and he predicts PH will ride the wave with ETN and Honeywell. Wednesday will be busy, and Cramer limited his picks to five; he would buy Akamai for its streaming video and Apple for its iPhone ahead of their earnings reports, BA because it is going to $100, and ATI which will report a "giant number" and Pepsi. On Thursday, he would take a look at XOM, which will report, as well as HAL and LVLT, both of which have "lagged” but may run. Cramer's growth stock of the year, NYX, also reports on Thursday. Cummins and NOV are on the agenda for Friday and are “not done going up"
Mad Mail: Lamson & Sessions (NYSE: LMS - News), Charter Communications (NasdaqGM: CHTR), Dynegy (NYSE: DYN - News), Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News)
Cramer likes LMS as a potential acquisition and predicts the risk/reward is 1 point down and 6 points up. Concerning the CNBC 's Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge, Cramer said his favorite stocks are CHTR, DYN and RAD as "great single-digit plays and LVLT as a "good game name."
Published by SeekingAlpha

Labels: AAPL, AKAM, ATI, BA, CMI, DYN, HAL, Jim Cramer, LMS, Mad Money, NOV, NYX, OMG, PEP, PH, RAD, SGR, VFC, XOM

JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM - News): 'I think that the company itself is really good. At $47, nice 9% pullback. Probably worth buying, but let me tell you something... It doesn't yield 3%... 'Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News): 'I've got BAC that yields 4% ... This stock should pull back .... If it goes below $20, then you do a little buying. 'Jones Soda (NasdaqCM: JSDA): 'But JSDA, other than HANS, is the fastest grower out there. I'm doing a lot of work on JSDA... Do not lose sight of that!'Hansen Natural (NasdaqCM: HANS)Accuray (NasdaqGM: ARAY): 'I think you're fine.'Harsco (NYSE: HSC - News): 'I think that this is a quintessential great industrial management company ... that's the kind of stock to buy right here. HSC, only about $1 off its high, but notice how it's held up. It is not that linked to housing. It is mostly industrial equipment.'Cummins (NYSE: CMI - News)Parker-Hannifin (NYSE: PH - News)Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT - News)Terex (NYSE: TEX - News)Lamson & Sessions (NYSE: LMS - News): 'Remember, I felt that this company is a natural to be acquired. They are in talks ... I think this company is worth substantially higher than where it's selling ... I am not worried about the earnings, and the P/E is very low. In other words, continue to buy LMS... 'VeriFone (NYSE: PAY - News): ' I think that PAY - which is linked to retail - is a fabulous stock. I am surprised it's come down this much from its high. I actually want to load up the truck with PAY right here. That's too cheap!'Charter Communications (NasdaqGM: CHTR): 'Do not lose heart! This is a play off of what I regard as being the 'virtuous circle' of being able to refinance, now that rates have come down... CHTR is good ... I want you to buy it.'Comcast (NasdaqGS: CMCSA)Time Warner (NYSE: TWX - News)Allegheny Technologies (NYSE: ATI - News): 'Don't forget that you need ATI steel when you build an ethanol plant, and that stock's off nicely from its high. I'm pulling the trigger right here!'Disney (NYSE: DIS - News): 'DIS is doing very well, it's got superior management. It's pulled back $1.50. I'll pull the trigger on DIS.'
Bearish calls:
Six Flags (NYSE: SIX - News): 'is a speculative stock ... I did not put that in the same league as DIS... I will wait until we go to Six Flags, before I will make the determination.'
Bearish calls:
Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO - News): 'I am beginning to think that VLO has had its run. Sell, sell, sell!'
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Labels: ATI, BAC, CAT, CMI, DIS, HSC, Jim Cramer, JPM, LMS, PAY, PH, SIX, TEX, TWX, VLO

1. Partner Communications (PTNR) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 99*. The Israeli wireless communications services provider is trading near seven-year highs. In late January, it reported its second straight quarter of triple-digit profit growth. Sales growth has accelerated for two quarters. Volume % Change**: +186%
2. Garmin Ltd. (GRMN) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 97. The GPS device maker is hovering near record highs after the company turned in a 105% jolt in Q4 earnings, 25 cents ahead of analysts’ views. Sales jumped 91% to $611.2 million. It also guided full-year 2007 profit ahead of consensus estimates. Volume % Change: +732%
3. Mechel Oao (MTL) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 97. The Russia-based company has operations in coal, iron and nickel mining. It also makes steel and carbon products. The stock’s Accumulation/Distribution Rating jumped to A from C in one month. Volume % Change: +346%
4. Millicom International Cellular (MICC) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 97. Millicom provides prepaid voice services to emerging markets such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Its fourth-quarter earnings vaulted 257%. Sales climbed 85% to $544 million. Last month, it agreed to sell its majority stake in Paktel Limited to China Mobile for about $284 million in cash. Volume % Change: +230%
5. Affiliated Managers Group (AMG) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 97. The asset manager has gained about 12% since the beginning of the year, nearly doubling that of its Finance-Investment Management Group. The company’s after-tax profit margin jumped to 20.9% in its latest reported quarter, the highest in 13 quarters. Volume % Change: +162%
6. Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 97. Mutual fund ownership of the real estate and money management firm jumped to 171 funds from 127 three quarters ago. Last year, the company grew profit by 66%, the biggest annual profit growth in two years. Volume % Change: +141%
7. Cummins Inc. (CMI) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 97. In late January, the engine maker reported Q4 profit slightly below views, but guided full-year 2007 earnings ahead of consensus estimates. Earlier this month, it formed a joint venture with a Nigerian company to make power generation systems. The stock hovers near an all-time high. Volume % Change: +112%
8. Deere & Co. (DE) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 96. The farming machinery maker powered to a new peak after strong fiscal first-quarter results. Longbow upgraded the stock to neutral from sell. Due to rising global consumption of renewable fuels, Deere anticipates worldwide farming activities to be favorable. Volume % Change: +395%
9. WellCare Health Plans (WCG) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 96. The managed healthcare provider’s Q4 profit vaulted 156% as membership more than doubled and surpassed analysts’ views. Its full-year earnings guidance was mostly line, but sales are expected to exceed analysts’ estimates. Volume % Change: +195%
10. Lamson & Sessions (LMS) - View IBD Stock Checkup

Composite Rating: 95. The maker of building products such as pipes and fittings is exploring strategic alternatives, which may include a sale of the company. It has turned in triple-digit profit growth for seven of the past eight quarters. Volume % Change: +278%

*The IBD SmartSelect Composite Rating combines all five SmartSelect Ratings. Of the five, the Earnings Per Share Rating and Relative Price Strength Rating get the most weight; stocks’ percentage of their high price is also considered. Ratings are from 1-99, with 99 being the best.
**Volume % Change compares a stock’s volume to its 50-day average volume. For example, when a stock that normally trades 1 million shares a day suddenly trades 3 million shares, that’s a volume percentage change of 200%.

Labels: AMGN, CMI, DE, GRMN, JLL, LMS, MICC, MTL, PTNR, WCG

On the Mend: Viacom (NYSE: VIA - News), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX - News)Cramer says that a broken stock can make a comeback only when the company is prepared to do something drastic to prove that profits are its chief concern. He is bullish on Viacom since it announced that it is cutting 250 jobs at MTV. Cramer compares this scenario to TWX's rise after selling of 18 of its magazines. The mistake Viacom has made, according to Cramer, is that it was being run like a growth company even after it stopped growing, and "became a victim of its own success" by its almost exclusive focus on a younger demographic. Since the company is more concerned about profits than growth, Cramer expects the company will deliver and adds that it is trading at a "big discount."Lamson & Sessions (NYSE: LMS - News), American Standard (NYSE: ASD - News), Home Depot (NYSE: HD - News)Cramer discussed the "damned up flood of money in private-equity firms" and commented that if he were working at a private equity firm, he would want to buy LMS which is a gift at $28.25. Since the raw cost of PVC piping, one of LMS' products, is "dropping like a rock," the company should benefit, and its shortfall has already been priced into the stock. LMS is part of Cramer's "private equity dream" which includes ASD's plumbing business and HD's building and supply company. If a private-equity company purchases these three, it can form a "plumbing and construction powerhouse" that could go public in a few years.Hit or Miss: Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR - News), General Electric (NYSE: GE - News)Cramer cited a Financial Times article reporting the most earnings misses this quarter since the third quarter of 2004, but he said that an earnings miss is not a reason to sell a stock, but can even be an incentive to buy or to hold, since most of the time, a poor report is already baked into the stock, as was the case with WHR. Cramer likes WHR because it and GE have a "virtual monopoly" on washers and dryers and that it has integrated its acquisition Maytag well. Cramer warned viewers not to buy after hours or before doing research on the stock.CEO Interview: Michael Wilson, Agrium (NYSE: AGU - News)Cramer commented that while many fertilizer companies see "capacity come on and new plants being built," he doesn't notice the same thing happening with AGU. Michael Wilson responded that progress has been slow since few anticipated the tight market, and the company hasn't been building new plants. However, fertilizer demand "is a major global phenomenon," he added, and the company already has 500 retail stores. Cramer is bullish on Agrium because he believes in the agricultural complex.
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Labels: AGU, ASD, GE, HD, Jim Cramer, LMS, Mad Money, TWX, VIA, WHR

On the Mend: Viacom (NYSE: VIA - News), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX - News)Cramer says that a broken stock can make a comeback only when the company is prepared to do something drastic to prove that profits are its chief concern. He is bullish on Viacom since it announced that it is cutting 250 jobs at MTV. Cramer compares this scenario to TWX's rise after selling of 18 of its magazines. The mistake Viacom has made, according to Cramer, is that it was being run like a growth company even after it stopped growing, and "became a victim of its own success" by its almost exclusive focus on a younger demographic. Since the company is more concerned about profits than growth, Cramer expects the company will deliver and adds that it is trading at a "big discount."Lamson & Sessions (NYSE: LMS - News), American Standard (NYSE: ASD - News), Home Depot (NYSE: HD - News)Cramer discussed the "damned up flood of money in private-equity firms" and commented that if he were working at a private equity firm, he would want to buy LMS which is a gift at $28.25. Since the raw cost of PVC piping, one of LMS' products, is "dropping like a rock," the company should benefit, and its shortfall has already been priced into the stock. LMS is part of Cramer's "private equity dream" which includes ASD's plumbing business and HD's building and supply company. If a private-equity company purchases these three, it can form a "plumbing and construction powerhouse" that could go public in a few years.Hit or Miss: Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR - News), General Electric (NYSE: GE - News)Cramer cited a Financial Times article reporting the most earnings misses this quarter since the third quarter of 2004, but he said that an earnings miss is not a reason to sell a stock, but can even be an incentive to buy or to hold, since most of the time, a poor report is already baked into the stock, as was the case with WHR. Cramer likes WHR because it and GE have a "virtual monopoly" on washers and dryers and that it has integrated its acquisition Maytag well. Cramer warned viewers not to buy after hours or before doing research on the stock.CEO Interview: Michael Wilson, Agrium (NYSE: AGU - News)Cramer commented that while many fertilizer companies see "capacity come on and new plants being built," he doesn't notice the same thing happening with AGU. Michael Wilson responded that progress has been slow since few anticipated the tight market, and the company hasn't been building new plants. However, fertilizer demand "is a major global phenomenon," he added, and the company already has 500 retail stores. Cramer is bullish on Agrium because he believes in the agricultural complex.
Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AGU, ASD, GE, HD, Jim Cramer, LMS, Mad Money, TWX, VIA, WHR