Jim Cramer's Mad Money Review

Underestimating Under Armour (UA)
Cramer would take advantage of UBS "unbelievable" downgrade of UA from $72 to $68 as a chance to buy a good stock. The reason for the downgrade was unseasonably warm temperatures, but Cramer says once the weather cools off, UA may rise.
Feminine Mystique: Hologic (HOLX) and Cytec(CYT)
Cramer recommends HOLX "the greatest women's healthcare company on earth" ahead of its proposed merger with CYT. The deal will allow both companies to consolidate, cut costs and grow beyond the 25% predicted for Hologic. However, Cramer emphasized the importance of buying ahead of the merger.
Sell Block: Savient (SVNT), Chattem (CHTT), Google (GOOG), Research In Motion (RIMM), Apple (APPl), Amazon (AMZN)
Although it was among Cramer's best speculative picks of the year, Savient has peaked and he believes the success of its Puricase drug is priced in the stock. Chattem has moved 100% since Cramer's initial recommendation, and he thinks it would be greedy not to sell. In a surprising apparent about face from his position earlier in the week, Cramer would take some gains in the four horsemen stocks: Google, Research in Motion, Apple and Amazon. Hedge funds are driving up the price of these stocks by purchasing shares at a high volume. He says the bubble should burst around Friday, at end of the quarter, and he would buy more then, since he believes the companies will rebound.
CEO Interview: Patrick O'Dea, Peet's Coffee and Tea (PEET)
Cramer asked Patrick O'Dea if he was worried about news that Starbuck's may face a decline, and O'Dea responded he thinks PEET's is a smaller company that focuses on the coffee rather than the ambience and is growing 20% every year. Cramer would stay with Peet's.
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Labels: AAPL, AMZN, CHTT, CYT, GOOG, HOLX, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, PEET, RIMM, SVNT, UA

That 80s Show: ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP - News), Energizer Holdings (NYSE: ENR - News)
Continuing the series on his theory that stocks which reach $80 rise to $100 and then to $120 in a bull market, ConcoPhillips, Cramer's favorite integrated oil, was up to $84 on Tuesday, close to its 52-week high on the company's $15 billion buyback authorization. Although COP has jumped, Cramer says it is the kind of stock to buy high and sell higher. COP is an "anointed stock" which is down 3 points since the selloff, and will experience "smooth sailing" to $120. Energizer, just shy of $100 is headed to $120 because its iPod batteries will provide 46 more hours of playtime between charges, opined Cramer. In October, the company will introduce a charger that will revitalize "dead" iPod batteries. In addition, ENR is among the top 4 or 5 in share buybacks, and Cramer sees an ENR upgrade on the horizon.
Four Horsemen of Mining: CVRD (NYSE: RIO - News), BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP - News), Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP - News), Teck Cominco Ltd. (NYSE: TCK - News)
Cramer added TCK to his three wise men of metals: RIO, BHP and RTP to form the four horsemen of mining. In spite of TCK's smaller size, Cramer thinks it will perform as well as the others. Although its specialty is zinc which is not so hot, Cramer notes inventories of this essential metal which is used to make steel and batteries are dwindling. TCK is diversifying away from zinc and has made a bid for Auy Resources, an acquisition which will dramatically increase TCK's exposure to copper and to China, which consumes 30% of the tawny metal. Cramer adds, with the addition of Auy, TCK will be a great way to play China without the risk of owning a Chinese stock.
CEO Interview: Christopher Clement of Savient Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGM: SVNT - News)
Christopher Clement discussed gout drug Puricase which in in Phase III of its trials before going to the FDA for approval. The drug is expected to launch in 2009, and Cramer calls Puricase "gigantic ... I think you stick with SVNT, and buy it down on any weakness."
Tears for Sears (NasdaqGS: SHLD - News)
Cramer remarked he was disappointed about SHLD's 17 point decline and added the company has to start selling real estate. However, he would hold it for at least another 18 months.

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Labels: BHP, COP, ENR, Jim Cramer, Mad Money, RIO, RTP, SHLD, SVNT, TCK

AdvancersAffymetrix (NASDAQ:AFFX - News) shares rose 14% Monday after the company forecast revenue of about $100 million for the fourth quarter. The current average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call is for revenue of $99.5 million in the December period. The Santa Clara, Calif., biotechnology company plans to release its results for the fourth quarter and full year after the closing bell on Feb. 7.
Hauppage Digital (NASDAQ:HAUP - News) shares gained 6.3% after the company unveiled a line of four TV tuner products designed to support Microsoft's Vista Media Center.
Houston Exploration (NYSE:THX - News) shares added 4.1% after the company agreed to be acquired by Forest Oil (NYSE:FST - News) for $52.47 a share. That's 8% above Friday's closing price but below the $62 a share that a hedge fund offered Houston Exploration last summer.
Incyte Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INCY - News) shares rose 5.3% after the company was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Piper Jaffray. The firm also lifted its price target on the stock to $8 from $4.
IntraLase Corp. (NASDAQ:ILSE - News) shares added 10% after the company agreed to be acquired for $25 a share, or $808 million, by Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (NYSE:EYE - News) That's 12.5% over IntraLase's closing price on Friday.
Nautilus Inc. (NYSE:NLS - News) shares rose 13% after the company formed a partnership with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The deal calls for Nautilus to provide research and training support for new fitness products. Financial terms weren't disclosed. In addition, the company was upgraded to neutral from sell at Merriman Curhan Ford & Co.
ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ:ONNN - News) shares rose 7.2% after the company was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Lehman Bros. on valuation.
Quebecor World Inc. (NYSE:IQW - News) plans to close its L'Eclaireur facility in Beauceville, Quebec, impacting about 155 employee positions. The closure is part of the company's plan to consolidate its Quebec-based magazine and catalog printing operations. Quebecor World said it continues to employ about 2,000 employees at seven facilities in Quebec
Quigley Corp. (NASDAQ:QGLY - News) shares advanced 11% after its Quigley Pharma subsidiary said a preliminary study has demonstrated its QR-441(a) compound to be a potential antiviral agent in reducing infectious bronchitis and New Castle disease, two viral poultry diseases. The Doylestown, Pa.-based company said QR-441(a) showed positive results in a study evaluating the compound in embryonating egg and VERO E6 cell test models.
RadioShack Corp. (NYSE:RSH - News) shares rose 12% after the company said fourth-quarter net income will rise from the $51 million the consumer electronics retailer earned in the year-ago quarter, but same-store sales will drop.
Savient Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ:SVNT - News) shares added 9.3% after the East Brunswick, N.J.-based company announced late Friday that, as part of its restructuring of its commercial operations, it will discontinue its 19-person Oxandrin field sales force. The move follows the company's launch of oxandrolone, the generic version of Oxandrin.
Scopus Video Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ:SCOP - News) shares rose 7.5% after the Israel-based provider of digital video networking products said a large cable multi-service operator in India has selected Scopus' broadcast platforms for several projects in connection with a direct-to-home digital cable service deployment. The projects have a value of over $3 million, Scopus said.
Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ:SGEN - News)shares jumped 24% after the company said it entered a license agreement with Genentech (NYSE:DNA - News) to develop cancer treatment SGN-40, which is currently undergoing Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. As part of the agreement, Seattle Genetics will receive an up-front payment of $60 million and could receive milestone payments of as much as $800 million, as well as potential royalties on sales.
Skechers USA (NYSE:SKX - News) shares climbed 6.2% after the company lifted its outlook for the fourth quarter to earnings of 28 to 31 cents a share on revenue of between $295 million and $300 million. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., footwear provider previously forecast a profit of 22 to 27 cents a share for the period on revenue of $255 million and $265 million. For the full year, the company now sees earnings of $1.55 to $1.58 a share on revenue of between $1.196 billion and $1.201 billion. Skechers' prior projection for fiscal 2006 was for a profit ranging from $1.49 to $1.54 a share on revenue of $1.156 billion to $1.666 billion.
St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ - News) shares gained 5.6% after the company said it expects fourth-quarter earnings of 42 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call forecast earnings of 39 cents a share, on average. The St. Paul, Minn. medical device company will report net sales of approximately $864 million for the fourth quarter, an increase of more than 9% compared to the year-ago period and approximately $20 million above current analysts' consensus revenue estimates, the company said.
Telestone Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:TSTC - News) shares rose 12% after the Beijing-based provider of wireless services said it has been awarded bids from four regional telecom operators. The company said it was awarded indoor coverage system equipment contracts from the Sichuan Telecom subsidiary of China Telecom; the Guizhou Unicom subsidiary of China Unicom; the Heibei Netcom subsidiary of China Netcom; and the Jiangxi Telecom subsidiary of China Telecom. Financial terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Therma-Wave Inc. (NASDAQ:TWAV - News) shares surged 29% after the company agreed to be acquired for $1.65 a share, or $75 million, by KLA-Tencor. (NASDAQ:KLAC - News) The offer represents a 25% premium to Therma-Wave's closing price on Friday. KLA-Tencor, which provides semiconductor manufacturing systems, said the deal will strengthen its customers' access to Therma-Wave's advanced measurement capabilities.
United Surgical Partners (NASDAQ:USPI - News) shares rose 12% after the company said it was being acquired by an affiliate of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe affiliate for $1.8 billion in cash and debt. UNCN will pay $31.05 for each United Surgical share, a 13% premium to Friday's closing price of $27.39.
Decliners
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:BCRX - News) shares lost 10% Monday after the company named Jon Stonehouse its chief executive. BioCryst, a Birmingham, Ala., drug development company, said Stonehouse succeeds Charles Bugg, the company's founder and CEO. Bugg will become nonexecutive chairman. Stonehouse had been senior vice president of corporate development at Merck KGaA.
Compucredit Corp. (NASDAQ:CCRT - News) shares fell 5.8% after the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it now expects earnings for the fourth quarter to come about 20% below its previous projections.
Delta Apparel Inc. (AMEX:DLA - News) shares dropped 8% after the company said it expects second-quarter sales of $72 million to $73 million, down from a previous estimate of $74 million to $78 million, and earnings of 5 cents to 7 cents a share, down from a prior projection of 14 cents to 18 cents a share. Delta Apparel also cut its forecast for the year's sales and earnings.
Dynavax Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:DVAX - News) shares plunged 30% after the Berkeley, Calif.-based biotech company said interim one-year data from its two-year ragweed allergy trial indicated that "no meaningful ragweed-specific allergic disease was observed in the study population," making it impossible for the company to measure the impact of its Tolamba treatment. "This result was unexpected, though these challenges are well known to occur in allergy drug development," said Dino Dina, president and chief executive, in a statement. "Due to the fact that no clinically significant disease was seen in the study population, it was impossible to measure the effect of our intervention."
MarineMax Inc. (NYSE:HZO - News) shares fell 11% after the company said it sees a first-quarter loss of 20 cents to 25 cents a share; the First Call-derived average forecast stands at a loss of 6 cents. The company also lowered its profit outlook for fiscal 2007.
Medecision (NASDAQ:MEDE - News) shares plummeted 41% after the Wayne, Pa.-based a provider of software and services to healthcare payers said late Friday it expects fourth-quarter revenue of $10.3 million to $10.6 million. MEDecision said it signed five contracts during the quarter, resulting in lower-than expected term license revenue of between $1.1 million and $1.3 million.
Molex Inc. (NASDAQ:MOLX - News) shares sank 4.9% after the company lowered its second-quarter earnings and sales outlook citing lower-than-anticipated gross margins, which is due primarily to lower sales and higher price erosion in its mobile phone business. The Lisle, Ill. electronics components maker now expects to earnings of 34 to 37 cents a share vs. its previous forecast of 39 to 43 cents a share. Revenue is expected to be $830 million to $840 million, revised from a previous projection of $830 million to $850 million. The company also sees new orders slowing to $770 million to $780 million.
Novastar Financial (NYSE:NFI - News) shares lost 5.1% after the company was downgraded to market perform from market outperform at JMP Securities.
Nu Horizons Electronics (NASDAQ:NUHC - News) shares sank 7.2% after the company said net income rose 59% to $2.4 million, or 13 cents a share, for its fiscal third quarter ended Nov. 30 with sales up 26% to $186 million. From the last quarter, however, sales fell at the electronic components distributor, due to a decline in the company's systems business related to a substantial customer-specific decrease, as well as to market weakness related to some end customer and manufacturing channel inventory builds.
Schnitzer Steel Industries (NASDAQ:SCHN - News) shares dropped 7.4% after the company reported first-quarter earnings of $21 million, or 69 cents a share, down from a year-ago profit of $42 million, or $1.34 a share. The year-ago results included a gain of $34 million related to an asset disposition as well as a charge of $11 million from an investigation reserve. Excluding items, Portland, Ore.-based Schnitzer earned $19 million, or 61 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose in the latest three months to $510 million from $341 million in the same period a year earlier. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call was for a profit of 99 cents a share in the November period on revenue of $511.9 million. The company said it saw lower volumes and higher costs per ton in the latest quarter due to the installation of mega-shredders at its metals recycling facilities in the Oakland and Boston areas. In addition, margins were hurt by higher raw material costs in the quarter, and its auto parts business saw lower vehicle purchases due to higher prices.
Targeted Genetics Corp. (NASDAQ:TGEN - News) shares lost 20% after the company agreed to sell 2.18 million shares to institutional investors at a price of $4 each. The transaction includes warrants to purchase up to 763,000 shares, exercisable at price of $5.41 per share. The Seattle-based biotechnology company expects net proceeds of $8.1 million from the transaction, which is expected to close Jan. 11. Targeted Genetics plans to use the funds for working capital and general corporate purposes.
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Labels: AFFX, DNA, EYE, FST, HAUP, ILSE, INCY, IQW, NLS, ONNN, QGLY, RSH, SVNT, THX

No. 3# Savient Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SVNT - News)
Cramer says that everyone has room for speculative stocks, but that they should not be purchased with retirement funds or occupy more than 20% of a portfolio. Cramer suggests buying about five different speculative plays rather than relying on one or two. His 3rd favorite speculative stock is Savient which takes the "risk factor up a dozen notches." Cramer says the company has been a "tear" but it has room to rise because it has great management, Oxandrin, which promotes weight gain after surgery and Puricase, a Phase III treatment for gout. Puricase will be the first medicine for gout developed in 40 years, and 3 to 5 million Americans have this condition which is often resistent to treatment. Cramer predicts SVNT could double if Phase III results will be positive.
Related: On December 5's Lightning Round, Cramer said Savient was too expensive.
No. 2. Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News)
Cramer says this "unloved" stock which only has 10 analysts covering it should be picked up on Monday, since it is a "sizzling" speculative play. He notes that its deal with Brooks-Eckerd will save RAD $150 million, RAD is the one drugstore which is immune from the "Wal-Martdisease," it is a great inner-city play, and it can't go much lower without "catching a takeover bid." Cramer invited CEO Mary Sammons, the "architect" of RAD's turnaround, onto the program, and she commented that the $150 million savings from the merger was a conservative estimate, which doesn't take into account increased revenue and productivity. She added that every new store acquired entails "strong double-digit gains for five years." In addition, Sammons commented that the company is "well covered" on integration risk.
Related: On Mad Money, Dec. 5, Cramer discussed Rite Aid's advantages over Wal-Mart.
And the Winner is ... Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ: LVLT - News)
Level 3 Communications is Cramer's top speculative pick for 2007 because he believes it will benefit from the bandwidth shortage. Although the stock is up 35% since Cramer's initial recommendation in September, he sees potential for a more dramatic jump because of its deal with YouTube and NBC. In addition, LVLT's deal with Broadwing was completed on Thursday, and the stock has a "big risk, big reward." Although the company also has $6.8 million debt and investors may lose money on the stock, Cramer comments "if you're gonna stay interested in stocks, you gotta take a few risks, and one of those risks is taking LVLT, even at its $6 level."
Related: Ant & Sons commented that LVLT jumped in November on Cramer's recommendation.
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Labels: Jim Cramer, LVLT, Mad Money, RAD, SVNT

No. 3# Savient Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SVNT - News)
Cramer says that everyone has room for speculative stocks, but that they should not be purchased with retirement funds or occupy more than 20% of a portfolio. Cramer suggests buying about five different speculative plays rather than relying on one or two. His 3rd favorite speculative stock is Savient which takes the "risk factor up a dozen notches." Cramer says the company has been a "tear" but it has room to rise because it has great management, Oxandrin, which promotes weight gain after surgery and Puricase, a Phase III treatment for gout. Puricase will be the first medicine for gout developed in 40 years, and 3 to 5 million Americans have this condition which is often resistent to treatment. Cramer predicts SVNT could double if Phase III results will be positive.
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No. 2. Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD - News)
Cramer says this "unloved" stock which only has 10 analysts covering it should be picked up on Monday, since it is a "sizzling" speculative play. He notes that its deal with Brooks-Eckerd will save RAD $150 million, RAD is the one drugstore which is immune from the "Wal-Martdisease," it is a great inner-city play, and it can't go much lower without "catching a takeover bid." Cramer invited CEO Mary Sammons, the "architect" of RAD's turnaround, onto the program, and she commented that the $150 million savings from the merger was a conservative estimate, which doesn't take into account increased revenue and productivity. She added that every new store acquired entails "strong double-digit gains for five years." In addition, Sammons commented that the company is "well covered" on integration risk.

And the Winner is ... Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ: LVLT - News)
Level 3 Communications is Cramer's top speculative pick for 2007 because he believes it will benefit from the bandwidth shortage. Although the stock is up 35% since Cramer's initial recommendation in September, he sees potential for a more dramatic jump because of its deal with YouTube and NBC. In addition, LVLT's deal with Broadwing was completed on Thursday, and the stock has a "big risk, big reward." Although the company also has $6.8 million debt and investors may lose money on the stock, Cramer comments "if you're gonna stay interested in stocks, you gotta take a few risks, and one of those risks is taking LVLT, even at its $6 level."

Labels: Jim Cramer, LVLT, Mad Money, RAD, SVNT