Traders-Blog.com

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the shows, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Agrium (AGU) (CEO on Mad Money)
Alcoa (AA) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
American Standard’s (ASD) (Mad Money)
Asbury Automotive Group (ABG) (Lightning Round)
AutoNation (AN) (Lightning Round)
CarMax (KMX) (Lightning Round)
Celgene (CELG) (Lightning Round)
Ford (F) (Lightning Round)
Home Depot’s (HD) (Mad Money)
Joy Global (JOYG) (Lightning Round)
KB Home (KBH) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
L-1 Identity Solutions (ID) (Lightning Round)
Lamson & Sessions (LMS) (”a gift down 50 cents”) (Mad Money)
Lamson & Sessions (LMS) (Lightning Round)
Level 3 (LVLT) (”favorite under-$7 stock”) (Lightning Round)
Lundin Mining (LMC) (”back the truck up at $10″) (Lightning Round)
Marvell Technology (MRVL) (Lightning Round)
Palomar Medical Technologies (PMTI) (Lightning Round)
Service Corp (SCI) (Lightning Round)
Time Warner (TWX) (Mad Money)
United Auto Group (UAG) (Lightning Round)
Viacom (VIAB) (Mad Money)
Whirlpool (WHR) (Mad Money)

Bearish
3M (MMM) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) (Lightning Round)
Allos Therapeutics (ALTH) (Lightning Round)
LSI Logic (LSI) (Lightning Round)
Symmetricom (SYMM) (Lightning Round)
Urban Outfitters (URBN) (Lightning Round)

* Click here for the free booklet “Confessions of a Profitable Trader.
* Click here and receive a free market forecast using VantagePoint software.
* Click here for 2 free books that teach you how to trade the E-mini’s.
* Click here for free cassette “17 Rules for Successful Futures Trading.”

Stocks rallied to a sharply higher close with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 100 points after a report Alcoa Inc. may be a takeover target and news that 3M Co. plans a large stock buyback. Investors saw strength across the board, with a rebound in commodity shares and an upgrade of GM.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 101.50 or 0.81% to 12,654.05, the S&P 500 closed up 10.89 or 0.76% to 1,444.26, and the tech-fueled Nasdaq closed up 9.50 or 0.39% to 2,459.88.

Market breadth was positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers 3 to 1 on volume of 1.45 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers topped decliners 17 to 11 on volume of 1.84 million shares.

Investors are anticipating positively, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s two-day semi-annual monetary policy report to Congress. Investors will be looking to see if his economic outlook is “focused more on the recent signs of stronger growth and lower core inflation, or on the impact from the slowdown in the housing market.”

The positive news of the day overshadowed the report that the trade gap surged more than expected in December and hit a record in 2006. The trade deficit jumped 6.5% to a record $763.6 billion last year as high oil prices and Americans’ appetite for foreign-made goods outpaced strong exports. The deficit came even as U.S. exports surged to a record $1.44 trillion last year, up 12.3% from 2005. But imports also jumped, up 10.5% to about $2.20 trillion for the year.

Shares of Caremark Rx closed up $1.97 or 3% to $62.88, after drug store CVS increased its bid by tripling a proposed special cash dividend to $6 a share. Stock of CVS closed down $0.40 to $32.09. CVS would pay $23.7 billion, or $54.26 per share, in stock plus the $6 cash dividend. On the other hand, Express Scripts’ cash-and-stock offer has valued Caremark at $26.6 billion, or $61.08 per share.

Stock of 3M closed up $1.84 or 2.3% to $76.43, after its board approved a $7 billion share buyback plan and boosted its quarterly dividend. It has proposed to buy back up to $7 billion of its own shares over the next two years.

Shares of General Motors closed up $0.88 or 2% to $36.59, after Merrill Lynch upgraded it to “buy” from “sell.” The basis is that the automaker will use its liquidity and assets, specifically in its pension fund, to “affect positive change.

Shares of the Nasdaq Stock Market closed down $4.00 or 10% to $31.10, as investors continued to ditch the stock following news that it lost its bid for the London Stock Exchange. The failed deal overshadowed the company’s strong quarterly earnings.

Stock of Johnson & Johnson lost 0.1% after the company said it told federal prosecutors and regulators that units outside the U.S. are believed to have made improper payments in two small-market countries.

U.S. light crude oil for March delivery rallied $1.34 to $59.15 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil prices slid 3.5% after the oil ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar said OPEC may keep crude output unchanged at its March meeting.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter
30-day risk-free trial

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the shows, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Allegheny Tech (ATI) Lightning Round)
Allergan (AGN) Lightning Round)
AMR (AMR) Lightning Round)
Continental (CAL) Lightning Round)
Countrywide Financial (CFC) Lightning Round)
Diageo (DEO) Mad Money)
Domino’s (DPZ) Mad Money)
Lowe’s (LOW) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Marvell (MRVL) (below $18) Mad Money)
Microsoft (MSFT) Lightning Round)
National Oilwell Varco (NOV) Mad Money)
Nokia (NOK) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Sears Holdings (SHLD) Mad Money)
Transocean (RIG) Lightning Round)
Virgin Media (VMED) Lightning Round)
Zimmer Holdings (ZMH) Lightning Round)

Bearish
Evergreen Solar (ESLR) Lightning Round)
Helmerich & Payne (HP) Lightning Round)
JetBlue (JBLU) Lightning Round)
New Century Financial (NEW) Lightning Round)
Sprint’s (S) Mad Money)
THQ (THQI) Mad Money)
Vonage (VG) (”radically overpriced”) Mad Money)
Warner Music’s (WMG) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)

* Click here for the free booklet “Confessions of a Profitable Trader.
* Click here and receive a free market forecast using VantagePoint software.
* Click here for 2 free books that teach you how to trade the E-mini’s.
* Click here for free cassette “17 Rules for Successful Futures Trading.”

Stocks closed lower as disappointing deal news and uncertainty over Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s testimony to Congress later this week offset the boost an Apple Inc. upgrade and a strategic move announced by Home Depot Inc. News that the Nasdaq Stock Market is abandoning its bid for the London Stock Exchange, also dented sentiment, somewhat offsetting the usual boost from Monday-merger news. It looks like the market is in need of more of a corrective move.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 28.28 or 0.22% to 12,552.55, the S&P 500 closed down 4.69 or 0.33% to 1,433.37, and the tech-fueled Nasdaq closed down 9.44 or 0.38% to 2,450.38.

Market breadth was negative. On the New York Stock Exchange, losers beat winners 19 to 12 on volume of 1.32 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, decliners topped advancers 17 to 13 on volume of 1.89 billion shares.

A host of merger and acquisition reports failed to counter the impact of a 3.5% decline in oil prices. The decline in oil dragged on energy stocks, which in turn limited the broader market’s advance. This week, investors are looking for reports on retail sales, housing and manufacturing, as well as Fed Chairman Bernanke’s visit to Capitol Hill. His comments will be closely monitored for hints about the economy and interest rate policy. After the market’s latest advance, stocks are likely to drift or even decline a bit for the short term, particularly with the earnings reporting period over. With around 75% of the S&P 500 fourth-quarter results having already been reported, earnings are currently on track to have risen just short of 11%.

Shares of Home Depot closed up $0.44 or 1.6% to $41.44, on reports that it is considering the sale of its wholesale distribution unit, HD Supply, as it focuses on its retail business. HD supply has an annual revenue of about $12 billion. HD Supply has nearly 1,000 locations in the United States and Canada and has more than 26,000 employees.

Stock of Four Seasons closed down $2.52 to $81.36, after it agreed to be taken private for $3.8 billion, including debt, by an investment group that included a firm run by Bill Gates and Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Investors have offered $82 in cash per limited voting share in the deal.

In another news, Blackstone Group has decided to acquire Pinnacle Foods Group, the owner of Vlasic Pickles, Duncan Hines and other brands, for about $2.2 billion. Pinnacle Foods is jointly owned by affiliates of J.P Morgan Partners, J.W. Childs Associates L.P., CDM Group, and by former bondholders of Aurora Foods Inc.

Shares of Vodafone closed up $0.58 to $29.53, after it won a majority stake in Indian mobile firm Hutchison Essar, in a deal worth $11.1 billion. This values India’s fourth-biggest mobile firm at around $19 billion, including debt. India’s Essar Group, which owns 33% of Hutch Essar and had also been bidding for the 67% being sold by Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd, confirmed the deal on Sunday. The deal is a critical move by Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin, who is under pressure amid slowing growth in Vodafone’s core European markets to expand the business while at the same time not overpay for acquisitions.

U.S. light crude oil for March delivery sank $2.08 to settle at $57.81 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after the oil ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar said OPEC may keep crude output unchanged at its March meeting.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter
30-day risk-free trial

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the shows, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Agco (AG) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Amerisafe (AMSF) (Lightning Round)
AutoNation (AN) (Lightning Round)
Avis Budget (CAR) (Lightning Round)
Baidu (BIDU) (”after it reports Wed.”) (Mad Money)
Broadcom (BRCM) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Caremark (CMX) (Lightning Round)
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) (”buy next week”) (Mad Money)
Cisco (CSCO) (”steady, dependable”) (Mad Money)
Daktronics (DAKT) (Mad Money)
Denny’s (DENN) (Mad Money)
Disney (DIS) (Lightning Round)
Express Scripts (ESRX) (Lightning Round)
Finisar (FNSR) (short term play) (Mad Money)
Harley-Davidson (HOG) (Lightning Round)
Home Inns & Hotels (HMIN) (Lightning Round)
IAC Interactive (IACI) (headed to mid-40s”) (Lightning Round)
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) (Lightning Round)
KB Home (KBH) (Mad Money)
Landec (LNDC) (”use limit orders”) (Mad Money)
Life Time Fitness (LTM) (Mad Money)
Marathon Oil (MRO) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Marvell (MRVL) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
MasterCard (MA) (Mad Money)
MetLife (MET) (”best of breed”) (Mad Money)
Nike (NKE) (Lightning Round)
Optium (OPTM) (IPO next week, short term play) (Mad Money)
Procter & Gamble’s (PG) (Mad Money)
Psychiatric Solutions (PSYS) (Mad Money)
RBC Bearings (ROLL) (Lightning Round)
Safeway (SWY) (Lightning Round)
Under Armour (UA) (Lightning Round)

Bearish
Chesapeake (CHK) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Finish Line (FINL) (Lightning Round)
Masco (MAS) (Mad Money)
Micron (MU) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Reliance Steel (RS) (Mad Money)
Whole Foods (WFMI) (”too risky”) (Lightning Round)

* Click here for the free booklet “Confessions of a Profitable Trader.
* Click here and receive a free market forecast using VantagePoint software.
* Click here for 2 free books that teach you how to trade the E-mini’s.
* Click here for free cassette “17 Rules for Successful Futures Trading.”

Stocks closed lower on the day and week, dented by a rise in crude futures, hawkish remarks by Federal Reserve officials leaving open the possibility of more rate hikes and concern by Micron Technology executives about memory chip demand and pricing. These worries overshadowed new upgrades of Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 56.80 or 0.45% to 12,580.83, the broader S&P 500 closed down 10.25 or 0.71% to 1,438.06, and the Nasdaq closed down 28.85 or 1.16% to 2,459.82. For the week, the Dow and Nasdaq each lost about 0.6%, while the S&P shed about 0.7%. Market breadth was negative. On the New York Stock Exchange, losers beat winners by more than 22 to 9 on volume of 1.637 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, decliners beat advancers 2 to 1 on volume of 2.221 billion shares.

Hawkish remarks by Fed members set the tone of the market and made investors worried. William Poole, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, estimated that growth in U.S. GNP this year will run at about a 3% clip. Poole also said he hopes core inflation will settle below 2% - but said the Fed is prepared to take action if inflation is not contained. This lest investors unsettled and put a lid on how high the markets could go. Cleveland Fed chief Sandra Pianalto said inflation statistics show improvement, but a firmer policy may be needed. She left open the possibility of further rate increases. Dallas Fed chief Richard Fisher said he was pleased with the current direction of inflation. He also declined to rule out more rate increases.

Early next week, traders will take the nation’s economic pulse with reports on the trade balance due Tuesday and retail sales due Wednesday. Housing starts and the inflation-gauging Producer Price Index are set for release Friday.

Shares of Gateway Inc. fell 9.7% to $1.94, as it reported mixed fourth-quarter results that showed a drop in revenue even as it posted a profit of $8.8 million. The company turned in an EPS of 2 cents, compared to a loss of $20.9 million a year ago. Revenue slipped to $1.02 billion from $1.12 billion in the year-ago quarter, owing to the weaker-than-normal demand in its retail business. Retail sales fell 5% from a year ago, to $755 million, and professional sales totaled $181 million, down 16% from a year ago. Direct sales revenue fell 26%, to $85 million in the quarter.

Shares of Lear Corp. dropped 1.7% to $39.39 as the company’s board accepted a buyout offer from a partnership backed by Icahn’s American Real Estate Partners L.P. The group offered $5.3 billion, or $36 a share, for Lear. But Pzena Investment management, which holds a 10.1% stake in Lear, said that it believes the company’s value to be closer to $60 a share.

Stock of MasterCard International closed down $11.14 to $103.60, despite reporting fourth-quarter earnings that rose from a year earlier and topped estimates. However, investors focused on the company’s cautious comments about gross margin growth in 2007. The company earned $40.9 million, in the fourth quarter, compared with a loss of $52.9 million a year ago. Revenue in the quarter was $839.2 million, up 17% from $715.9 million a year ago.

Stock of Alcatel-Lucent closed down $0.37 to $13.30, after the company reported a fourth-quarter loss versus a profit a year earlier. The company also said that it would cut 12,500 jobs during the next three years.

U.S. light crude oil for March delivery closed up 18 cents at $59.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter
30-day risk-free trial

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the shows, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Acme Packet (APKT) (”back up the truck”) (Lightning Round)
Altria (MO) (Mad Money)
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) (Lightning Round)
Avon (AVP) (Mad Money)
Best Buy (BBY) (Mad Money)
Corning (GLW) (Lightning Round)
Countrywide (CFC) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Diageo (DEO) (Mad Money)
DST Systems (DST) ($88 target”) (Mad Money)
EMC (EMC) (Lightning Round)
Goldman Sachs (GS) (Mad Money)
J.C. Penney (JCP) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Level 3 Communications (LVLT) (Mad Money)
MasterCard (MA) (Lightning Round)
Melco PBL Entertainment (MPEL) (Lightning Round)
Omniture (OMTR) (Lightning Round)
Sears Holdings (SHLD) (”worth $237″) (Mad Money)
ValueClick (VCLK) (Lightning Round)
Vulcan Materials (VMC) ($140 target) (Lightning Round)
Whirlpool (WHR) (Lightning Round)

Bearish
Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) (Mad Money)
Aventine Renewable Energy (AVR) (Lightning Round)
Circuit City (CC) (Mad Money)
Las Vegas Sands (LVS) (Mad Money)
Oracle (ORCL) (Lightning Round)
SAP (SAP) (”Holy cow is that a stinker”) (Lightning Round)
Thor Industries (THO) (Lightning Round)
Tibco Software (TIBX) (Lightning Round)
Wells Fargo (WFC) (Mad Money)

* Click here for the free booklet “Confessions of a Profitable Trader.
* Click here and receive a free market forecast using VantagePoint software.
* Click here for 2 free books that teach you how to trade the E-mini’s.
* Click here for free cassette “17 Rules for Successful Futures Trading.”

Stocks closed lower even as late gains in technology and energy contained losses for the broad market, after HSBC Holdings, the world’s third largest bank, warned that bad debts were on the rise in the U.S. The downtrend was possibly a reaction to the negative news coming out HSBC. Investors mulled January retail sales, higher oil prices and revived worries about the impact of the slowdown in the housing market.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 29.24 or 0.23% to 12,637.63, the broader S&P 500 closed down 1.71 or 0.12% to 1,448.31, and the Nasdaq closed down 1.83 or 0.07% to 2,488.67.

Market breadth was negative. On the New York Stock Exchange, decliners topped advancers by a slim margin of 17 to 15 on volume of 1.6 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, losers beat winners by a narrow margin of 15 to 14 on volume of 2.0 billion shares.

The report on January retail sales, ran from weak to strong, suggesting a decent but not remarkable post-Christmas period for the chain stores. Same-store receipts at 55 of the nation’s top chain-store retailers climbed 3.9%, against the 3.1% forecast. Overall, it was certainly a nice finish to the fiscal year — and a nice start to the calendar year.

Concerns about the impact from the collapse in the housing market were revived. Toll Brothers warned about its quarterly revenue, and HSBC Bank and New Century Financial warned about problems resulting from defaults on home loans.

Stock of Costco Wholesale closed down $0.51 to $56.62, after posting smaller than expected rise of 2% in same-stores sales. Stock of GAP closed up $0.50 to $19.75, after posting flat same-store sales versus a decline a year ago.

Stock of Toll Brothers closed down $1.04 to $33.39, after warning of first-quarter homebuilding revenue and orders that will fall sharply and that it will take substantial write-downs related to land it optioned for development but now is walking away from because of the housing slump.

Shares of HSBC closed down $2.44 to $89.78, after warning that its bad-debt charge for last year would be higher than expected. This is a result of problems with its U.S. mortgage lending. It expects that bad debt provisions would be 20% higher than analysts had forecast for 2006.

Shares of Walt Disney closed down $0.19 to $35.29, after reporting quarterly sales and earnings that rose from a year ago and topped estimates. Sales climbed 10% to $9.7 billion, ahead of the expected $9.5 billion, and net profit more than doubled to $1.7 billion.

Shares of EMC closed up $0.90 to $14.50, after the computer data storage company said it will spin off roughly 10% of VMware, its computing virtualization unit.

U.S. light crude oil for March delivery rose $2 to settle at $59.71 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter
30-day risk-free trial

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the shows, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Celgene (CELG) (CEO on Mad Money)
Chevron (CVX) (Lightning Round)
Crocs (CROX) (”two thumbs up”) (Mad Money)
Devon Energy (DVN) (Lightning Round)
Diageo (DEO) (”goes to $100″) (Lightning Round)
Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) (Lightning Round)
Exxon Mobil (XOM) (Lightning Round)
Gap Inc (GPS) (Mad Money)
General Dynamics (GD) (Lightning Round)
Goldman Sachs (GS) (Lightning Round)
Hanesbrands (HBI) (”one thumb up”) (Lightning Round)
Hibbett (HIBB) (Lightning Round)
Hudson City Bancorp (HCBK) (Lightning Round)
IAC (IACI) (mid-$40s target) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Intevac (IVAC) (”beautiful quarter”) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Lockheed Martin (LMT) (Lightning Round)
Lowe’s (LOW) (Lightning Round)
Middleby (MIDD) ($134 target) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Northrop Grumman (NOC) (Lightning Round)
Oakley Inc (OO) (Mad Money)
RPM (RPM) (”sensational buy”) ($30 target) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Six Flags (SIX) (Lightning Round)
Skechers USA Inc (SKX) (Mad Money)
Under Armour (UA) (Mad Money)

Bearish
Cabela’s (CAB) (Lightning Round)
Chiquita Brands (CQB) (”sell sell sell”) (Lightning Round)
Home Depot (HD) (Lightning Round)

* Click here for the free booklet “Confessions of a Profitable Trader.
* Click here and receive a free market forecast using VantagePoint software.
* Click here for 2 free books that teach you how to trade the E-mini’s.
* Click here for free cassette “17 Rules for Successful Futures Trading.”

Stocks closed slightly higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average barely finishing in positive territory after hitting a new record high, as a drop in crude-oil prices weighed on the energy sector, while the technology sector remained boosted by Cisco Systems Inc.’s upbeat earnings. Investors have now to look at where the next good news is coming from.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 0.56 or 0.0% to 12,666.87, the broader S&P 500 closed up 2.02 or 0.14% to 1,450.02, the Nasdaq closed up 19.01 or 0.77% to 2,490.50.

Market breadth remained positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers 19 to 13 on volume of 1.5 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers beat decliners 18 to 11 on volume of 2.2 billion shares.

On the economic front, the first read on fourth-quarter productivity came in at a 3% growth rate, up from the previous month and beating the 2% forecast. Unit labor costs, the report’s inflation component, came in at a smaller-than-expected 1.7% rate. With businesses getting more output out of each hour worked, the rising costs of pay and benefits pose less of an inflation risk. This furthers bets that economic growth, although moderating, remains solid, and that inflation pressures are dwindling. These numbers ought not to be seen as unduly threatening by the Fed.

Shares of Cisco Systems rose 4% after the company reported quarterly sales and earnings that rose from a year earlier and topped forecasts. The company also issued bullish guidance for its current quarter, giving hope to investors that corporate tech spending will show strength in 2007. Sales came in at $8.4 billion, compared to projections of $8.28 billion, and up 27% over the last year. The second-quarter net income was up 40% to $1.9 billion.

Shares of Amazon.com Inc. rose 1.9% after it announced it is partnering with TiVo Inc. to offer movies and TV shows that can be sent to a TiVo box or a computer, and can also be used on portable devices. Shares of TiVo Inc gained 9%.

Stock of Whirlpool lost 2.9% to $86.70. 3% as the company reported a 13% profit decline on discontinued operations, while revenue rose 25%. Its net income totaled $117 million, compared with $114 million a year earlier. Third-quarter earnings from continuing operations totaled $134 million, sales in the third quarter surged 35% to $4.8 billion, and the total revenue rose about 8%.

Crude oil for March delivery fell $1.17 to $57.71 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter
30-day risk-free trial