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Stocks finished the session mixed but posted strong gains for the month of May. The market welcomed Wachovia Corp.’s purchase of brokerage A.G. Edwards for $6.8 billion, which helped investors shrug off news that first-quarter growth was revised to 0.6% from an initial estimate of 1.3%. Tech stocks rose pushing the Nasdaq composite to its highest close in more than six years, and the S&P 500 barely eked out a fresh all-time high in a tough session for the blue chips.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 5.44 or 0.04% to 13,627.64, after briefly touching a new intraday record of 13,672.82 in the morning. The broader S&P 500 index closed up 0.39 or 0.03% to 1,530.62, managing to end at a new all-time high. The Nasdaq composite closed up 11.92 or 0.46% to 2,604.51, ending at a 6-year high. For the month, the Dow gained 4.3%, the S&P rose 3.2%, and the Nasdaq climbed 3.1%.

Market breadth was positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers 19 to 13 on volume of 1.8 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers topped decliners by 8 to 7 on volume of 2.4 billion shares.

While investors welcomed the latest deals and a drop in oil prices, the economic news was not encouraging. However, it is expected that gains will continue to be sustained by the tremendous flow of money into the stock market, both from he United States and from investors abroad, through takeovers, mergers and corporate stock buybacks.

In economic news, reports on manufacturing, construction and jobless claims showed improvement. But first-quarter economic growth came in weaker than first thought, at the slowest pace since 2002. The GDP grew at 0.6% in the first quarter, down from its initial read of 1.3%. The Chicago PMI, a measure of manufacturing in the Midwest region, rose to 61.7 in May from 52.9 in April. And the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment last week fell more than expected.

Stock of Wachovia closed down $0.33 or 1% to $54.22, on news that it is buying A.G. Edwards for $6.8 billion in cash and stock in a move that will create the second-largest U.S. retail brokerage. Shares of A.G. Edwards closed up $11.03 or 13% to $88.18. The combined brokerage would have about 14,784 brokers, and $1.15 trillion of client assets. It expects to command a 14% market share, and employ more than 31,000 people.

Stock of Ceridian closed up $1.09 or 3% to $35.28, after it agreed to be bought out by private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners and insurance firm Fidelity National Insurance for $5.3 billion in cash.

Shares of Dendreon closed up $1.84 or 33% to $8.58, on bets that its prostrate cancer treatment Provenge is closer to getting approval. The biotech said that the FDA could grant Provenge approval next year if its current trial shows positive results.

Stock of Brocade Communications Systems closed lower on news that the company will pay $7 million to settle allegations by the SEC that it issued improper stock options grants. The agreement makes Brocade the first company to pay a fine in the backdating scandal.

U.S. light crude oil for July delivery rose 52 cents to $64.01 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices were volatile following the weekly oil inventories report, which showed a surprise drop in crude oil supplies.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter

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.

Cramer would like to merge Yahoo! (YHOO) with eBay (EBAY). Neither stock is worth owning individually.

Bullish
Aon (AOC) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Celgene (CELG) (”back up the truck”) (Lightning Round)
Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Cleveland Cliffs (CLF) (Mad Money)
ConAgra Foods (CAG) (Lightning Round)
Dominion (D) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Exelon (EXC) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) (Lightning Round)
Genesis Lease (GLS) (CEO interview on Mad Money)
GOL Linhas Areas (GOL) (Mad Money)
Marsh McLennan (MMC) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Ross Stores (ROST) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Sappi (SPP) (Lightning Round)
Southern Copper (PCU) (Lightning Round)
Synovus (SNV) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Total System (TSS) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Total System Services (TSS) (Lightning Round)
Viacom (VIAB) (Lightning Round)
Volvo (VOLV) (”back up the truck”) (Lightning Round)
Yamana Gold (AUY) (Lightning Round)

Bearish
Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW) (”buy at 25″) (Lightning Round)
Charter Communications (CHTR) (Lightning Round)
eBay (EBAY) (Mad Money)
Electronic Arts (ERTS) (Lightning Round)
Finisar (FNSR) (Lightning Round)
JDS Uniphase (JDSU) (Lightning Round)
Ness Technologies (NSTC) (Lightning Round)
Washington Group International (WNG) (Lightning Round)
Yahoo! (YHOO) (Mad Money)

* 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 and sent both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 to record closing levels, as the market bounced back from initial weakness due to an overnight sell-off in the Shanghai stock market. Investors also cheered minutes from the Federal Reserve showing that while central bankers now forecast a longer impact from housing on the economy, they expected risks to growth to have “diminished slightly” after a first-quarter slump.
Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 111.74 or 0.83% to 13,633.08, and closed at a record high at 13,633.08; the blue-chip average also hit a new intraday record of 13,636.09 shortly before the close. The broader S&P 500 index closed up 12.12 or 0.80% to 1,
530.23, at an all-time high, taking out its previous high of 1,527.46 from March 24, 2000. The Nasdaq composite closed up 20.53 or 0.80% to 2,592.59, at a fresh 6-year high.

Market breadth was positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers 11 to 5 on volume of 1.56 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers bested decliners nearly 16 to 13 on volume of 2 billion shares.

While initially investors were worried that the 6.5% slump in the Chinese market could spell gloom, by midday, investors looked beyond such worries on release of the minutes from the last Fed meeting. The central bankers said that economic growth was slow, but that it would pick up in the quarters ahead, thanks in part to an improved business spending environment. The housing market will likely continue to struggle for longer than initially anticipated, and the possibility of inflation remaining stubbornly high was their predominant concern going forward.

Investors also eyed the May ADP employment survey, a measure of job growth in the private sector. The report showed weaker-than-expected payroll growth, perhaps signaling weakness in Friday’s broader government job report for May.

Shares of biotech Novacea closed up $6.93 or 86% to $14.99, after the company said it signed a licensing deal with Schering-Plough which closed up $0.06 to $32.77. The deal is to develop and market its treatment for prostrate cancer.

Shares of CDW Corp closed up $2.06 or 2.5% to $85.17, after it agreed to be bought out for $7.3 billion by private equity investor Madison Dearborn Partners LLC.
Stock of Coldwater Creek closed up $3.47 or 16.6% to $24.37, after the women’s clothing retailer said that sales and earnings grew from a year ago and topped expectations.

Shares of IBM gained 1% after saying it has bought back $12.5 billion in company stock as part of a previously announced $15 billion buyback plan. IBM also said it expects its 2007 earnings to now rise between 13% and 14% over the $6.06 a share it earned last year.
In additional news, Intercontinental Exchange Inc. has reached a deal,
valued at $665 million, that would settle a dispute between CBOT, parent of the Chicago Board of Trade, and its rival, the Chicago Board Options Exchange. That deal can go into effect only if ICE wins CBOT. Both ICE and the Chicago Mercantile Exchnage had bid for the CBOT, whose management factors the Chicago exchange.

U.S. light crude oil for July delivery rose 34 cents to $63.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter

Stock picks by each of the traders on the latest episode of “Fast Money.” (Fast Money Recaps at Online Traders’ Forum)

Bullish
“Refiners” (”buy on dip”) (Bolling)
American Express (AXP) (Najarian)
Apple (AAPL) (Bolling)
Callaway Golf (ELY) (Macke)
Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings (CME) (Najarian)
Coca-Cola (KO) (Najarian)
Coldwater Creek (CWTR) (Macke)
Companhia de Bebidas Das Americas (ABV) (Bolling)
Con Ed (ED) (Bolling)
Constellation (CEG) (Bolling)
Electronic Arts (ERTS) (Najarian)
EMC (EMC) (Adami)
General Motors (GM) (Najarian)
Google (GOOG) (Bolling)
Hansen Natural Corp (HANS) (Adami)
Johnson Controls (JCI) (Adami)
Jones Soda (JSDA) (Macke)
Jones Soda (JSDA) (Najarian)
Kroger (KR) (Macke)
Kroger (KR) (Najarian)
Nike (NKE) (Najarian)
Nintendo (NTDOY.PK) (Macke)
Pepsico (PEP) (Bolling)
Pepsico (PEP) (Macke)
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT) (Adami)
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT) (Bolling)
Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG) (Adami)
Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) (Bolling)
Wal-Mart (WMT) (Macke)
Yahoo (YHOO) (Bolling)
Yum! Brands (YUM) (Bolling)

Bearish
Borders (BGP) (Macke)
iShares Silver Trust (SLV) (Bolling)
streetTRACKS Gold Shares (SLV) (Bolling)

* 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.”

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.

Tuesday on “Mad Money” Jim Cramer named stocks to buy in the six “wild bull markets: agriculture, machinery, infrastructure, aerospace, oil and gas, and minerals.

Bullish
Anadarko Petroleum (APC) (Lightning Round)
Boeing (BA) (Mad Money)
Carmike Cinemas (CKEC) (Lightning Round)
Caterpillar (CAT) (”best of breed”) (Mad Money)
Chemical & Mining Co. of Chile (SQM) (Mad Money)
Cisco (CSCO) (Lightning Round)
Consolidated Edison (ED) (Lightning Round)
Deere (DE) (”best of breed”) (Mad Money)
Dominion (D) (Lightning Round)
Edison International (EIX) (Lightning Round)
Exxon Mobil (XOM) (Mad Money)
Foster Wheeler (FWLT) (Mad Money)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) (Mad Money)
General Maritime (GMR) (Lightning Round)
General Mills (GIS) (mentioned on Mad Money)
GlobalSantaFe (GSF) (Mad Money)
Halliburton (HAL) (Mad Money)
Kellogg (K) (mentioned on Mad Money)
Level 3 (LVLT) (”buy in mid fives”) (Lightning Round)
Lundin Mining (LMC) (”buy at the end of June”) (Mad Money)
MasterCard (MA) (mentioned on Mad Money)
McDermott (MDR) (Mad Money)
Monsanto (MON) (Mad Money)
Olin (OLN) (Lightning Round)
Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) (Mad Money)
Toyota Motor (TM) (Lightning Round)
URS (URS) (Lightning Round)
Vodafone (VOD) (Lightning Round)
XTO Energy (XTO) (Lightning Round)

Bearish
American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) (Lightning Round)
Apple (AAPL) (Mad Money)
Cinemark (CNK) (Lightning Round)
DivX (DIVX) (Lightning Round)
Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NTT) (Lightning Round)
Regal (RGC) (Lightning Round)
Stratasys (SSYS) (Lightning Round)
Ultra Clean Holdings (UCTT) (Lightning Round)

* 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 finished higher as investors returning from a three-day holiday weekend were cheered by deal news, including a $95.5 billion offer for Dutch bank ABN Amro. However, overall action remained fairly muted with many participants still away after the weekend. The tech rally propelled the Nasdaq and kept the Dow industrials afloat at the end of a choppy session influenced by deals, lower oil prices, stronger consumer confidence and news that China is looking to cool its booming stock market.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 14.06 or 0.10% to 13,521.34, the broader S&P 500 index closed up 2.38 or 0.16% to 1,518.11, and the tech-fueled Nasdaq composite closed up 14.87 or 0.58% to 2,572.06.

Market breadth was positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers 20 to 11 on volume of 1.4 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers topped decliners 19 to 10 on volume of 1.6 billion shares.

Stocks reacted to news that China has raised the tax on share trades in Chinese markets, a move seen as an attempt to slow the booming Chinese equity market, which is already up more than 60% this year. China increased the stamp tax on securities trading to 0.3% from 0.1%, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Should the higher tax trigger another sell-off in Chinese markets, that could again spread to U.S. markets.

In economic news, consumer confidence rose to 108 in May from an upwardly revised 106.3 in April, topping forecasts. The report suggested that consumers set aside worries about higher gas prices and instead focused on the strong stock and labor markets. Reports on manufacturing, inflation, manufacturing and the labor market are due later in the week.

A consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland has launched a $95.7 billion bid for Dutch group ABN AMRO, trumping Britain’s Barclays in a battle for the world’s biggest bank takeover. This could pressure Barclays to raise its all-share offer.

Shares of Archstone closed up $5.53 or 10% to $60.76, on news that Trshman Speyer Properties and Lehman Brothers are buying that for $22.2 billion, including the assumption of debt. Archstone shareholders will receive $60.75 per share, a 22.7% premium over the share price on May 24, before reports about a possible deal were first published. Archstone’s board of trustees unanimously approved the deal and the completion of the transaction, is expected in the third quarter.

Amongst some of the deals, shares of Bradley Pharmaceuticals jumped more than 20% after its chief executive bid to take the company private for $21.50 a share, a 17% premium over its Friday closing price. Stock of Avaya gained over 15% following news reports that some private equity firms would like to buy it. Shares of URS Corp. climbed as it agreed to buy engineering and design company Washington Group in a stock-and-cash deal worth $2.6 billion.

U.S. light crude oil for July delivery sank $2.05 to $63.15 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, as supply concerns waned. Nigerian oil workers have called off a strike and several refineries, including three in the Gulf Coast, are coming back on line.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter

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.

Monday’s show was a general advice show about how to watch and use the “Mad Money” show. Cramer said the sector a stock is in is often as important as the individual stock. Just because Cramer likes a stock doesn’t mean to go out and buy it without doing your own homework. And Cramer said his advice in the Lightning Round is not as strong as the advice he gives in the featured stocks segments, where more research has been done.

Below is the latest recap with new stock picks, on Friday May 25.

Bullish
Archstone-Smith (ASN) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Colonial Property (CLP) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Costco (COST) (Mad Money)
Darling (DAR) (”speculative, wait for selloff”) (Mad Money)
Deere (DE) (Lightning Round)
Essex Property Trust (ESS) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
General Maritime (GMR) (Lightning Round)
Kinetic Concepts (KCI) (”triple buy”) (CEO on Mad Money)
Marriott International (MAR) (Lightning Round)
Monsanto (MON) (Lightning Round)
Nastech Pharmaceutical (NSTK) (”could go to 15″) (Lightning Round)
NovaStar Financial (NFI) (Lightning Round)
Polo Ralph Lauren (RL) (Mad Money)
Qwest Communications (Q) (”could go to $12″) (Lightning Round)
Sears (SHLD) (Mad Money)
United Technologies (UTX) (”should go to $73″) (Mad Money)
Verizon (VZ) (Mad Money)
Wal-Mart (WMT) (”$52 target”) (Mad Money)

Bearish
Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) (Mad Money)
CIENA (CIEN) (Mad Money)
Dell (DELL) (Mad Money)
DryShips (DRYS) (Lightning Round)
Harley-Davidson (HOG) (Lightning Round)
Mosaic (MOS) (Lightning Round)
Pfizer (PFE) (Mad Money)
Procter & Gamble (PG) (Mad Money)
Walt Disney (DIS) (Mad Money)

* 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.”

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.

Cramer said Darling (DAR) is “en fuego, as speculative as it gets.”

Bullish
Archstone-Smith (ASN) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Colonial Property (CLP) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Costco (COST) (Mad Money)
Darling (DAR) (”speculative, wait for selloff”) (Mad Money)
Deere (DE) (Lightning Round)
Essex Property Trust (ESS) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
General Maritime (GMR) (Lightning Round)
Kinetic Concepts (KCI) (”triple buy”) (CEO on Mad Money)
Marriott International (MAR) (Lightning Round)
Monsanto (MON) (Lightning Round)
Nastech Pharmaceutical (NSTK) (”could go to 15″) (Lightning Round)
NovaStar Financial (NFI) (Lightning Round)
Polo Ralph Lauren (RL) (Mad Money)
Qwest Communications (Q) (”could go to $12″) (Lightning Round)
Sears (SHLD) (Mad Money)
United Technologies (UTX) (”should go to $73″) (Mad Money)
Verizon (VZ) (Mad Money)
Wal-Mart (WMT) (”$52 target”) (Mad Money)

Bearish
Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) (Mad Money)
CIENA (CIEN) (Mad Money)
Dell (DELL) (Mad Money)
DryShips (DRYS) (Lightning Round)
Harley-Davidson (HOG) (Lightning Round)
Mosaic (MOS) (Lightning Round)
Pfizer (PFE) (Mad Money)
Procter & Gamble (PG) (Mad Money)
Walt Disney (DIS) (Mad Money)

* 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 ended a quiet pre-holiday session higher even as the market posted weekly losses, as investors saw weaker-than-expected existing home sales as boosting chances that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates. The market also welcomed deal news from the Nasdaq Stock Market and Coca-Cola Co. Trading volumes were thin ahead of the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 66.15 or 0.49% to 13,507.28, the S&P 500 index closed up 8.22 or 0.55% to 1,515.73, and the tech-fueled Nasdaq composite closed up 19.27 or 0.76% to 2,557.19. For the week, the Dow closed down 0.4%, the S&P lost 0.5%, and the Nasdaq was almost unchanged.

Market breadth was positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers by 22 to 9 on volume of 1.2 million shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers topped decliners 19 to 10 as 1.5 billion shares exchanged hands.

On the economic front, a reading on April existing home sales came in weaker than expected. But investors didn’t seem too concerned, especially following the strong reading on new home sales released yesterday. Investors appear to be looking for signs that the economy is slowing enough to take the edge off inflation. But too much of a slowdown could send the economy into a recession. Housing reports have been showing variability lately, but overall the real estate sector remains in a downward trend.

Shares of Coco-Cola closed up $0.65 to $51.89, on news that it has agreed to buy vitamin water maker Glaceau for $4.1 billion.

Stock of Nasdaq closed down $1.14 to $32.84, on news that it is buying Nordic exchange group OMX AB in a $3.7 billion cash-and-stock deal that will give the U.S. exchange a better toehold in Europe. Nasdaq had been under pressure to find a partner following its failed bid for the London Stock Exchange and after rival the New York Stock Exchange completed a deal to buy Euronext, creating NYSE Euronext.

Shares of Archstone-Smith Trust closed up $4.10 to $55.23, after UBS said it could be a takeover candidate. While investors cheered the news, but trading volume was light ahead of the long weekend.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter

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.

Cramer believes the Dow will reach his target of 14,548 by year-end. (Last year the Dow closed at 12,463, only 7 points below Cramer’s target of 12,470.)

Bullish
Alcoa (AA) (Lighting Round)
Amazon (AMZN) (”going higher”) (Mad Money)
Apple (AAPL) (Lighting Round)
Boeing (BA) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Bon-Ton (BONT) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Dell (DELL) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Google (GOOG) (could see $600″) (Mad Money)
IBM (IBM) (”could go to $114″) (Mad Money)
JPMorgan (JPM) (”3 more points”) (Mad Money)
McDonald’s (MCD) (”tops out at $55″) (Mad Money)
Microsoft (MSFT) (”$35 target”) (Mad Money)
National Oilwell Varco (NOV) (”best in show”) (Mad Money)
NYSE Euronext (NYX) (Lighting Round)
Pall (PLL) (Lighting Round)
Sony (SNE) (”back up the truck at 50″) (Lighting Round)
Taser (TASR) (Mad Money) (Mad Money)
Tetra Tech (TTEK) (Lighting Round)

Bearish
Calgon Carbon (CCC) (Lighting Round)
Commerce Bancorp (CBH) (Lighting Round)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) (Mad Money)
Jones Soda (JSDA) (mentioned on Stop Trading!)
Merck (MRK) (”done going up”) (Mad Money)
Resources Connection (RECN) (Lighting Round)
Skechers USA (SKX) (Lighting Round)
Verasun Energy (VSE) (”sell it nine ways till Sunday”) (Lighting Round)

* 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.”