Don't rush to judgment on Amdocs (DOX Quote - Cramer on DOX - Stock Picks), Jim Cramer said Thursday on CNBC's Stop Trading! segment.
Cramer said the Chesterfield, Mo., maker of telephone billing software "has been a great performer," so he's loath to give up on it after Thursday's soft revenue forecast. Still, with the stock down 10% following a series of downgrades, there is the worry that the company's business has been undermined by telco consolidation and spending cuts. "This is of concern," Cramer said of the warning. But he said investors "can't make a snap judgment," given how solid management has been in the past. Cramer also cautioned that a strong dollar will pressure earnings gains at big consumer products companies like Colgate (CL Quote - Cramer on CL - Stock Picks), Procter & Gamble (PG Quote - Cramer on PG - Stock Picks) and Kellogg (K Quote - Cramer on K - Stock Picks), and drugmakers like Merck (MRK Quote - Cramer on MRK - Stock Picks) and Pfizer (PFE Quote - Cramer on PFE - Stock Picks). Cramer said the rebound in the greenback means that analysts "can't expect to raise numbers" as much for these companies. One exception, Cramer said, comes with companies that have a "strong secular growth story," such as charitable portfolio holding Altria (MO Quote - Cramer on MO - Stock Picks). Cramer said he would trim holdings like Colgate and Pfizer ahead of earnings, which start in earnest next week. Cramer made a similar comment about Caterpillar (CAT Quote - Cramer on CAT - Stock Picks), which he noted is "going up against overseas competition" that could prevent the "radical bump-up in numbers" that Cramer says he would otherwise expect.


