Cramer's 'Mad Money Recap': Stocks That Can Take a Hit
TheStreet.com Staff
05/19/08 - 07:49 PM EDT
Click here for an archive of Cramer's "Mad Money" recaps.
Jim Cramer declared his "bullet-proof portfolio" a success on his "Mad Money" TV show Monday.
In November, 2007, Cramer identified five stocks that he felt were made of Kevlar and could withstand the ailing economy and sub-prime mortgage crisis. To date those five stocks are up 8.8%, while the S&P 500 is down, 3.3%.
Cramer said it wasn't smooth sailing for his "bullet-proof" stocks at the start. Just a week after he mentioned the names, the portfolio was down a quick 6%. "But that's the point," he said, "we bought these stocks because they bounce back."
Cramer's first pick in his portfolio is
Altria (MO), a stock which he owns for his charitable trust
Action Alerts PLUS. Since the recommendation, Altria has spun off its
Phillip Morris International (PM) division, and collectively the stocks are up 4.7% since November.
Cramer said he's a fan of both companies, especially Altria's 5% dividend yield.
Next on the list was
Freeport-McMoran (FCX), another stock which he owns for his charitable trust
Action Alerts PLUS.
Cramer called Freeport, which is up 11.9% since he mentioned it, the best copper story in the world.
Third in the portfolio was another Action Alerts name:
Foster Wheeler (FWLT). Although Foster has been a laggard in the portfolio, down 1% since November, Cramer said the company is still levered to high energy prices around the world and here too and he's been buying more shares.
Cramer: Oil Will Drive Market Higher |
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Fourth was
Transocean (RIG), the star performer in the group, up 27.6%. Cramer called Transocean the best deep-water contract driller out there with great earnings visibility. He advised viewers to take some profits, but remained bullish on the company.
Finally, Cramer revisited
Medco Health (MHS), a stock which is up just 0.7% since the November mention. Cramer said that while Medco makes its money whether or not the economy does well, it has more competition that he originally thought and perhaps the traditional defensive stock wasn't right for this portfolio. He told viewers "if it rallies, I'd sell it."
A Stealth Wind Power Play
Cramer featured
Thomas & Betts (TNB) as the next in his series of "new technology" stocks that manufactures the products the new economy needs. Cramer called the company another "stealth" wind power stock that investors need to consider.
"Everything that wind touches is getting bigger," said Cramer who noted the management of Thomas & Betts is doing little to promote this small, but growing, portion of their business. Cramer said the company has also been selling unprofitable product lines and concentrating their efforts on its core competencies.
While Thomas & Betts reported lack-luster earnings on April 30, Cramer noted the company said most of its sales will be during the latter half of the year. He also said the company's international exposure, which now stands at 40% of sales, is up from just 30% a year ago.
Cramer said that on a valuation basis, Thomas & Betts is cheap since the company trades at just 10 times its earnings and has a 2.8 million share buyback program which accounts for 4% of the total shares outstanding.
Go Small in Dry Bulk Shipping
Cramer said when it comes to the dry bulk shippers, most of the money has been flowing into the bigger, more well-known companies, leaving the smaller shippers behind at the dock.
He recommended
Paragon (PRGN) and
Star Bulk Carriers (SBLK) as two stocks ready to play "catch-up" to their peers.
Cramer noted that while the shares of many of the larger bulk shippers are up as much at 100% for 2008, both Paragon and Star are up less than 50%. Both companies still have great growth prospects, and with their 9.1% and 9.4% dividend yields, what's not to love?
Cramer said the math is simple: "More ships equals more revenue." In the case of Paragon, the company plans to add three new ships to its fleet of 11 ships in 2008. Plus, the company has also successfully implemented a 25% rate increase for the year.
It's a similar situation at Star Bulk Carriers, which recently added two new ships to its fleet, and could possible also add a third.
Cramer said that he's by no means backing away from his favorite dry bulk carrier,
Frontline (FRO), which hit another 52-week high today. However he urged investors to take a look at the smaller shippers for some short-term opportunities.
The Booming Tanker Business
Cramer welcomed Herb Hansson, chairman and CEO of
Nordic American Tanker (NAT)to the show to discuss the boom in the tanker business.
Hansson confirmed that business is indeed booming, with day rates for tankers rising. He explained that while new ships have been scheduled to come on line this year, many have been delayed, keeping supplies tight and rates high.
Hansson confirmed that Iran has been using tankers to store oil offshore, thus taking additional supplies off line. This, too, is accelerating demand, he explained.
Asked about giving back to the shareholders, Hansson said his company returns all of its profits to its shareholders through its dividend and will continue to do so.
Final Notes
Cramer told viewers that
Nucor's (NUE) filing to offer additional shares is the perfect time to get his second favorite steel play behind
US Steel (X) at a discount.
Lightning Round
Cramer was bullish on
First Solar (FSLR),
Weyerhaeuser (WY),
Temple-Inland (TIN)
and
Dynegy (DYN).
Cramer was bearish on
Kroger (KR),
Imax Corp (IMAX),
Sina Corp (SINA),
Fluor (FLR),
International Paper (IP),
Emcore (EMKR)
and
Reliant Energy (RRI).
Jim Cramer writes about all the stock trades in his charitable trust for TheStreet.com in
Action Alerts Plus. Recent stocks he's traded in this account include Schering-Plough(SPG), Yamana Gold(AUY) and Inverness Medical(IMA).
Want more Cramer? Check out Jim's rules and commandments for investing by
clicking here.
For more of Cramer's insights during the Lightning Round, click here.