Jim Cramer
That game is over. But the people are still there, as is the overhead. Without this stuff, I don't know how you make a lot of money at an investment firm, particularly when you have decided to shrink your balance sheet and make fewer loans. Some can get away with it: Bank of America (BAC Quote - Cramer on BAC - Stock Picks), for instance, because it has a deposit base (same reason Wachovia (WB Quote - Cramer on WB - Stock Picks) is worth something, but I don't want to own it, either), doesn't need to rely on structured products to make some money.
LEH? I just don't see how they can deliver $5-6 earnings power anymore. Worse, I can't even figure out what they could earn in this environment. The franchise isn't too dicey, just the earnings estimates. I have so many companies that are delivering consistent, good numbers, why do I need a company that has a fraction of the earnings power that it used to have? No, I don't want to own Lehman. Random musings: Doug Kass, a major topic of last night's investment shindig because of his bullish call on the banks, is growing even more bullish on the group. I simply DO NOT share that cause! At the time of publication, Cramer had no positions in the stocks mentioned.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 Deere(DE Quote - Cramer on DE - Stock Picks), Discovery(DISCA Quote - Cramer on DISCA - Stock Picks) and Altria(MO Quote - Cramer on MO - Stock Picks).
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