Investing Opinion

Cramer: Worst-Case Dow View

Stock quotes in this article:AXP, BAC, C 

Kraft(KFT): This is the worst-run food company in the Dow. The second worst, Heinz, trades at 10 times earnings, and this one has a Buffett discount too, and I don't know about dividend coverage. Give it a Heinz multiple, and you get $18. Seems right.

3M(MMM) has been crushed here, but in a worldwide recession it won't stop at $40, and the strong dollar is a huge headwind. Estimates are 10% too high in a best-case scenario, and that means, steady multiple, $35.

McDonald's(MCD): A strong dollar could cut estimates, as could a decline in traffic in Europe, where MCD has a big franchise, Still, it's a solid company and a good bet, so I will call it no lower than $45, as dividend protection and great management could cushion any decline. I want to buy this one, too, when it gets to $50, as you have to start somewhere, and the idea of it going to $45 implies a garden-variety worldwide depression.

Merck(MRK) has patent issues, and the new Supreme Court decision makes its products, particularly its vaccines, a free-fire zone. Also, this is the company that could be one of the most hurt by Obama's pitting of drug companies against each other to get a great price for the government. Chop a multiple point off it and cut earnings by a quarter, and let's call it $15.

Microsoft(MSFT): Another one with the estimates too high and the dividend too low. $12-$13 gives it dividend parity to Intel, but it has a less cyclical earnings stream, so I don't think it has too much downside here. $13 is the high end -- let's take that.

Pfizer(PFE): A disaster with a dividend that is too high once again and a merger that will put a lid on the stock for the foreseeable future. Don't forget huge, huge patent expiration problems and a government that's gunning for it. I think this one's going to $8 as the estimates and the dividend are too high, the latter even after the cut!

Procter & Gamble: Earnings estimates are too high, and dividend protection is slim, and the strong dollar will hurt here, hurt badly. At $36 it is more like Coca-Cola, a good compare, so I bet it gets there, and that's not nearly the haircut that it deserves in this environment. Still a PG premium.

United Technologies(UTX): The dollar is killing this company, and we believe that there is a good chance of a 10% cut in estimates, or $31, which gives it about a 5% yield. I think it would be a stretch to go down there, given its steady businesses, but aerospace and elevators could hurt them.

Verizon's(VZ) estimates are probably good, and the dividend is safe and should go higher this year, but at the same time it could return back to $23, the October low, in a hard selloff.

Wal-Mart(WMT) just boosted the dividend, it delivered an excellent quarter, and I truly believe that we might have seen the low of the year at $46. We tend to revisit the lows in this market, although IBM reported better and it didn't. But 3 points isn't much of a decline, so I like it just to that level.

Remember, this is the bearish view, no worldwide pickup or continued decline, no kick-in of stimulus, no change in the Obama plan. That's how you get to these levels. Put simply, they are not unrealistic, although it is unlikely to think they all get to these lows at once, as they didn't in October or November. So consider this the worst case, and be ready if it happens.

RealMoney Barometer Poll
1 What would best describe your stance heading into the coming week of trading?
Bullish
Bearish
Neutral
2 Which of these sectors do you think is set to move up in the coming week?
3 Which of these sectors do you think is set to move down in the coming week?


View the results without voting

>To order reprints of this article, click here: Reprints

At the time of publication, Cramer was long CAT, CVX, GE, HPQ, JNJ, JPM and WMT.

Jim Cramer is co-founder and chairman of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. Outside contributing columnists for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com, including Cramer, may, from time to time, write about stocks in which they have a position. In such cases, appropriate disclosure is made. To see his personal portfolio and find out what trades Cramer will make before he makes them, sign up for Action Alerts PLUS. Watch Cramer on "Mad Money" weeknights on CNBC. To order Cramer's newest book -- "Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer)," click here. Click here to order "Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich," click here to order "Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World," click here to get "You Got Screwed!" and click here for Cramer's autobiography, "Confessions of a Street Addict." While he cannot provide personalized investment advice or recommendations, he appreciates your feedback and invites you to send comments by clicking here.

TheStreet.com has a revenue-sharing relationship with Amazon.com under which it receives a portion of the revenue from Amazon.com purchases by customers directed there from TheStreet.com.

TheStreet Premium Services

Jim Cramer
Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS:
Trade right alongside a Wall Street pro — enjoy access to his Charitable Trust portfolio and be sent trade alerts BEFORE he makes a move. Learn More
OptionsProfits
OptionsProfits:
Get 50+ trade ideas a week from the industry's top options experts. Plus — exclusive commentary on market trends and essential trading tools. Learn More
Real Money
Real Money:
Our team of professional Wall Street Pros — including Jim Cramer, Doug Kass, and Nicholas Vardy — delivers intelligent analysis, timely trade ideas, and colorful commentary. Learn More
Stocks Under $10
Stocks Under $10:
Break into the market with small- and mid-cap stocks... all $10 or less! David Peltier tells you exactly which low-priced stocks he's buying and selling. Learn More
To begin commenting right away, you can log in below using your Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, OpenID or Yahoo login credentials. Alternatively, you can post a comment as a "guest" just by entering an email address. Your use of the commenting tool is subject to multiple terms of service/use and privacy policies - see here for more details.
blog comments powered by Disqus
Dow Jones S&P 500 NASDAQ 10-Year Note
12,393.45 1,310.33 2,827.34 15.81
Oil *
101.78
DOWN
26.41
DOWN
2.99
DOWN
10.02
DOWN
0.44
10 Yr
1.58%
SPDR Gold
151.62
-0.21%
-0.23%
-0.35%
-2.71%
Data delayed 20 minutes

Top Stories and Tools

Articles From

After the Bell

Before the Bell

Booyah! Newsletter

Midday Bell

TheStreet Top 10 Stories

Winners & Losers

We respect your privacy.
Podcasts

Connect with TheStreet