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Top 5 Fast-Growth Stocks for May 11	4402	<I>By TSC Ratings Staff Posted on May 11, 2009</I> Top Five Fast-Growth Stocks: May 11 By TSC Ratings Staff <I>TSC Ratings <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/thestreet-picks/thestreet-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">TheStreet.com Ratings</a> provides exclusive stock, ETF and mutual fund ratings and commentary based on award-winning, proprietary tools. Its “safety first” approach to investing aims to reduce risk while seeking solid outperformance on a total return basis.</I> Each business day, we compile a list of the top five stocks in five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- and publish these lists in the Ratings section of our website. This week, fast-growth stocks are in the spotlight. These are stocks of companies that are projected to increase revenue and profit by at least 12% in the coming year and rank near the top all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at over 60 factors. In addition, the stocks must be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. Please note that definitions of revenue vary by industry, and this screen does not make adjustments for acquisitions, which can materially affect posted results. Likewise, earnings-per-share growth may be affected by accounting charges, share repurchases and other one-time items. Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments, market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large underfunded pension plans. <B>Quality Systems</B> (QSII) develops and markets healthcare information systems that automate medical and dental practices, networks of practices such as physician hospital organizations, ambulatory care centers, community health centers, and medical and dental schools. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8980-st007281.aspx" target="_blank"> rated Quality Systems a buy </a> since November 2001 due to its efficiency, solvency, and growth in revenue, net income and EPS. Solid stock price performance also supports this rating. For the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported that its revenues rose 36.1% year over year. The company announced that its net revenue results were a record for the company. A 15% improvement in EPS implies that the revenue growth trickled down to the bottom line. The company has achieved positive EPS growth routinely over the past two years, and we feel that this trend should continue. Net income also increased in the third quarter, rising 17.3% from $11.21 million to $13.15 million. Quality Systems has no debt to speak of, giving it a debt-to-equity ratio of zero. We consider this a favorable sign, as is a quick ratio of 2.02, which demonstrates the company’s ability to cover its short-term liquidity needs. Quality Systems’ stock has risen over the past year, reflecting the earnings growth and other positive factors like the ones cited above. Although this increase has driven to the stock to a level that is somewhat expensive to the rest of the Software industry, we feel that the company’s strengths justify the higher price level at this time. <B>Tyler Technologies</B> (TYL) provides integrated information management solutions and services for local governments in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. It has been <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-9701-st008994.aspx" target="_blank"> rated a buy </a> since July 2005 because of its efficiency, solvency, expanding profit margins, and growth in net income and revenue. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, Tyler reported revenue growth of 17.2% year over year. This was higher than the industry average of 8.9%, and appears to have helped boost EPS, which improved from $0.08 to $0.16 per share. Net income increased 92.1%, rising from $3.13 million to $6.01 million. The company has a strong gross profit margin of 45.9%, which has increased from the same quarter last year. Tyler’s return on equity can also be considered a modest strength, as it has improved slightly from 13.73% to 15.61%. In addition, a very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07 implies that the company has managed its debt levels very successfully. Management was pleased with Tyler’s strong start to fiscal 2009, but did not make any changes to its previously announced 2009 guidance because of the current economic climate. Although the company shows weak operating cash flow, we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <B>Pegasystems’</B> (PEGA) business management software helps companies manage complex, changing business processes by automating decision-making and the implementation of those decisions. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8759-st006801.aspx" target="_blank"> rated the company a buy </a> since May 2008. This rating is based on the company’s growth, solvency, and expanding profit margins. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported revenue growth of 28.6% year over year. Continuing an impressive record of EPS growth, Pegasystems’ EPS improved significantly, rising from 8 cents to 23 cents per share. Net income also increased in the first quarter, surging 193.5% from $2.94 million to $8.64 million. Both revenue and net income growth exceeded the averages for the company’s industry. Pegasystems’ gross profit margin is rather high at 67.10%; it has increased from the same quarter a year ago. The company has no debt to speak of, and its resulting debt-to-equity of zero can be seen as a favorable sign. In addition, Pegasystems maintains a quick ratio of 3.2, which clearly demonstrates its ability to cover short-term cash needs. Management reported that the first quarter marked Peagsystem’s seventh consecutive quarter of record-setting revenue and indicated that the company is off to a strong start in fiscal 2009. Although the stock is currently trading at a premium valuation, we feel that the strengths detailed above justify the higher price levels at this time. <B>NCI</B> (NCIT) is a provider of IT services and solutions to U.S. federal government agencies. The company focuses on designing, implementing, maintaining, and upgrading IT systems and networks. NCI has been <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-10165-st013677.aspx" target="_blank"> rated a buy </a> since February 2008 based on its healthy growth in revenue and net income, solid stock price performance, impressive record of EPS growth and largely solid financial position. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, NCI reported revenue growth of 14.8% year over year, which was higher than the industry average of 1.4%. This growth appears to have trickled down to the company’s bottom line, as EPS improved 25.9% compared to the same quarter a year ago. We feel that NCI’s two-year trend of positive EPS growth should continue. The company also reported increased net income, which rose 28.8% from $3.63 million to $4.68 million. An additional strength is the company’s debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, which is below the industry average and indicates successful management of debt levels. To add to this, NCI has a quick ratio of 1.55, demonstrating an ability to cover short-term liquidity needs. Management was pleased with what it considered solid results for the first quarter. Looking ahead, the company announced expectations of diluted EPS in the range of $0.34 to $0.36 for the second quarter and $1.44 to $1.52 for full-year fiscal 2009. The stock has risen 35.77% over the past year, and we feel that the stock should continue to move higher on the strength of the positive factors detailed above, despite its low profit margins. Bear in mind, however, that almost any stock can fall in a broad market decline. <B>Stifel Financial</B> (SF) offers securities-related financial services through its wholly-owned subsidiaries: Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Century Securities Associates, and Stifel Nicolaus Limited. We recently upgraded this company’s <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-7393-st008306.aspx" target="_blank"> stock to a buy </a> on April 2, 2009. The new rating is supported by the company’s efficiency, solvency, revenue growth, and solid stock price performance. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, Stifel reported slight revenue growth of 6.5% year-over-year. As a result, EPS also improved slightly, rising from 51 cents to 53 cents. Net income increased 16.0% when compared to the same quarter a year ago, rising from $16.05 million to $31.84 million. Return on equity also showed a slight improvement when compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 and can be considered a modest strength for Stifel. Finally, Stifel has a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. This ratio is below the industry average and implies that the company has been able to successfully manage its debt levels. Management announced that Stifel’s fourth quarter and full year results were records for the company, and stated that Stifel had managed to dodge many of the challenges faced by others in the financial services industry. Going forward, the company plans to focus on building shareholder value for the long-term. Although Stifel’s low profit margins could be considered a cause for concern, we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential at this time. <I> TheStreet.com Ratings, recently cited for Best Stock Selection from October 2007 through February 2009 , is an independent research provider that combines fundamental and technical analysis to offer investors tremendous value in volatile times. To see how your portfolio can use this research, <A HREF=”http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=012559” target=”new”>click here now!</A> Our quantitative rating, which can be viewed for any stock through our stock screener <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=0" target="_blank">stock rating screener</a>, is based on a variety of historical fundamental and pricing data and represents our opinion of a stock's risk-adjusted performance relative to other stocks. However, the rating does not incorporate all of the factors that can alter a stock's performance. For example, it doesn't always factor in recent corporate or industry events that could affect the stock price, nor does it include recent technology developments and competitive dynamics that may affect the company. For those reasons, we believe that a rating alone cannot tell the whole story and that it should be part of an investor's overall research. </I>	May 11, 2009
Cramer's Take on Headline Stocks: May 8	14137	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 8, 2009</I> The long-awaited <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10498262/1/stress-tests-banks-need-75b.html" target="_blank">stress test results</a> were released on Thursday after the market close with the confirmation that 19 of the biggest banks in the U.S. will have to raise $75 million to counter up to $600 billion of estimated losses. <B>Bank of America</B> (BAC) will need to raise the most cash, at $33.9 billion. <B>Wells Fargo</B> (WFC) needs to raise $13.7 billion, <B>General Motors</B> (GM) needs $11.5 billion, and <B>Citigroup</B> (C) needs $5.5 billion. On Friday, Wells Fargo <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10498206/1/wells-fargo-prices-75b-stock-offering.html" target="_blank">offered $7.5 billion worth of stock</a> on Friday, and <B>Morgan Stanley's</B> <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10498251/1/morgan-stanley-prices-stock-debt-offerings.html" target="_blank">offered $3.5 billion</a>. Stocks were <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10498496/1/stocks-climb-as-most-banks-advance.html" target="_blank">following banks' lead up</a> on Friday, with the three major indices in the green at midday. With this in mind, we thought we'd take a look at some of the stocks making headlines today and see what Jim Cramer's had to say about them lately. These stocks could be in the news for a number of reasons. Some require immediate attention; while others may not. Regardless, it never hurts to hear what Cramer (or any of the other professional investors on the site) has to say about them. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. In a <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=50c52862-5f8e-464c-9179-9c0201115eab" target="_blank">recent post to his <I>RealMoney</I> blog</a>, Cramer wrote: " Further to Sink I see profit-taking in techs, oils and banks. "No, I don't think we are done going down. I see a second-day rally into these distressed health care plays if we get an employment number tomorrow that's not as strong as the ADP number yesterday. I see more profit-taking in techs, oils and banks, as they are barely down vs. their runs. I see big equity deals occurring in the financials, starting with Wells Fargo, and it ain't going to be pretty in bank land for a couple days. But I don't believe you should stick with the rally plays from today unless they have gigantic yield support because, alas, the major trend -- where the money's going -- is still in companies like <B>ConocoPhillips</B> (COP), <B>JPMorgan Chase</B> () and <B>Cisco </B>(CSCO), not to mention the retailers that are pulling back and recharging because estimates are too low. "This is a much-needed breather. I would actually be more worried if everything had gone down. That we got a rally in companies that do poorly in stagflation and in a much higher-yield market tells me that we are seeing a rotation that's more catch-up than punitive. "I expected a bounce today. We got one, but it was anemic and from a much lower base than I predicted. Despite what looked like horrid action, the <B>S&P 500 </B>was barely down vs. the last couple of days. "And the <B>Nasdaq</B>? An excuse-filled breather. If Cisco had been at $18 going into this quarter, I think it would have ended up between $19 and $20. "And the whole thing would have been much ado about nothing." <I>(Editor's note: At the time of publication and/or original publication of his posts and shows, Cramer owned ConocoPhillips, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan and Cisco for his <A HREF="http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=011707" target="_blank">Action Alerts PLUS</A> charitable trust.)</I>	May 08, 2009
Jim Cramer's Portfolios of the Week	24926	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 8, 2009</I> Jim Cramer believes the <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/p/_jcblog/rmoney/jimcramerblog/10498204.html" target="_blank">market could continue to move lower,</a> after stocks fell on Thursday in front of the much anticipated bank stress test. Cramer thinks the market is simply doing some profit-taking in techs, oils and banks and rotating money into beaten-down health care plays. He doesn’t want investors to chase the health care stocks, unless they have a gigantic yield, because the major money flows are still going into stocks like <B>Cisco Systems</B> (CSCO) and <B>ConocoPhillips</B> (COP). Cramer was happy to see the market take a breather where not every sector went down. He thinks the run in health care stocks was from investors trying to play catch-up. Recently, Cramer found opportunity in stocks hit by the market selloff, speculative tech stocks and stocks making extreme moves. Here are some Cramer highlights from over the past week as aggregated from his "Mad Money" TV show, the "Stop Trading!" segment on <I>CNBC</I> and his <I>RealMoney</I> blog posts (these blog post require a <I>RealMoney</I> subscription). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Selloff-Opportunities/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Selloff Opportunities</a></b>: Cramer thinks the selloff is pushing some stocks down to attractive buy points. In a <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/p/_jcblog/rmoney/jimcramerblog/10497996.html" target="_blank">May 7 blog post</a>, he wrote: “This is the break I want to use to buy a stock like that. Nothing wrong with them. Good yields. They will see a turn if things get better.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Selloff-Opportunities/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Selloff Opportunities</a> include <B>State Street</B> (STT) and <B>Qualcomm</B> (QCOM). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Tech-Spec-Stock-Picks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Tech Spec Stock Picks</a></b>: All week long, Cramer has been talking about some interesting tech stocks as part of his “Tech Spec” series. On <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10497299/2/cramers-mad-money-recap-may-6.html" target="_blank">Wednesday’s “Mad Money” episode,</a> he told viewers that <B>Cadence Design Systems</B> (CDNS) is a company that’s turned itself around and should be bought. <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Tech-Spec-Stock-Picks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Tech Spec Stock Picks</a> include <B>Brocade Communications</B> (BRCD). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Asia-Driven-Oil-Trade/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Asia Driven Oil Trade</a></b>: Cramer thinks the comeback in Asia is driving the energy complex. In a <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=113f8bb8-b2e8-4f72-a44d-9bff00fecc4d" target="_blank">May 4 blog post</a>, he wrote: “People are spending too much time looking at our ailing economy and not enough time looking at this remarkable turn in Asia, which seems so explosive that it cannot be ignored. This group goes higher as oil breaks out to $60 and nat gas returns to $4.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Asia-Driven-Oil-Trade/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Asia Driven Oil Trade</a> includes <B>Nordic American Tanker</B> (NAT) and <B>Transocean</B> (RIG). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Historic-Selloff-In-Consumer-amp-Health-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Historic Selloff in Consumer & Health Stocks</a></b>: Is the real stress test happening in the consumer and health stocks? In a <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=1a60ef21-88af-4aa1-8ae7-9bfc00fd2814" target="_blank">May 1 blog post</a>, Cramer wrote: “The selling in these stocks -- daily, relentless, all-consuming -- is a continual reminder that there still is no new money coming into this market. Just the opposite -- money is flowing out.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Historic-Selloff-In-Consumer-amp-Health-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Historic Selloff in Consumer & Health Stocks</a> include <B>UnitedHealth</B> (UNH) and <B>Baxter</B> (BAX). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Extreme-Moves/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Extreme Moves</a></b>: Cramer has noticed that a number of stocks are making wild moves. In a <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=41b8e7ee-f5d8-4410-ab81-9c01010ef291" target="_blank">May 6 blog post</a>, he wrote: “These runs are the polar opposite of what happened last year. They are all about undoing what happened in a strong and methodical way. They aren't done.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Extreme-Moves/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Extreme Moves</a> include <B>Arch Coal</B> (ACI) and <B>Joy Global</B> (JOYG). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Rocking-Household-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Rocking Household Stocks</a></b>: Cramer sees some opportunities in household goods stocks. In a <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=062c9bc5-a7a7-4ef1-9ea6-9c0000b3e806" target="_blank">May 5 blog post</a>, he wrote: “<B>Clorox</B> (CLX) wrecked its own stock with crummy guidance, but I think it’s cheap enough to buy.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Rocking-Household-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Rocking Household Stocks</a> include <B>Kellogg</B> (K) and <B>ConAgra</B> (CAG). <I>(Editor's note: At the time of publication and/or original publication of his posts and shows, Cramer owned Cisco, State Street, Qualcomm and ConocoPhillips for his <A HREF="http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=011707" target="_blank">Action Alerts PLUS</A> charitable trust.)</I>	May 08, 2009
Who's on Stockpickr Answers?	676	One of the most popular features on Stockpickr is <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A>, where investing professionals answer questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community throughout the trading week. Here is this week's pro lineup: <B>Friday, May 8: <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1005249/david-peltier/all.html" target="_blank">David Peltier</A></B> <B>Monday, May 11: <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1005089/scott-rothbort/all.html" target="_blank">Scott Rothbort</A></B> <B>Tuesday, May 12: <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1521116/dan-fitzpatrick/all.html" target="_blank">Dan Fitzpatrick</A></B> <B>Wednesday, May 13: <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1136809/david-macdougall/all.html" target="_blank">David MacDougall</A></B> <B>Thursday, May 14: <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1106498/richard-widows/all.html" target="_blank">Richard Widows</A></B> <B>Friday, March 27: <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1005249/david-peltier/all.html" target="_blank">David Peltier</A></B> Not a Stockpickr member? <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/register/">Join the Stockpickr community today</A> -- for free.	May 08, 2009
Top 5 Small-Cap Stocks for May 8	6091	<I>By TSC Ratings Staff Posted on May 8, 2009</I> <I>TSC Ratings <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/thestreet-picks/thestreet-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">TheStreet.com Ratings</a> provides exclusive stock, ETF and mutual fund ratings and commentary based on award-winning, proprietary tools. Its “safety first” approach to investing aims to reduce risk while seeking solid outperformance on a total return basis.</I> Each business day, we compile a list of the top five stocks in five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- based on data from the close of the previous trading session. Today, small-cap stocks are in the spotlight. These are stocks of companies that have market capitalizations of $50 million to $500 million that rank near the top of all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at more than 60 factors. The stocks must also be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. They are ordered by their potential to appreciate. Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments or market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large underfunded pension plans. <B>Hawkins</B> (HWKN) formulates, blends, and distributes bulk and specialty chemicals for water treatment and industrial and pharmaceutical use. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-10350-st004033.aspx" target="_blank"> rated the stock a buy </a> since January 2003 on the basis of its efficiency, solvency, and solid stock price performance. For the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported very impressive revenue growth of 59.7% year over year. This growth greatly exceeded the industry average of 22.9% and appears to have contributed to improved EPS. Hawkins posted a significant change in EPS to 68 cents from 15 cents in the prior year’s quarter. Net income also increased dramatically, rising 362.7% when compared to the same quarter a year ago. A further strength for the company is that it has no debt to speak of, resulting in a favorable debt-to-equity ratio of zero. To add to this, a quick ratio of 1.65 clearly demonstrates the company’s ability to cover its short-term liquidity needs. Management stated that Hawkins’ business and gross profit will return to levels in line with past results over the next few months, as commodity pricing and demand have begun to level off recently. The company shows weak operating cash flow, but we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <B>Pervasive Software</B> (PVSW) provides embeddable data management and integration software products to customers worldwide. The stock has been <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8937-st006870.aspx" target="_blank"> rated a buy </a> since April 2008. This rating is driven by a few notable strengths, including the company’s solvency, attractive valuation levels and growth in revenue and net income. For the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported revenue growth of 21.0% year over year. This growth beat the industry average of 6.9%, and appears to have trickled down to the company’s bottom line, as EPS improved from 5 cents to 10 cents per share. Pervasive’s net income increased significantly in the third quarter, rising 101.4% from $0.94 million to $1.88 million. Net operating cash flow also increased slightly, rising 7.81% to $2.14 million. In addition, Pervasive has no debt to speak of, which we consider to be a relatively favorable sign, and a quick ratio of 4.30 clearly demonstrates the company’s ability to cover its short-term cash needs. Looking ahead to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, Pervasive announced that it expects its revenue to be in the range of $10.5 million to $11.5 million. The company also anticipates GAAP diluted EPS of 4 cents to 7 cents in the fourth quarter. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we fell that they are unlikely to have a significant impact on future results. <B>National Bankshares</B> (NKSH) operates as a bank holding company for The National Banks of Blacksburg, which provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals, non-profits, and local government units in Virginia. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8484-st010390.aspx" target="_blank"> rated the company a buy </a> since December 2008 because of a few notable strengths, including the company’s solid stock price, expanding profit margins, notable return on equity, and growth in net income and EPS. Although National Bankshares recently reported its first quarter of fiscal 2009, our current rating is based on the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. The company posted a slight improvement in EPS in the fourth quarter, with EPS rising from 46 cents in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to 48 cents in the most recent quarter. Net income also increased in the fourth quarter, rising 3.3% from $3.22 million to $3.33 million. National Bankshares’ gross profit margin is rather high at 66.4% and has increased from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007. An additional modest strength for the company is its return on equity, which improved slightly when compared to the same quarter a year ago. The stock has risen over the past year, reflecting the earnings growth and other positive factors similar to those cited above. It goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market, but we do not currently see any significant weaknesses that are likely to have a significant impact on the company’s future results. Under most market conditions, this stock should still have good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year. <B>NCI</B> (NCIT) is a provider of IT services and solutions to U.S. federal government agencies. The company focuses on designing, implementing, maintaining, and upgrading IT systems and networks. NCI has been <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-10165-st013677.aspx" target="_blank"> rated a buy </a> since February 2008 based on its healthy growth in revenue and net income, solid stock price performance, impressive record of EPS growth, and largely solid financial position. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, NCI reported revenue growth of 14.8% year over year, which was higher than the industry average of 1.4%. This growth appears to have trickled down to the company’s bottom line, as EPS improved 25.9% compared to the same quarter a year ago. We feel that NCI’s two-year trend of positive EPS growth should continue. The company also reported increased net income, which rose 28.8% from $3.63 million to $4.68 million. An additional strength is the company’s debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, which is below the industry average and indicates successful management of debt levels. To add to this, NCI has a quick ratio of 1.55, demonstrating an ability to cover short-term liquidity needs. Management was pleased with what it considered solid results for the first quarter. Looking ahead, the company announced expectations of diluted EPS in the range of 34 cents to 36 cents for the second quarter and $1.44 to $1.52 for full-year fiscal 2009. The stock has risen 35.77% over the past year, and we feel that the stock should continue to move higher on the strength of the positive factors detailed above, despite its low profit margins. Bear in mind, however, that almost any stock can fall in a broad market decline. <B>Diamond Foods</B> (DMND) processes and markets culinary, snack, in-shell, and ingredient nuts, which are primarily sold through two main product lines: Diamond of California and Emerald Nuts. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5046-st013261.aspx" target="_blank"> rated the company a buy </a> since July 2008 on the basis of the company’s impressive record of EPS growth, increases in revenue and net income and largely solid financial position. For the second quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported revenue growth that exceeded the industry average of 0.8%. Diamond Foods’ revenue rose 12.5% year over year, helping boost EPS from 17 cents a year ago to 37 cents in the most recent quarter. We feel that the company’s trend of positive EPS growth should continue in the future. Diamond’s net income also improved significantly in the second quarter, increasing 129.8% from $2.67 million to $6.14 million. Net operating cash flow improved slightly, increasing 6.27% to $67.68 million. Additionally, factors such as Diamond’s strong earnings growth of 117.64% helped drive the company’s stock price higher by 44.25% over the past year. The company announced that its second quarter earnings were a record for Diamond Foods, and was pleased with the success of its business strategy. On the basis of the second quarter results, the company increased its full-year earnings guidance, announcing that it now expects net sales of $535 million to $565 million, and EPS between $1.27 and $1.34 per share. The new EPS range represents an increase of $0.02 per share over previous guidance. While we see the company’s low profit margins as a potential cause of concern, we currently believe that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. In addition, we feel that those strengths justify the higher price levels to which the stock has been driven over the past year. <I> TheStreet.com Ratings, recently cited for Best Stock Selection from October 2007 through February 2009 , is an independent research provider that combines fundamental and technical analysis to offer investors tremendous value in volatile times. To see how your portfolio can use this research, <A HREF=”http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=012559” target=”new”>click here now!</A> Our quantitative rating, which can be viewed for any stock through our stock screener <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=0" target="_blank">stock rating screener</a>, is based on a variety of historical fundamental and pricing data and represents our opinion of a stock's risk-adjusted performance relative to other stocks. However, the rating does not incorporate all of the factors that can alter a stock's performance. For example, it doesn't always factor in recent corporate or industry events that could affect the stock price, nor does it include recent technology developments and competitive dynamics that may affect the company. For those reasons, we believe that a rating alone cannot tell the whole story and that it should be part of an investor's overall research. </I>	May 08, 2009
Cramer's Take on Headline Stocks: May 7	7366	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Updated at 3:32 p.m. EDT on May 7, 2009</I> On Thursday, as everyone awaited the <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10497796/1/stocks-take-a-step-back.html" target="_blank">results of the banking stress tests</a>, some banks were adding to yesterday's gains while the three major indices were all in the red. <B>Bank of America</B> (BAC) was up 7.2% at $13.60, while <B>Citigroup</B> (C) had given up earlier gains and was recently down 1.8% at $3.79. <B>Fifth Third</B> (FITB) was also giving up earlier gains, down 1.8% to $5.18, and <B>Morgan Stanley</B> (MS) was losing 6.7% to $26.60. <B>General Motors</B> (GM), <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10497721/1/gm-loses-6-billion-burns-102-billion.html" target="_blank">reported a $6 million loss for its first quarter</a>, equivalent to $9.78 a share. The stock was recently trading down 4.2% to $1.59. With this in mind, we thought we'd take a look at some of the stocks making headlines today and see what Jim Cramer's had to say about them lately. These stocks could be in the news for a number of reasons. Some require immediate attention; while others may not. Regardless, it never hurts to hear what Cramer (or any of the other professional investors on the site) has to say about them. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. In a <a href=" http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=79e40ade-dfc8-4df7-b24a-9c0100f47934" target="_blank">recent post to his <I>RealMoney</I> blog</a>, Cramer wrote: "Put aside the notion that the Treasury's leaking of these stress test results is outrageous -- what matters is, as I have been saying for almost two months, the fix is in for this incredibly important group. "You are seeing what forbearance means. You are seeing what happens when the Feds decide to bend the rules and not put the banks out of business. You will see a level of pragmatism from Tim Geithner that makes me like him even as I despise the way the news is coming out. "I understand the initial leak: You put out the story that Bank of America needs some outlandish number, a number that shows the test has strength, and that will most likely cause CEO Ken Lewis to lose his job. "Suddenly you've got everyone believing your test is no joke. Of course, that hideous number isn't much different from what BofA can convert and what it can sell in stock in a Chinese bank, making things OK. "We also got a 'no' vote on <B>Wells Fargo </B>(WFC). More money is needed, but Warren Buffett can write a check for $15 billion even though it's a serious grade. "Because of those tough grades, we are willing to accept a couple of iffy "no new capital" leaks, including <B>American Express </B>(AXP), <B>MetLife </B>(MET) and <B>Morgan Stanley </B>(MS), all of which were on the bubble. "Now the remaining banks can literally be absorbed by anyone else without a problem. <B>Regions Financial </B>(RF) needs a little cash? Not an issue -- it can take the money <B>Goldman Sachs </B>(GSis going to give back. <B>SunTrust </B>(STI) needs more? Or maybe <B>Capital One </B>(COF)? Not a problem. "The moment Geithner recognized that nationalization was wrong, the moment he realized that the 1989-1991 Resolution Trust method - forbearance -- was right, you didn't have to worry. "You just had to buy, which is what people are doing. "<B>Random musings</B>: The big bet against tech that has been going on all day is grounded in a belief that <B>Cisco </B>(CSCO) is going to disappoint. But I reiterate that given Cisco's strong April, I question how bad the quarter is going to be." <I>(Editor's note: At the time of publication and/or original publication of his posts and shows, Cramer owned Goldman Sachs and Cisco for his <A HREF="http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=011707" target="_blank">Action Alerts PLUS</A> charitable trust.)</I>	May 07, 2009
'Fast Money' Portfolios of the Week	16346	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 7, 2009</I> The traders of <I>CNBC’s</I> “Fast Money” believe that the market is approaching a make-or-break point with the <B>S&P 500</B> hovering around positive territory on the year and as earnings season slows down. Guy Adami doesn’t think the rally can continue, but he doesn’t think shorting is a good idea, either. Tim Seymour is bullish because he sees new money coming into the market and due to the strong price action in emerging markets. Pete Najarian feels that the market looks a lot better because investors have put protection in place for any potential downside. Karen Finerman is skeptical of the rally due to the low readings from the volatility index. It’s often said on Wall Street that the “trend is your friend,” and if the trend wants to continue higher, the “Fast Money” crew has found plenty of opportunities to play the upside. The gang recently highlighted trading ideas that play off of short squeezes, nat gas stocks and unusual options activity. Here are some highlights from over the past week as aggregated from the show. <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Hot-Nat-Gas-Trades/" target="_blank">Fast Money’ Hot Nat Gas Trades</a></b>: Is the natural gas sector ready to explode? On Wednesday’s “Fast Money” show, Pete Najarian told viewers: “When I look across the nat gas space, it seems to me all the bearish news about nat gas trading at new lows is now priced into nat gas stocks.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Hot-Nat-Gas-Trades/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Hot Nat Gas Trades</a> include <B>Apache</B> (APA) and <B>Baker Hughes</B> (BHI). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Rising-Stock-Stars/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Rising Stock Stars</a></b>: In a segment called “Rising Stock Star” the traders reveal their favorite rising stock. On Monday’s “Fast Money” show, Guy Adami told viewers: “<B>Geron</B> (GERN) has something like 300 patents. Also there’s decent short interest, so in the near term I think you could see a short-covering rally.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Rising-Stock-Stars/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Rising Stock Stars</a> include <B>Palm</B> (PALM) and <B>Emulex</B> (ELX). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Short-Squeeze-Plays/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Short Squeeze Plays</a></b>: The traders see a number of “short squeeze” opportunities setting up in the markets. On last Thursday’s “Fast Money” show, Karen Finerman told viewers: “<B>Green Mountain</B> (GMCR) is ripe for a squeeze with a 44% short interest in the stock.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Short-Squeeze-Plays/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Short Squeeze Plays</a> include <B>Citigroup</B> (C) and <B>Teck Resources</B> (TCK). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Options-Activity-amp-Trades-4/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Options Action</a></b>: The traders highlighted some unusual options activity in a number of stocks. On last Thursday’s “Fast Money” show, Pete Najarian told viewers: “I am starting to see a lot of active downside put buying in the <B>Industrial SPDR ETF</B> (XLI).” <a href=”http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Options-Activity-amp-Trades-4/” target="_blank">Fast Money’s Options Action</a> includes <B>SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF</B> (XHB). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Make-or-Break-Stock-Picks/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Make-or-Break Stock Picks</a></b>: It’s make-or-break time for the market and for a number of stocks. Should you ring the register or stay long? On Tuesday’s “Fast Money” show, Guy Adami told viewers: “Even if the market goes sideways or lower I still think <B>Fortress Investment Group</B> (FIG) can continue higher because they have the right tailwinds behind them.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Make-or-Break-Stock-Picks/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Make-or-Break Stock Picks</a> include <B>Discover Financial Services</B> (DFS). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Hot-Commodity-Plays/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Commodity Plays</a></b>: Should investors look to get into the commodity space? On Monday’s “Fast Money” show Karen Finerman told viewers: “In the commodities space, I still like the oil services stocks.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Fast-Money-s-Hot-Commodity-Plays/" target="_blank">Fast Money’s Commodity Plays</a> include <B>Vale</B> (VALE) and <B>Rio Tinto</B> (RTP). <B>Who's on Stockpickr Answers? </B> <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1105037/kevin-baker/all.html" target="_blank">Kevin Baker</A> will be on <B><A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A></B> on May 7 to respond to investing and trading questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Not a member? <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/register/" target="_blank">Join the Stockpickr community today -- free.</A>	May 07, 2009
Top 5 Mid-Caps for May 7	3342	<I>By TSC Ratings Staff Posted on May 7, 2009</I> Each business day, TheStreet.com Ratings <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/thestreet-picks/thestreet-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">TheStreet.com Ratings</a> compiles a list of the top five stocks in one of five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- based on data from the close of the previous trading session. Today we focus on mid-caps. These are stocks of companies that have market capitalizations of between $500 million and $10 billion that rank near the top of all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at more than 60 factors. The stocks must also be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. They are ordered by their potential to appreciate. Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments, market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large underfunded pension plans. <B>Rollins</B> (ROL) provides pest and termite control services and protection against termite damage, rodents, and insects through its subsidiaries. It also offers sanitation services to the food and commodity industries. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-9081-st007582.aspx" target="_blank"> rated the company a buy </a> since November 2003 on the basis solvency, efficiency, and growth in net income, revenue and EPS. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, Rollins’ revenue rose by 15.7% year over year, beating its industry’s average growth of 1.5%. As a result, EPS improved 14.3%, continuing a trend of positive EPS growth over the past two years. Net income increased 14.2% when compared to the same quarter a year ago, rising from $13.84 to $15.81 million. The company’s return on equity improved slightly when compared with the prior year’s quarter and can therefore be construed a modest strength. Additionally, we consider Rollins’ gross profit margin of 48.4% to be strong, while its net profit margin of 6.5% is above the industry average. The company stated that it experienced gains in its commercial pest control and termite control businesses, despite a softening of residential pest control sales. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we do not currently see any that are likely to have a significant impact on future results. <B>Edwards Lifesciences</B> (EW) is a global provider of products and technologies designed to treat advanced cardiovascular disease. The company has been <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5327-st002844.aspx" target="_blank"> rated a buy </a> since February 2007. This rating is supported by the company’s efficiency, solvency, and growth in net income, revenue and EPS. Edwards Lifesciences reported that its results in the first quarter of fiscal 2009 were due in part to strong heart valve sales. Although the company’s revenue was less than that of the industry average, it was able to report an increase of 5.6% year over year. This growth appears to have been enough to have helped boost EPS, which showed significant improvement when compared to the prior year’s quarter, rising from 31 cents to $1.03 per share. We feel that the company’s trend of positive EPS growth over the past two years should continue going forward. Net income surged in the fourth quarter, rising 232.4% from $18.20 million to $60.50 million. Edwards’ very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13 indicates that the company has been very successful at debt management, while a quick ratio of 2.03 demonstrates the ability to cover short-term liquidity needs. An additional sign of strength for the company is its expanding return on equity, which increased from 12.60% to 18.15% over the past year. Management considered Edwards’ first quarter results strong, and announced that it expects second quarter diluted EPS in the range of 73 cents to 77 cents per share. The company increased its full-year EPS estimate by two cents to a range of $2.95 to $3.03 per share. Any company may harbor some minor weaknesses, but we do not currently see any in Edwards Lifesciences that are likely to significantly impact future results. <B>McAfee</B> (MFE) is a security technology company that secures systems and networks from known and unknown threats worldwide. Our <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-6562-st006160.aspx" target="_blank"> buy rating </a> for this stock has been in place since April 2008. The rating is supported by such strengths as the company’s solid stock price performance, good cash flow from operations, and growth in net income, revenue and EPS. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported revenue growth of 21.1% year over year, greatly exceeding the industry average of 9.3%. This growth appears to have helped boost EPS, which improved significantly in the first quarter. We feel that McAfee’s trend of positive EPS growth over the past two years should continue going forward. Net income also increased significantly in the first quarter, rising 77.2% from $30.17 million to $53.46 million. Additionally, net operating cash flow surged 104.52% when compared to the same quarter last year. Management announced that McAfee’s first quarter performance included record quarterly revenue and operating cash flow results. The company also announced second quarter guidance indicating that it expects net revenue of $455 million to $475 million and GAAP net income of 28 cents to 32 cents per diluted share. Although no company is perfect, we do not see any significant weaknesses that are likely to detract from the generally positive outlook for McAfee’s stock. <B>Quality Systems</B> (QSII) develops and markets healthcare information systems that automate medical and dental practices, networks of practices such as physician hospital organizations, ambulatory care centers, community health centers, and medical and dental schools. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8980-st007281.aspx" target="_blank"> rated Quality Systems a buy </a> since November 2001 due to its efficiency, solvency, and growth in revenue, net income and EPS. Solid stock price performance also supports this rating. For the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported that its revenues rose 36.1% year over year. The company announced that its net revenue results were a record for the company. A 15.0% improvement in EPS implies that the revenue growth trickled down to the bottom line. The company has achieved positive EPS growth routinely over the past two years, and we feel that this trend should continue. Net income also increased in the third quarter, rising 17.3% from $11.21 million to $13.15 million. Quality Systems has no debt to speak of, giving it a debt-to-equity ratio of zero. We consider this a favorable sign, as is a quick ratio of 2.02, which demonstrates the company’s ability to cover its short-term liquidity needs. Quality Systems’ stock has risen over the past year, reflecting the earnings growth and other positive factors like the ones cited above. Although this increase has driven to the stock to a level that is somewhat expensive to the rest of the Software industry, we feel that the company’s strengths justify the higher price level at this time. <B>Tyler Technologies</B> (TYL) provides integrated information management solutions and services for local governments in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. It has been <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-9701-st008994.aspx" target="_blank"> rated a buy </a> since July 2005 because of its efficiency, solvency, expanding profit margins, and growth in net income and revenue. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, Tyler reported revenue growth of 17.2% year-over-year. This was higher than the industry average of 8.9%, and appears to have helped boost earnings per share (EPS), which improved from $0.08 to $0.16 per share. Net income increased 92.1%, rising from $3.13 million to $6.01 million. The company has a strong gross profit margin of 45.90%, which has increased from the same quarter last year. Tyler’s return on equity can also be considered a modest strength, as it has improved slightly from 13.73% to 15.61%. In addition, a very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07 implies that the company has managed its debt levels very successfully. Management was pleased with Tyler’s strong start to fiscal 2009, but did not make any changes to its previously announced 2009 guidance because of the current economic climate. Although the company shows weak operating cash flow, we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <I>Our quantitative rating, which can be viewed for any stock through our stock screener <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=0" target="_blank">stock rating screener</a>, is based on a variety of historical fundamental and pricing data and represents our opinion of a stock's risk-adjusted performance relative to other stocks. However, the rating does not incorporate all of the factors that can alter a stock's performance. For example, it doesn't always factor in recent corporate or industry events that could affect the stock price, nor does it include recent technology developments and competitive dynamics that may affect the company. For those reasons, we believe a rating alone cannot tell the whole story and should be part of an investor's overall research. </I> <B>Who's on Stockpickr Answers? </B> <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1105037/kevin-baker/all.html" target="_blank">Kevin Baker</A> will be on <B><A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A></B> on May 7 to respond to investing and trading questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Not a member? <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/register/" target="_blank">Join the Stockpickr community today -- free.</A>	May 07, 2009
You Ask, Dan Fitzpatrick Answers	6334	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 6, 2009</I> Throughout the trading week on <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A>, investing professionals answer questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. <I>RealMoney's</I> <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/author/1521116/dan-fitzpatrick/all.html" target="_blank">Dan Fitzpatrick</a> answered questions recently. On his latest segment in TheStreet.com TV series "<a href="http://www.thestreet.com/video/10496976/3-stocks-i-saw-on-tv.html" target="_blank">3 Stocks I Saw on TV</a>," Fitzpatrick examined the charts of <B>Research In Motion</B> (RIMM), <B>Eli Lilly</B> (LLY) and <B>Chesapeake Energy</B> (CHK). Here are some questions and comments from the Stockpickr community that Fitzpatrick's been responding to. You might have to scroll through to find his answers. Your thoughts on <B>Las Vegas Sands</B> (LVS) going forward? And on <B>Mosaic</B> (MOS)? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66527/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> Two health care stocks I've been following seem to be breaking out: <B>Inverness</B> (IMA) and <B>Hologic</B> (HOLX). Do you concur?<I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66523/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> Is it hard to technically evaluate a recent IPO? I got long <B>Changeyou.com</B> (CYOU) early on. <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66520/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> What is your take on buying oil and/or oil services? Would you be long <B>U.S. Oil</B> (USO)? Is now a good time to build positions into <B>Halliburton</B> (HAL), <B>Transocean</B> (RIG), <B>ConocoPhillips</B> (COP) or <B>BP</B> (BP)? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66536/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> Thoughts on <B>Gold Shares</B> (GLD)? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66528/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> <B>Who's on Stockpickr Answers? </B> <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1105037/kevin-baker/all.html" target="_blank">Kevin Baker</A> will be on <B><A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A></B> on May 7 to respond to investing and trading questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Not a member? <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/register/" target="_blank">Join the Stockpickr community today -- free.</A>	May 06, 2009
You Ask, David Peltier Answers	864	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 6, 2009</I> Throughout the trading week on <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A>, investing professionals answer questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community (which anyone can <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/register/" target="_blank">join for free</A>). <I>TheStreet.com's</I> <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1005249/david-peltier/all.html " target="_blank">David Peltier</a>, manager of the <a href=" http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/login/ss_mbp_spring08.jsp?flowid=63239b1b38&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestreet.com%2Fk%2Fdsa%2F_bio%2Findex.html&denied " target="_blank">Dividend Stock Advisor</a> and <a href=" http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/login/ValueInvestorLogin.jsp?flowid=b67cadbd6d&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestreet.com%2Fk%2Ftr%2F_bio%2Findex.html&denied " target="_blank">Value Investor</a> portfolios, answered questions on Stockpickr Answers recently. On <I>TheStreet.com</I> lately, Peltier has discussed <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/video/10495121/dividends-to-trust.html#21953335001 " target="_blank">dividends to trust</a>, including <B>IBM's</B> (IBM), and whether <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/p/_search/rmoney/investing/10490517.html" target="_blank">investors should wait to buy</a> <B>Healthcare Services</B>(HCSG). Here are some questions and comments from the Stockpickr community that Peltier's been responding to. You might have to scroll through to find his answers. Is <B>Ford</B> (F) a buy or sell? <I><a href=" http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66643/" target="_blank">Click here for Peltier's response.</a></I> What's your take on <B>McDonald's</B> (MCD)?<I><a href=" http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66646/" target="_blank">Click here for Peltier's response.</a></I> What is going on with <B>Southwestern Energy</B> (SWN)?<I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66672/" target="_blank">Click here for Peltier's response.</a></I> Any thoughts on <B>Palm</B> (PALM)? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66654/" target="_blank">Click here for Peltier's response.</a></I> How about <B>Flour</B> (FLR)? Is it a buy here? Any thoughts on <B>Rio Tinto</B> (RTP)? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66650/" target="_blank">Click here for Peltier's response.</a></I> Looks like there's an interest in stockpiling some <B>Morgan Stanley</B> (MS) going into the stress test results. <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66649/" target="_blank">Click here for Peltier's response.</a></I> <B>Who's on Stockpickr Answers? </B> <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/author/1105037/kevin-baker/all.html" target="_blank">Kevin Baker</A> will be on <B><A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A></B> on May 7 to respond to investing and trading questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Not a member? <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/register/" target="_blank">Join the Stockpickr community today -- free.</A>	May 06, 2009
Four Must-See Charts: Commodity Stocks	87249	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 6, 2009</I> Right now might be a great time for investors to switch their attention from technology and banking stocks and begin to focus on commodity-related stocks. Why, you might ask? Simply because both tech and financials have already made some very big moves. Just look at <B>Google</B> (GOOG), <B>Goldman Sachs</B> (GS) and <B>Research In Motion</B> (RIMM). It would be safe to assume that financial stocks pose a lot of risk at current lofty levels in front of the much-anticipated bank stress test results, set to be released on Thursday. The bank stocks could also be due for some profit-taking following the news today that <B>Bank of America</B> (BAC) might need $34 billion of new capital just to survive. There are also rumors in the market that <B>Wells Fargo</B> (WFC) will need a significant amount of capital. Technology stocks could be due for a significant selloff in front of <B>Cisco's</B> (CSCO) earnings report, due out after the market close tonight. If Cisco’s earnings don’t impress Wall Street, the entire sector could be hit by a wave of selling and profit-taking. On the flipside, commodity-related names have been largely ignored by Wall Street and seem to be flying under the radar of many investors. Commodity prices have started to firm across the board for oil, copper and steel, plus the dry bulk index looks to have found a floor. The massive stimulus plans in both China and America could also provide some fundamental support for the sector as we move into the summer months. With this in mind, let’s take a look at a few commodity stock charts that could be setting up to make significant move in the not too distant future. <B>1. U.S. Natural Gas Fund</B> First up is <B>U.S. Natural Gas </B> (UNG), a limited partnership that tracks the price of natural gas futures. Natural gas prices have fallen dramatically, from the historical average price for the last five years of around $7 to the current price of $3.50. Looking at the chart below, you can see that the price action and volume for the U.S. Natural Gas fund is starting to get very interesting. Recently, the stock found some solid support around $13 a share on extremely heavy volume. On Monday, more than 22 million shares traded hands vs. the average daily volume of 6.7 million as the stock traded higher. Shares also look poised to breakout of a downtrend channel and move back towards the 50-day moving average of $15.50. If the stock can trade through that key level, it could be set to make a big run back to $18 a share. It’s time to stop ignoring natural gas and consider that these oversold levels could represent a great buying opportunity. <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/common/images/storyimages/0505_UNG_big.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/common/images/storyimages/0505_UNG.gif" alt="chart" width="270" border="0" /></a> <B>2. OceanFreight</B> Next up is <B>OceanFreight</B> (OCNF), a global provider of shipping transportation services. This stock might not seem like the greatest way to play commodities at first glance, but even physical commodities have to be transported around the globe to meet the rising demand from countries such as China and India. Considering that global commodity demand is starting to firm as demonstrated by rising prices, shipping companies such as <B>DryShips</B> (DRYS), <B>Eagle Bulk Shipping</B> (EGLE) and OceanFreight are in the sweet spot to charge higher rates due to lack of supply of ships. Looking at the chart below, you can see that shares of OceanFreight have recently made a big move from $1 to $2 a share on very heavy volume. During that large move, the stock has broken above the 50-day moving average of $1.26 and it broke above some prior overhead resistance of $1.70 to $1.80 a share. If the bullish price action continues, OceanFreight could easily be on its way back towards $3 a share or possibly $5 if things really heat up! <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/common/images/storyimages/0505_OCNF_big.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/common/images/storyimages/0505_OCNF.gif" alt="chart" width="270" border="0" /></a> <B>3. Chesapeake Energy</B> Another compelling commodity-based stock is <B>Chesapeake Energy</B> (CHK), a producer of natural gas in the U.S. On Tuesday, the company reported some disappointing earnings, and the stock dropped as much a 10% after traders decided to sell the news. That sharp selloff could now present a golden opportunity to buy Chesapeake. Looking at the chart below, you can see that the stock has been trading in a channel from around $20 a share to around $13 since November of 2008. The stock has now started to trade above the upper-end of that channel, which is a very bullish indicator. If shares can hold above that key level, the stock could be well on its way back towards the 200-day moving average of $24.64. <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/common/images/storyimages/0505_CHK_big.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/common/images/storyimages/0505_CHK.gif" alt="chart" width="270" border="0" /></a> <B>4. Companhia Vale do Rio Doce</B> The last commodity name worth considering is <B>Companhia Vale do Rio Doce</B> (VALE), a metals and mining company with exposure to a number of hot commodities, including copper, aluminum and coal. This stock has made a large run from around $9 a share in December of 2008 to current prices of $19. Considering that move, investors might think now isn’t the greatest time to get involved in this stock. Think again! The stock just broke through a key level of overhead resistance at around $17.50 to $18.50 a share. That breakout was accompanied by a pickup in volume (see the chart below) as shares also broke above the 200-day moving average of $15.86. If the bullish price trend for Vale continues, the stock could be set to trade up to the next resistance level of around $24 a share. <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/common/images/storyimages/0505_VALE_big.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/common/images/storyimages/0505_VALE.gif" alt="chart" width="270" border="0" /></a> Visit the <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Charts-of-the-Week-5-06-2009/" target="_blank">Charts of the Week</a> portfolio to learn about a few more commodity stocks that look compelling. Also, if you want to improve your own technical-stock-picking skills, you can share ideas and pick up some tips on Stockpickr’s <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/showforums/1/3537/" target="_blank">technical-analysis forum</a>.	May 06, 2009
Top 5 Large-Cap Stocks for May 6	2780	<I>By TSC Ratings Staff Posted on May 6, 2009</I> Each business day, TheStreet.com Ratings <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/thestreet-picks/thestreet-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">TheStreet.com Ratings</a> compiles a list of the top five stocks in one of five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- based on data from the close of the previous trading session. Today, large-cap stocks are in the spotlight. These are stocks of companies with market capitalizations of over $10 billion that rank near the top of all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at more than 62 factors. In addition, the stocks must be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. The stocks are ordered by their potential to appreciate. Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments, market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large underfunded pension plans. <B>DirecTV </B> (DTV) provides digital television entertainment in the United States and Latin America. We <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5105-st003650.aspx" target="_blank"> have rated the company a buy </a> since May 2006 due to the company's impressive revenue growth, expanding profit margins, increased cash balance and notable return on equity. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, DirecTV's revenue increased 9% year over year, led by solid subscriber growth and continued ARPU growth in the United States. The company's EPS got a slight boost as a result, rising from 30 cents to 31 cents, despite a drop in net income. Gross profit margin also improved due to the company's revenue growth, expanding 57 basis points to 46.82%. Cash and cash equivalents jumped 82.6% to $2.01 billion, while net operating cash flow increased 8.8%. Return on equity also showed improvement, increasing 847 basis points to 31.22% due to a lower equity base. Management was pleased with the fourth quarter and full year results, noting that the company achieved its best quarterly net subscriber growth in over three years in the U.S. segment. While the company remains focused on obtaining new subscribers, it faces challenges from lower earnings, decreasing return on assets, and rising debt levels, which could affect financial performance and our rating in the future. <B>Oracle</B> (ORCL) is an enterprise software company that develops, manufactures, distributes, services, and markets database, middleware, and application software worldwide. The company <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-7258-st006573.aspx" target="_blank"> has been rated a buy </a> since October 2004 because of such positive factors as its expanding profit margins, solvency, efficiency and revenue growth. For the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported that its revenue increased slightly by 1.9%. EPS remained flat, however, indicating that the revenue improvement did not trickle down to Oracle's bottom line. Although the company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently, we feel that it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. Oracle's gross profit margin increased since the same quarter a year ago, and is currently very high at 20.2%. Its net profit margin of 24.4% is above the industry average. Net operating cash flow increased to 25.11% in the third quarter. A quick ratio of 1.8 demonstrates strong liquidity, although a debt-to-equity ratio above the industry average indicates that Oracle's management of debt levels may need to be evaluated further. Based on its third quarter results, record operating cash flow, and free cash flow, Oracle decided to pay its first quarterly cash dividend to holders of common stock. The 5 cents per share will be paid on May 8. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we feel that they are unlikely to have a significant impact on future financial results. <B>FPL Group</B> (FPL) owns and operates Florida Power & Light Company, supplying electric service to a population of more than eight million throughout most of the east and lower west coasts of Florida. We <a href=" https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5502-st003485.aspx" target="_blank"> have rated the stock a buy </a> since January 2009 due to the company's impressive growth and strong fundamentals. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported that its revenue increased 7.9% year-over-year, beating the industry average of 3.1%. This appears to have led to FPL's 45.2% improvement in EPS, which is a continuation of a pattern of positive EPS growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue, and the market expects an improvement from $4.07 to $4.23 this year. Net income also increased in the first quarter, rising 46.2% from $249 million to $364 million. Return on equity improved slightly when compared to the same quarter last year and can therefore be considered a modest strength for FPL Group. Although the company's stock price is down 15.86%, we do not feel that this should necessarily be interpreted as negative. The drop in price reflects, in part, the market's overall decline and is one factor that makes this stock an attractive investment at this time. Based on its first quarter results, FPL Group raised its guidance for both fiscal 2009 and fiscal 2010. The company projects adjusted earnings for full year 2009 in the range of $4.20 to $4.40 per share and in the range of $4.65 to $5.05 per share for full year 2010. Although most measures we evaluated indicated that the company has had generally poor debt management, we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <B>McDonald's</B> (MCD) primarily operates and franchises McDonald's restaurants. In total, the corporation has more than 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-6496-st005484.aspx" target="_blank"> rated McDonald's a buy </a> since March 2004, based on strengths such as its EPS and net income growth, strong profit margin results and relatively strong performance in comparison to the <B>S&P 500</B> over the past year. McDonald's reported on April 22 that its revenue decreased slightly in the first quarter of fiscal 2009, dropping 9.6% year over year. This decline did not seem to affect the company's bottom line, however, as EPS improved 7.4% when compared to the same quarter last year. We feel that the company's trend of positive EPS growth should continue. Although McDonald's gross profit margin decreased year-over-year, a result of 36.60% is still considered strong, and the company's net profit of 19.3% compares favorably with the rest of the industry. McDonald's net income increased slightly in the first quarter, rising 3.5% from $946.1 million to $979.5 million. McDonald's attributed its first quarter results to strong global comparable sales, and management said that the company was confident about its ability to drive shareholder value and grow the business' value. Although the company's stock price is down 8.69% when compared to last year, we do not see anything in its fundamentals that is likely to cause a continuation of last year's declining stock price. No company is perfect, but we do not currently see any significant weakness that is likely to detract from McDonald's generally positive outlook. <B>Sempra Energy</B> (SRE) is an energy services holding company that generates electricity and distributes and transmits natural gas in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Mexico. A large portion of its business is conducted in California. We <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-9356-st007865.aspx" target="_blank"> upgraded the stock from hold to buy </a> in January 2009. Our rating is based on strengths such as Sempra's solvency, net income and (EPS growth, and return on equity. Sempra reported results for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 on May 5. Those results will be run through our model shortly, and the rating will be updated as necessary, but our current rating is based on the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. Although Sempra's revenue dropped in the fourth quarter, the company did outperform in comparison with the industry average. The declining revenue does not appear to have hurt the company's bottom line, as EPS improved 18.2% year over year, rising from 31 cents to 35 cents. Net income also increased in the fourth quarter, rising 10.3% when compared to the same quarter a year ago. Sempra's return on equity improved slightly and can be considered a modest strength for the company. In addition, a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93 is somewhat low and seems to indicate that the company has successfully managed its debt levels. Looking ahead to fiscal 2009, the company reaffirmed its full-year EPS outlook of $4.35 to $4.60 per share. The company shows weak operating cash flow, but we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <I>Our quantitative rating, which can be viewed for any stock through our stock screener <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=0" target="_blank">stock rating screener</a>, is based on a variety of historical fundamental and pricing data and represents our opinion of a stock's risk-adjusted performance relative to other stocks. However, the rating does not incorporate all of the factors that can alter a stock's performance. For example, it doesn't always factor in recent corporate or industry events that could affect the stock price, nor does it include recent technology developments and competitive dynamics that may affect the company. For those reasons, we believe a rating alone cannot tell the whole story and should be part of an investor's overall research. </I>	May 06, 2009
Cramer's Take on Headline Stocks: May 6	9419	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted at 12:42 p.m. on May 6, 2009</I> The revelation of the <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10496731/1/bank-stress-tests-no-big-deal.html" target="_blank">results of bank stress tests</a> is imminent, set for tomorrow. Rumor has it that 10 of the 19 banks tested will <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10496186/1/about-10-banks-must-boost-capital-reports.html" target="_blank">need to raise capital</a>, but which banks those will be -- <B>Bank of America</B> (BAC)? <B>Wells Fargo</B> (WFC)? <B>Citigroup</B> (C)? -- remains to be seen. In anticipation, financial stocks were trading higher at midday on Wednesday, with BofA up 10.6% to $11.99 and Citigroup up 5.1% to $3.48. <B>Amazon</B> (AMZN) <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10496767/1/amazon-kindle-new-hope-for-print.html" target="_blank"> launched its new Kindle</a>, which sports a wider screen for textbook and newspaper reading ease. The stock was recently down 1.1% at $80.99. In earnings, <B>Dendreon</B> (DNDN) reported a <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10497153/1/dendreon-narrows-loss-on-fewer-expenses.html " target="_blank">narrower loss in the first quarter</a>, beating expectations, and <B>Transocean's</B> (RIG) <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10497068/1/transocean-profit-sinks-18-stock-rises.html " target="_blank">income fell 18%</a>. Dendreon was 19 cents to $21.34 at midday on Wednesday, and Transocean was up 3.9% to $75.83. With this in mind, we thought we'd take a look at some of the stocks associated with today's headlines and see what Jim Cramer's had to say about them. These stocks could be in the news for a number of reasons. Some require immediate attention; while others may not. Regardless, it never hurts to hear what Cramer (or any of the other professional investors on the site) has to say about them. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. In a <a href=" http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=39cff9de-ee96-446d-bb5a-9c000069ef2b " target="_blank">recent post to his <I>RealMoney</I> blog</a>, Cramer had this to say: "When I was weighted short and we would have these seemingly endless days of rallying it was the mornings that would get me. The mark-ups of the futures, the refusal of Asia or Europe to go down, the 'tone.' It was relentless. "Then I would get to the office and, after a long period in which all I heard were downgrades, I would be greeted by upgrades, where I would always scream, 'Now? Now they upgrade <B>Intel </B>(INTC)?' Or, 'He's putting <B>Research In Motion </B>(RIMM) on the list now, after this run?' Or, 'Wells Fargo goes from hold to buy? After it ran up four points? What is he thinking?' "Then I would throw something at someone in disgust, and wonder, 'Guy told me he hated Wells yesterday, now he loves it? How can that be?' "Yep, how can that be? How can everyone who hated everything now love everything? How can <B>Bank of America </B>(BAC) be a nationalized basket case one day and a strong buy the next -- something I expect will happen soon? How can <B>Microsoft </B>(MSFT) go from being expensive at $18 to cheap at $20, and how can <B>Apple </B>(AAPL) be downgraded at $90 on Steve Jobs' health and upgraded at $130, even if he isn't better? "Because that's what happens when things turn in this business. Lots of irrationality. You want to fight it because, alas, it is irrational, and you are, of course, rational. But the pain of being rational is overwhelming, particularly when your clients demand irrationality. The pain of betting that things aren't going to get better after a 53% decline in the averages and the most stimulus ever produced is just too cruel and inhuman. "So you capitulate. You buy the <B>United Parcel Service </B>(UPS) that you just sold on that bad quarter. You go back into <B>Transocean </B>(RIG) after you sold it 10 points ago. You decide that coal is good after all and you buy <B>Freeport McMoRan </B>(FCX) at twice the price that you sold it. "And those, oddly, are disciplined, smart moves. "You are not alone. So afraid of a dividend cut from <B>Black & Decker </B>(BDKwas I, that I jettisoned it nine points ago. The cut came, the stock went up. When <B>U.S. Steel </B>(X) got downgraded in the low $20s by an analyst who said they had to cut the dividend and do an equity offering it looks like such a smart thing to do. "Except the dividend cut and equity offering came four points above where he said it would happen and the stock is now up 10 from the sell recommendation. He was rational, at least for the time. "We are in max-pain territory for the disciplined negativists. Can they hold out for a bad Cisco (CSCO) quarter? How about some worse-than-expected same-store sales, albeit unlikely because of the retail calendar shift? How about a week employment number? "You can hold out for anything. The week before expiration has always had one horror show day. But here's the issue: The higher we go the less likely we will get back to levels where you first hated it anyway. At a certain point your discipline will choke the living daylights out of your portfolio or your profit and loss statement. "If I weren't in yet, I would still be looking for the remaining 4% yielders. When they are gone you have wait for that pullback. "But when it comes, don't start thinking, OK, that was the 'V' part of the 'W' and now we are going back down. "Just be glad for a chance to get back in." <I>(Editor's note: At the time of publication and/or original publication of his posts and shows, Cramer owned Wells Fargo, Freeport McMoRan and Cisco Systems for his <A HREF="http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=011707" target="_blank">Action Alerts PLUS</A> charitable trust.)</I>	May 06, 2009
This Commodity Stock Could Double	95983	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 6, 2009</I> Commodities, from oil and copper to zinc and nickel, act as an essential barometer of global growth and provide a real-time glimpse of how the global economy is faring. Recent action in the commodity sector has been downright bullish, suggesting that the world economies have seen the worst of the global recession and that greener pastures lie ahead. For example, copper bottomed out in early March at $1.60 per pound, and the June HG future contract is trading at about $2.09 per pound. A critical commodity for infrastructure and housing, copper is definitely worth keeping an eye on as an indicator of global growth. The largest copper producer in North American is <B>Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold</B> (FCX), based in Phoenix. The spot price of copper is up about 60% this year, and shares of Freeport have more than doubled. Other large copper producers include London-based <B>Rio Tinto</B> (RTP), which has also doubled so far this year, and Australia-based <B>BHP Billiton</B> (BHP), up about 19% so far this year. Aluminum stocks are on the rise, too. <B>Alcoa</B> (AA), the largest publicly traded aluminum company, has more than doubled since its March 6 low, and <B>Century Aluminum</B> (CENX), a mid-sized aluminum producer with smelters in the U.S. and Iceland, is up a whopping 600% since it's March 9 low. Of particular interest is <B>North American Palladium</B> (PAL), the largest and only producer of palladium in North and South American, accounting for 4% of the global palladium supply. The stock is up about 9% this year, currently trading at about $2.05. It's poised to be the next commodity producer to double. North American Palladium currently has a market capitalization of $180 million, which equates to roughly $2.09 per share, but the company’s balance sheet is extremely healthy, sporting more than $1 per share in cash and no debt. Relative to other commodities, palladium is rare, with annual global production of just 6.8 million ounces. Annual global production of gold is 90 million ounces and of sliver is more than 150 million ounces. On a production basis, palladium 75 times as rare then gold. As of 2008, Russia was the largest producer of palladium via Norilsk Nickel, which accounted for roughly 45% of the world’s production. However, as economic and political conditions inside the country weaken, commodity companies inside Russia are being forced to close operations, particularly in the palladium space, thus creating a relatively inelastic market. South Africa accounts for roughly 39% of the world’s production, but producers have slowed the rate of production down as new mines are shut and power issues challenge new mine developments. When demand finally picks up, palladium prices will skyrocket. According to CPM Group, the price of palladium will be $250 per ounce in 2009, $396 per ounce in 2010, $410 per ounce in 2011, $460 per ounce in 2012, $490 per ounce in 2013 and $510 per ounce in 2014. More than 50% of all of the world’s palladium is used principally in catalytic converters in the automobile industry, so North American Palladium is also an indirect bullish bet on <B>Ford</B> (F) and the automotive market in general. In addition, North American Palladium currently has annualized production rates of 270,000 ounces of palladium, 20,000 ounces of platinum and 20,000 ounces of gold, so it's a play on platinum and gold as well. As the global economy finally improves, commodity stocks in general will lead the advance higher as both global growth and global inflation act as the principal catalysts to move the sector higher. North American Palladium is a clear winner in the space.	May 06, 2009
Cramer's Take on Headline Stocks: May 5	22860	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Updated at 5:13 p.m. on May 5, 2009</I> Last week, Jim Cramer said on "Stop Trading!" that <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10493943/1/cramers-stop-trading-chinas-potential.html" target="_blank">China's stimulus plan has worked</a> and that the country is leading the rest of the world out of a global recession. Recently, Brazil announced that <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10496164/1/china-tops-us-as-leading-brazil-trade-partner.html" target="_blank">China is now its No. 1 trade partner</a>, a spot that used to belong to the U.S. On Tuesday, the <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10496235/1/china-shares-hit-9-month-high-on-rebound-hopes.html" target="_blank">Shanghai Composite Index</a> hit a nine-month high. With this in mind, we thought we'd take a look at some of the stocks related to recent headlines and see what <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Take-on-Headline-Stocks-May-5/" target="_blank">Jim Cramer's had to say about them</a>. These stocks could be in the news for a number of reasons. Some require immediate attention; while others may not. Regardless, it never hurts to hear what Cramer (or any of the other professional investors on the site) has to say about them. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. In a <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=b9fa36f8-170c-4234-acf9-9bff00ca5bdd" target="_blank">recent post to his <I>RealMoney</I> blog</a>, Cramer had this to say: "<B>Intel </B>(INTC), <B>Research In Motion</B> (RIMM), cell phone chips, endless upgrades. Why, why, why? "China. "As we parse through all of the spending out of China, we are without a doubt in some sort of resurgence that nobody has the inventory to meet. It is amazing how depressed the tech manufacturing business was going in to 2009 -- inventories were incredibly lean and we are seeing what happens on any snapback. "Two signs tell it all: the couponing by the Chinese government that only works if you buy gadgets -- all of which have tons of tech in them -- and the bullish statements made on Mad Money by David Aldrich last week, CEO of <B>Skyworks Solutions </B>(SWKS). Skyworks' materials go into all cell phones and the company can't pump out the stuff fast enough. "You can only imagine the extrapolations there: <B>Verizon </B>(VZ), <B>AT&T </B>(T), Research in Motion, <B>Apple </B>(AAPL) iPhones, <B>Sprint </B>(S), Motorola (MOT), <B>Nokia </B>(NOK) and <B>LG Electronics</B>. These companies are all inventory-constrained (although Motorola is the most problematic, as anyone on that conference call knows). That means <B>Qualcomm</B> (QCOM) is still strong, <B>Texas Instruments</B> (TXN) is a buy and <B>Maxim</B> (MXIM) and <B>Linear</B> (LLTC) work too. "There is so much good news here and so many tape-fighters that it is remarkable to see how the scramble goes on every single day in tech. Meanwhile, of course, the tech funds are the only ones experiencing inflows, if the history of fund manager inflows -- winners win -- continues. "Just plain exciting if you are a tech investor, but nauseating if you are a short-seller. "One other point: those looking for a price break have to be counting on <B>Cisco</B> (CSCO) delivering subpar earnings on Wednesday night. Cisco has very little retail exposure save set-top boxes (meaningful because of the change to digital), but it has the ability to say the future is brighter than the past and that may be all that matters." For more of what Cramer's had to say about stocks in the news, including <B>Las Vegas Sands</B> (LVS) and <B>JPMorganM</B> (JPM) check out the <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Take-on-Headline-Stocks-May-5/" target="_blank">Cramer's Take portfolio</a>. <I>(Editor's note: At the time of publication and/or original publication of his posts and shows, Cramer owned Qualcomm and JPMorgan for his <A HREF="http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=011707" target="_blank">Action Alerts PLUS</A> charitable trust.)</I>	May 05, 2009
Dividend Stocks for the Week	11694	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 5, 2009</I> Last week saw some dividend reductions, including by <B>Eastman Kodak</B> (EK), which eliminated its dividend and implemented some salary cuts. But there were even more companies that raised their dividends, a positive sign not just for those companies but for the economy in general. Stockpickr has reviewed the dividend declarations from the past week and compiled a portfolio of <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Top-Dividend-Increasers-for-the-Week-Ending-05-01-09/" target="_blank">Top Dividend-Increasers</a>. One of the dividend-raisers is <b>Safeway</b> (SWY), which announced a 21% increase in its regular quarterly dividend, from 8.28 cents per share to 10 cents per share, payable July 16 to shareholders of record as of June 25. This gives the stock a yield of 2.2%. Unfortunately, in spite of the dividend increase, Safeway shares dropped by 8% on Thursday when the company <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10494499/1/safeway-stock-takes-hit-on-poor-results.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA" target="_blank">reported disappointing first-quarter results </a> and said that business for the rest of 2009 will likely be worse than previously expected. The original earnings target was for $2.34 to $2.44 a share, but now the company estimates $2.10 to $2.30 a share, which is below analysts' expectations of $2.23. Safeway's dividend payment of $107 million is extremely well-covered by the operating cash flow of $2.25 billion. It has $5.5 billion in total debt with just $383 million in cash. Safeway is owned by the <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/port/Columbia-Acorn-Select-Z-ACTWX/">Columbia Acorn Select Fund</a>, a long-term capital growth fund with an overall Morningstar rating of three stars. It primarily invests in companies with market capitalizations of less than $5 billion. Although the fund has had a slightly negative five-year annualized return of -0.68%, the fund is up 13.08% year to date. The fund also owns <b>Waste Management</b> (WMI), which yields 4.4%; <b>Expeditors International of Washington</b> (EXPD), with a 0.9% yield; and <b>J.B. Hunt Transport Services</b> (JBHT), with a 1.6% yield. Another company that boosted its dividend is <b>IBM</b> (IBM), which announced that it will increase its quarterly dividend by 10%, bumping it up by 5 cents to 55 cents per common share for its 14th straight year of dividend increases. This increase provides a yield of 2.1%. The company also announced that it would repurchase an additional $3 billion of its stock. David Peltier, portfolio manager of the Dividend Stock Advisor, calls IBM dividends the <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/video/10495121/dividends-to-trust.html?cm_ven=YAHOOV&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA&s=1#21953335001" target="_blank">dividends to trust</a>. The company's $2.9 billion in dividend payments is covered six times over by its $18.81 billion in operating cash flow. Although IBM has $31 billion in debt, it has $12.3 billion in cash. IBM is owned by <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/port/Rockefeller-Financial-Services/">Rockefeller Financial Services</a>, a New York City-based money management company with more than $2 billion under management. Rockefeller also owns <b>Exxon Mobil </b> (XOM), which yields 2.5%; <b>Wal-Mart Stores</b> (WMT), with a 2.2% yield; and <b>Aflac </b> (AFL), which provides a 3.8% yield. For more ideas, check out the <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Top-Dividend-Increasers-for-the-Week-Ending-05-01-09/">Top Dividend-Increasers</a> portfolio. <I>Author does not own any of the above at the time the article was written. </I>	May 05, 2009
Top 5 All-Around-Value Stocks for May 5	4463	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 5, 2009</I> Each business day, TheStreet.com Ratings <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/thestreet-picks/thestreet-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">TheStreet.com Ratings</a> compiles a list of the top five stocks in one of five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- based on data from the close of the previous trading session. Today, all-around-value stocks are in the spotlight. These are stocks of companies that meet a number of criteria, including annual revenue of more than $500 million, lower-than-average valuations such as a price-to-sales ratio of less than 2, and leverage that is less than 49% of total capital. In addition, they must rank near the top of all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at more than 60 factors. The stocks must also be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. They are ordered by their potential to appreciate. Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments, market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large, underfunded pension plans. <B>Silgan Holdings</B> (SLGN) manufactures metal and plastic consumer goods packaging products, including metal food containers, vacuum closures for food and beverage products, and high density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate containers for the personal care market. Our <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-9258-st007960.aspx" target="_blank"> buy rating for this stock </a> has been in place since May 2004. The rating is based on such strengths as the company’s growth, efficiency, and return on equity. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, Silgan reported a slight drop in revenue, which does not seem to have affected the company’s bottom line. EPS improved 30.9% year over year, and we feel that Silgan’s recent trend of positive EPS growth should continue. Net income also improved 30.9% in the first quarter, rising from $21.16 million to $27.7 million. Although the company posted a rather low gross profit margin of 20.3%, it has managed to increase the gross profit margin when compared to the same quarter last year, and its net profit margin of 4.2% compares favorably to the industry average. In addition, return on equity improved slightly in the first quarter, rising from 22.33% to 25.71%, and can be viewed as a modest strength for the organization. Management stated that Silgan’s fiscal 2009 outlook remains, based on its first quarter results. The company reaffirmed its fiscal 2009 guidance, indicating that it expects to achieve net income per diluted share in the range of $3.75 to $3.95. Despite the company’s weak operating cash flow, we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <B>Family Dollar Stores</B> (FDO) operates a chain of almost 6,000 retail discount stores in a 44-state area, providing primarily low to lower-middle income consumers with a wide range of general merchandise at highly competitive prices in convenient neighborhood stores. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5398-st003202.aspx " target="_blank"> rated the stock buy </a> since July 2008. The rating is based on the company’s outstanding fundamentals and recession-resistant business model. The company reported on April 8 that its revenue increased slightly in the second quarter of fiscal 2009, rising 8.7% year-over-year. This growth appears to have helped boost EPS, which improved 33.3% from 45 cents a year ago to 60 cents in the most recent quarter. Family Dollar’s net income jumped 32.9%, increasing from $63.6 million to $84.14 million. The company’s return on equity has also slightly improved from where it was a year ago. This change from 18.34% to 19.1% can be seen as a modest strength for Family Dollar. The company feels that its second quarter successes are due not only to budget-friendly consumer behavior generated by the current economic conditions, but also by the company’s own investments in the enhancement of consumer’s shopping experience. Looking forward to the third quarter, the company expects an increase of 7% to 9% in its net sales, along with EPS in the range of $0.54 to $0.58 per share. While we see the company’s low profit margins as a potential weakness, we believe that the strengths detailed above justify the buy rating at this time and should continue to help Family Dollar’s stock to move higher despite the fact that it has already enjoyed a very nice gain of 82.7% in the past year. <B>Sempra Energy</B> (SRE) is an energy services holding company that generates electricity and distributes and transmits natural gas in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Mexico. A large portion of its business is conducted in California. We <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-9356-st007865.aspx" target="_blank"> upgraded the stock from hold to buy </a> in January 2009. Our rating is based on strengths such as Sempra’s solvency, net income and EPS growth, and return on equity. Although Sempra’s revenue dropped in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, the company did outperform in comparison with the industry average. The declining revenue does not appear to have hurt the company’s bottom line, as EPS improved 18.2% year over year, rising from 31cents to 35 cents. Net income also increased in the fourth quarter, rising 10.3% when compared to the same quarter a year ago. Sempra’s return on equity improved slightly and can be considered a modest strength for the company. In addition, a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93 is somewhat low and seems to indicate that the company has successfully managed its debt levels. Looking ahead to fiscal 2009, the company reaffirmed its full-year EPS outlook of $4.35 to $4.60 per share. The company shows weak operating cash flow, but we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <B>Elbit Systems</B> (ESLT) develops, manufactures, and integrates defense electronic and electro-optic systems primarily in Israel, the United States, and Europe. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5301-st002877.aspx" target="_blank"> rated the stock a buy </a> since April 2007 based on the company’s robust revenue growth, compelling growth in net income, good cash flow from operations, notable return on equity and impressive record of earnings per share growth. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 4.6%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 18.1%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost EPS, which improved significantly from 75 cents to $2.48. Although the company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years, we anticipate underperformance relative to this pattern in the coming year. Net income increased dramatically in the fourth quarter, rising 229.7% from $31.43 million to $105.27 million. A further sign of significant strength within the corporation is its increasing return on equity, which grew from 14.28% a year ago to 28.21% in the most recent quarter. Net operating cash flow also increased notably in the fourth quarter, rising 106.56% when compared to the same quarter last year. Management stated that Elbit ended 2008 in a strong position, with potential for continued growth. We see the company as having relatively poor debt management on most measures that we evaluated, but nevertheless, we feel that the strengths outlined above outweigh any weaknesses and the stock has strong upside potential, given current market conditions. <B>American Italian Pasta</B> (AIPC) produces and markets dry pasta in North America. We have <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-11774-st000399.aspx" target="_blank"> rated the company a buy </a> since November 2008 based on its growth and solid stock performance. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported very impressive revenue growth of 53.2% year over year, greatly exceeding the industry average of 1.8%. The growth helped boost EPS, which improved significantly from 7 cents to $1.23. American Italian Pasta has demonstrated a pattern of positive EPS growth over the past two years, and we expect this trend to continue. Net income also increased significantly, rising 1767.1% when compared to the same quarter last year, rising from $1.39 million to $26.03 million. An additional sign of strength for the company is its increasing return on equity, which improved from1.83% a year ago to 18.87% in the most recent quarter. Management credited AIPC’s growth strategy for the company’s financial success in the first quarter. The company shows low profit margins, but we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any weaknesses at this time. In addition, the stock price has risen 1657.14% over the past year, and we feel that the stock still has upside potential under most market conditions. <I>Our quantitative rating, which can be viewed for any stock through our <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=0" target="_blank">stock rating screener</a>, is based on a variety of historical fundamental and pricing data and represents our opinion of a stock's risk-adjusted performance relative to other stocks. However, the rating does not incorporate all of the factors that can alter a stock's performance. For example, it doesn't always factor in recent corporate or industry events that could affect the stock price, nor does it include recent technology developments and competitive dynamics that may affect the company. For those reasons, we believe that a rating alone cannot tell the whole story and that it should be part of an investor's overall research. </I>	May 05, 2009
You Ask, Dan Fitzpatrick Answers	2686	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 4, 2009</I> Throughout the trading week on <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A>, investing professionals answer questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. <I>RealMoney's</I> <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/author/1521116/dan-fitzpatrick/all.html" target="_blank">Dan Fitzpatrick</a> answered questions recently. On his latest TheStreet.com TV series "<a href="http://www.thestreet.com/video/10495681/3-stocks-i-saw-on-tv.html" target="_blank">3 Stocks I Saw on TV</a>," Fitzpatrick examined the charts of <B>Bank of America</B> (BAC), <B>Dendreon</B> (DNDN) and <B>Citigroup</B> (C). Here are some questions and comments from the Stockpickr community that Fitzpatrick responded to recently. You might have to scroll through to find his answers. What do you think about the shipping stocks? I'm long <B>DrysShips</B> (DRYS), <B>Navios Maritime</B> (NM) and <B>Navistar</B> (NAV).<I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66534/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> Any thoughts on <B>ProLogis</B> (PLD)? If we're in the early stages of a recovery as Cramer suggested, wouldn't warehouse real estate be a good place to be because there will be more demand for a place to store "stuff"? What say you on the tech side of things? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66517/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> How do you see <B>Tecumseh Products</B> (TECUA)? It appears to be a rising star with Obama and green legislation. <I><a href=" http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66510/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> Do you use the actual stock as your trading device, or do you also use options to employ your strategy? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66506/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> Do you see <B>Cell Therapeutics</B> (CTIC) getting to $20 to $25 in the future? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66525/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I>	May 04, 2009
Cramer's Take on Headline Stocks: May 4	15269	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 4, 2009</I> Stocks were <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10495703/1/stocks-surge-on-upbeat-data.html" target="_blank"> on the rise on Monday</a>, bolstered by better-than-expected economic data, such as a 3.2% increase in pending home sales in March and a 0.3% increase in construction spending, where a 1.6% decline was expected. <B>Bank of America</B> (BAC) was up 5.6% to $9.19 at midday on Monday, <B>General Electric</B> (GE) was up 3.3% to $13.11, and <B>General Motors</B> (GM) was up 2.7% to $1.86. <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10495592/1/oil-nears-54-on-indications-demand-is-up-overseas.html " target="_blank"> Overseas energy demand is rising </a>, too, and oil was pushing $54 a barrel on Monday. With this in mind, we thought we'd take a look at some of today's headlines and related stocks and see what <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Take-on-Headline-Stocks-May-4/" target="_blank">Jim Cramer's had to say about them lately</a>. These stocks could be in the news for a number of reasons. Some require immediate attention; while others may not. Regardless, it never hurts to hear what Cramer (or any of the other professional investors on the site) has to say about them. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. In a <a href=" http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=cab92cc3-92cb-4059-b309-9bfc0112ce4e " target="_blank">recent post to his <I>RealMoney</I> blog</a>, Cramer had this to say about oil and oil stocks: "How high is oil going to go? How strong will the comeback be? "Given that rig count has been cut literally in half, given that prices for natural gas are at multiyear lows, the answer is that the rebound must be spectacular -- or at least spectacular to sustain these jet propulsions. "<B>Transocean </B>(RIG) and <B>Schlumberger </B>(SLB) are cases in point. These were the first to sell off on swine flu given that we were supposed to see worldwide demand of oil crimped by it -- or at least that was the talk of some commodity pundits. "Of course, that means hedge funds shorted them and the <B>Oil Service HOLDRs</B> (OIH) as natural plays on this epidemic even as it seemed pretty extraneous -- which is why I pushed the integrated oils so hard here and on my show. Also, I have been a big believer in Schlumberger as a cost-cut play. "But when you see companies like <B>Halliburton </B>(HAL), a nat gas play, or Transocean, a deep water play, trading higher, and when you see the natural has stocks trade up so well, I am now convinced that we are betting the <I>trough is here</I>. "They also could be saying war, most likely with Iran, but I don't know enough to make that judgment. Either way, I am not fighting this one any more, not after the horrific <B>Chevron </B>(CVX) quarter that produced no selling and the so-called technical breakout of crude. "We are in oil heaven. The group is rolling. And it can only be a sign that oil's about to go up more than expected -- I thought we were range-bound at $45 to $55. Drilling budgets will be renewed and grow larger, and nat gas - particularly <B>Dow Chemical</B> (DOW) or <B>International Paper</B> (IP) -- should be locked in for years at these prices because they aren't going to stay here much longer." <I>(Editor's note: At the time of publication and/or original publication of his posts and shows, Cramer owned Chevron and General Electric for his <A HREF="http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=011707" target="_blank">Action Alerts PLUS</A> charitable trust.)</I>	May 04, 2009
This Week's 'Barron's' Roundup	2091	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 4, 2009</I> <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Barron-s-Commercial-Real-Estate-Winners-amp-Losers/" target="_blank"><b>Commercial Property Survivors</b></a>: <I>Barron's</I> separates the winners from the losers in the commercial property market. Among the names that could emerge victorious are <B>Simon Property Group</B> (SPG), <B>Vornado Realty Trust</B> (VNO) and <B>Public Storage</B> (PSA). The risky plays include <B>Kimco Realty</B> (KIM) and <B>ProLogis</B> (PLD). <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Barron-s-Interview-Ron-Baron/" target="_blank"><b>Interesting Market Plays</b></a>: <I>Barron's</I> talks with Ron Baron, chairman and CEO of <B>Baron Capital Group</B>. Baron sees investment opportunities in sectors like energy, technology, education and gaming. Among his picks are <B>Morningstar</B> (MORN), <B>Wynn Resorts</B> (WYNN) and <B>Blue Nile</B> (NILE). <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Barron-s-Interview-William-B-Frels/" target="_blank"><b>Minnesota Bull</b></a>: <I>Barron's</I> talks with William B. Frels, co-manager of the <B>Mairs and Power Growth Fund</B> (MPGFX). The $1.4 billion growth fund is chock full of Minnesota companies, which tend to outperform the broader market. Among the names he likes are <B>3M</B> (MMM), <B>Fastenal</B> (FAST) and <B>Medtronic</B> (MDT). <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Barron-s-Summary-5-02-2009/" target="_blank"><b>Bullish and Bearish</b></a>: Each week, <I>Barron's</I> publishes bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present summaries of those stories in this portfolio. This week, there are bullish stories on <B>Clorox</B> (CLX), <B>Mentor Graphics</B> (MENT) and <B>Schlumberger</B> (SLB). <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Barron-s-Insider-Purchases-5-02-2009/" target="_blank"><b>Top Insider Purchases of the Week</b></a>: Insider purchases are a lot more predictive than insider selling. <I>Barron's</I> lists companies where managers are buying stock, and we build a portfolio with those companies' stocks. There has been interesting activity in <B>Huntington Bancshares</B> (HBAN), <B>Genzyme</B> (GENZ), <B>Cryo-Cell</B> (CCEL) and <B>Marriott International</B> (MAR). <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Barron-s-Activist-Stocks-5-02-2009/" target="_blank"><b>Latest Activist Purchases</b></a>: Which companies are the top hedge funds chasing? This week's list includes names like <B>Mindspeed Technologies</B> (MSPD, <B>Life Time Fitness</B> (LTM) and <B>GSI Group</B> (GSIG). <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Barron-s-Research-Reports-5-02-2009/" target="_blank"><b>Research Reports</b></a>: The latest analyst research highlighted by <I>Barron's</I>, including reports this week on <B>Qualcomm</B> (QCOM), <B>Humana</B> (HUM) and <B>Boardwalk Pipeline Partners</B> (BWP).	May 04, 2009
Mexican Swine Flu Plays	2400	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted at 11: 55 a.m. EDT on May 4, 2009</I> Over the past week, as the World Health Organization has warned of possible global pandemic related to the current H1N1, or swine flu, outbreak, Mexican-related stocks and the Mexican stock market in general have sold off extremely hard. Take, for example, <B>iShares MSCI Mexico</B> (EWW), which is down as much as 95 to 10% last week. Investors were panicking and dumping everything related to Mexico in fears of a possible economic and financial slowdown. Recent tallies report close to 1,000 cases in 20 countries, 225 of which are in the U.S. There have been 26 H1N1-related deaths in Mexico and one H1N1-related death in the U.S. Traders have been trying to game speculative swine flu stocks such as <B>BioCryst Pharmaceuticals</B> (BCRX), in phase I testing of a potential flu vaccine, and <B>Novavax</B> (NVAX), another vaccine company in early phase I and phase II testing, as well as pork producer <B>Smithfield Foods</B> (SFD). How else can you trade the swine flu, with an emphasis on Mexican stocks? Keep an eye on the iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, which really is the purest play on Mexico, and it offers diverse exposures to several essential industries. The EWW’s largest holding is <B>America Movil</B> (AMX) which makes up 24.93% of the fund's weighting. <B>Telefonos de Mexico</B> (TMX) makes up 6.75%, and <B>Wal-Mart de Mexico</B>, which is not publicly traded in the U.S. but is about 31% owned by <B>Wal-Mart</B> (WMT), makes up 5.88%. Overall, the ETF is weighted heavily toward the telecommunications sector, which represents 41.7% of the fund’s total assets. The financial services and consumer goods sector represent 12.96% and 12.47%, respectively. Next time the iShares MSCI Mexico ETF opens down 3% to 5% related to swine flu concerns, consider shorting puts on the ETF that are two strikes down in the options chain. For argument sake, let’s say the EWW closes directly at $30 on a given day, but due to swine-flu-related news, it gaps lower by 5%. The idea here with the index at $28.50 would be to short naked puts either at the $27.50 or $25 strike and to profit off of the decline. As investors' fear and panic peak, an option seller would be able to capture the increased volatility in the put premiums, thus profiting off of the panic. Moreover, if the index does fall into the $27.50-to-$25 range, you can go long the actual common stock and sell upside calls as another hedge on the position. Another interesting play here is Telefonos de Mexico, mentioned above as part of the EWW ETF. Recently, Telefonos, which operates as one of the largest long-distance phone carriers in Central and South America, said that telephone calls have actually increased dramatically over the past week and a half, due to Mexican concern for friends and family members. Increased calls equates to increased sales and a potentially higher stock price. Shares of Telefonos de Mexico have traded in a 52-week range of $42.94 to $12.54 and are currently trading at about $16.78. Telefonos sports gross margins of 48% for the quarter, compared with an industry average of 47.56%. Operating margins for the firm are 32.02%, which is substantially higher than the 3.8% industry wide average. <B>Grupo Televisa</B> (TV) was hit hard last week, falling about 8% on Monday, April 27, and closing down more than 3% for the week. Since then, this Mexican broadcasting company has actually rallied into positive territory, trading up about 4.3% at midday on Monday, May 4, to $16.44. The trade here is, on any swine-flu-related selloff, to short the out-of-the-money puts as well.	May 04, 2009
Rocket Stocks for the Week	11148	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 4, 2009</I> Last week was another dynamic trading week, with the <B>S&P 500</B> finishing up almost 2.0% and the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 0%. With the indices on the rise, it's a prime opportunity to search out rocket stocks, or beaten-down stocks that have the potential to snap back in the coming days because of specific catalysts that could play out. A rocket stock is particularly attractive when it has near-term growth potential and also qualifies as a solid long-term play. Sometimes we find short rocket stock ideas, too, or stocks that we think could shoot lower in the coming days. Before we get to this week's rocket stocks, let's take a look at how a couple of <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1617/" target="_blank">last week's ideas fared</a>: <B>Amedisys</B> (AMED): Amedisys, which was a long recommendation, finished the week up 14% after reporting that it earned $27 million, or 99 cents per share, compared ith $16.5 million, or 62 cents per, share a year ago. Year-over-year revenue rose 60% to $341.8 million. More important, Amedisys’ management backed its 2009 outlook of $1.425 billion to $1.475 billion in revenue for 2009 on EPS of $4.10 to $4.30. <B>Scotts Miracle-Gro</B> (SMG): Scotts Miracle-Gro, which was a short recommendation, finished the week down 12% after reporting earnings of $960.1 million for the quarter, compared with $958 million a year ago. While earnings did jump 33% for the quarter, Scotts gave full-year 2009 guidance of $2.10 to $2.30 per share, below the average estimate for $2.37 per share. Without further ado, here is this week’s <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Rocket-Stocks-for-the-week-of-May-4th-May-8th/" target="_blank"> Rocket Stocks portfolio</a>. <B>Sohu.com</B> (SOHU): Sohu.com provides online and wireless products in the People's Republic of China. Web properties include Web page search, music search and news search, while wireless products focus on entertainment information, communications, online games and e-commerce. Beijing-based Sohu reported blockbuster results in 2008. Revenue and earnings grew substantially, exceeding market expectations and guidance in almost every product area. The stock itself is dirt cheap, selling at just 9.9 times next year’s earnings, with a historic growth rate of 42% annually. Sohu.com has $314 million in cash, or about $8.25 a share, which is just more than a sixth of its entire market. Management and corporate insiders own 25.02% of the company, putting their financial interests directly in line with that of the common equity shareholders. Sohu.com also has a 19% short position. <B>NPS Pharmaceuticals</B> (NPSP): With several drugs in its pipeline; net revenue gains resulting from licensing fees from Nycomed for Gattex, which NPS designed to treat short-bowel syndrome; and positive royalty revenue on sales of <B>Amgen's</B> (AMGN) Sensipar, it's hard to imagine this stock not moving higher from here. NPS has $100 million in cash, with a burn rate of about $55 million to $65 million throughout 2009. Some of the top biotech investors are in NPS, such has the $7 billion New York City-based biotech hedge fund OrbiMed Advisors, which is the second-largest investor with an 8.39% stake. In addition, Merlin BioMed Group has a 2.59% stake, and <a href=" http://www.stockpickr.com/port/Renaissance-Technologies/ " target="_blank"> Renaissance Technologies </a> has a 7.81% stake. <B>Calgon Carbon</B> (CCC): Calgon Carbon is a pure play in the water-purification sector. Calgon's products are used to remove organic compounds from air, water and other liquids. The company is ramping up its profitability, with analysts expecting the company to go from losing money last year to EPS of 16 cents this year and 30 cents the year after. This week’s <a href=" http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Rocket-Stocks-for-the-week-of-May-4th-May-8th/" target="_blank"> Rocket Stocks portfolio</a> also includes trading ideas on <B>Brookfield Asset Management</B> (BAM), <B>General Electric</B> (GE) and <B>Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan</B> (POT).	May 04, 2009
Top 5 Fast-Growth Stocks for May 4	3646	<I>By TSC Ratings Staff Posted on May 4, 2009</I> <I>TSC Ratings <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/thestreet-picks/thestreet-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">TheStreet.com Ratings</a> provides exclusive stock, ETF and mutual fund ratings and commentary based on award-winning, proprietary tools. Its “safety first” approach to investing aims to reduce risk while seeking solid outperformance on a total return basis.</I> Each business day, we compile a list of the top five stocks in five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- and publish these lists in the Ratings section of our website. Today, fast-growth stocks are in the spotlight. These are stocks of companies that are projected to increase revenue and profit by at least 12% in the coming year and rank near the top all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at over 60 factors. In addition, the stocks must be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. Please note that definitions of revenue vary by industry, and this screen does not make adjustments for acquisitions, which can materially affect posted results. Likewise, earnings-per-share growth may be affected by accounting charges, share repurchases and other one-time items. Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments, market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large underfunded pension plans. <B>Pegasystems’</B> (PEGA) business management software helps companies manage complex, changing business processes by automating decision-making and the implementation of those decisions. We have rated the company a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8759-st006801.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since May 2008. This rating is based on the company’s growth, solvency, and expanding profit margins. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, the company reported revenue growth of 26.9% year over year. Continuing an impressive record of EPS growth, Pegasystems’ EPS improved significantly, rising from 3 cents to 8 cents per share. Net income also increased in the fourth quarter, surging 99.6% from $1.42 million to $2.83 million. Both revenue and net income growth exceeded the averages for the Software industry. Pegasystems’ gross profit margin is rather high at 64.8%; it has increased from the same quarter a year ago. The company has no debt to speak of, and its resulting debt-to-equity of zero can be seen as a favorable sign. In addition, Pegasystems maintains a quick ratio of 3.37, which clearly demonstrates its ability to cover short-term cash needs. Management reported that the company’s fourth quarter revenue was a record for the company. Pegasystems also achieved record new license signings for the quarter. Looking ahead to fiscal 2009, the company currently expects full-year revenue to top $250 million, while net income could surpass $17 million on a GAAP basis. The company’s weak operating cash flow is a concern, but we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <B>The DirecTV Group</B> (DTV) provides digital television entertainment in the United States and Latin America. We have rated the company a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5105-st003650.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since May 2006 due to the company’s impressive revenue growth, expanding profit margins, increased cash balance, and notable return on equity. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, DirecTV’s revenue increased 9.0% year-over-year, led by solid subscriber growth and continued ARPU growth in the United States. The company’s EPS got a slight boost as a result, rising from 30 cents to 31 cents, despite a drop in net income. Gross profit margin also improved due to the company’s revenue growth, expanding 57 basis points to 46.82%. Cash and cash equivalents jumped 82.6% to $2.01 billion, while net operating cash flow increased 8.8%. Return on equity also showed improvement, increasing 847 basis points to 31.22% due to a lower equity base. Management was pleased with the fourth quarter and full year results, noting that the company achieved its best quarterly net subscriber growth in over three years in the U.S. segment. While the company remains focused on obtaining new subscribers, it faces challenges from lower earnings, decreasing return on assets, and rising debt levels, which could affect financial performance and our rating in the future. <B>Quality Systems</B> (QSII) develops and markets healthcare information systems that automate medical and dental practices, networks of practices such as physician hospital organizations, ambulatory care centers, community health centers, and medical and dental schools. We have rated Quality Systems a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8980-st007281.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since November 2001 due to its efficiency, solvency, and growth in revenue, net income, and EPS. Solid stock price performance also supports this rating. For the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported that its revenues rose 36.1% year over year. The company announced that its net revenue results were a record for the company. A 15.0% improvement in EPS implies that the revenue growth trickled down to the bottom line. The company has achieved positive EPS growth routinely over the past two years, and we feel that this trend should continue. Net income also increased in the third quarter, rising 17.3% from $11.21 million to $13.15 million. Quality Systems has no debt to speak of, giving it a debt-to-equity ratio of zero. We consider this a favorable sign, as is a quick ratio of 2.02, which demonstrates the company’s ability to cover its short-term liquidity needs. Quality Systems’ stock has risen over the past year, reflecting the earnings growth and other positive factors like the ones cited above. Although this increase has driven to the stock to a level that is somewhat expensive to the rest of the Software industry, we feel that the company’s strengths justify the higher price level at this time. <B>Tyler Technologies</B> (TYL) provides integrated information management solutions and services for local governments in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. It has been rated a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-9701-st008994.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since July 2005 because of its efficiency, solvency, expanding profit margins, and growth in net income and revenue. For the first quarter of fiscal 2008, Tyler reported revenue growth of 17.2% year over year. This was higher than the industry average of 8.9%, and appears to have helped boost EPS, which improved from 8 cents to 16 cents per share. Net income increased 92.1%, rising from $3.13 million to $6.01 million. The company has a strong gross profit margin of 45.90%, which has increased from the same quarter last year. Tyler’s return on equity can also be considered a modest strength, as it has improved slightly from 13.73% to 15.61%. In addition, a very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07 implies that the company has managed its debt levels very successfully. Management was pleased with Tyler’s strong start to fiscal 2009, but did not make any changes to its previously announced 2009 guidance because of the current economic climate. Although the company shows weak operating cash flow, we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <B>HMS Holdings</B> (HMSY) provides a variety of cost containment and payment accuracy services relating to government healthcare programs. We have rated this stock a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5838-st004050.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since September 2004 on the basis of such strengths as the company’s largely solid financial position, good cash flow from operations, and growth in revenue, net income, and EPS. HMS Holdings reported the results for its first quarter of fiscal 2009 on May 1. We will update our rating for this stock once the numbers are finalized in our model, but keep in mind that the current rating is based on the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. The company reported that its earnings surged 74.9% year over year on higher revenue in the fourth quarter. Net income rose from $4.04 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to $7.06 million in the most recent quarter. Revenue increased 25.8% year-over-year, greatly exceeding the industry average of 7.0%. This increase, led by strong revenue growth in each of the government healthcare program markets, appears to have helped boost EPS, which showed significant improvement over the same quarter a year ago, rising from 15 cents to 26 cents per share. HMS Holdings has a very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, which implies that it has successfully managed its debt levels. In addition, a quick ratio of 3.24 clearly demonstrates an ability to cover short-term cash needs. Finally, net operating cash flow increased 17.50% when compared to the same quarter of last year. Having had a record year in terms of revenue growth and profitability, the company expects to see strong results continue into the next fiscal year. Looking ahead to fiscal 2009, HMS Holdings raised its earnings outlook to $1 per share from previous guidance of 96 cents per share. The company is currently trading at a premium valuation, but we feel that the strengths detailed above justify the higher price at this time. <I>TheStreet.com Ratings, recently cited for Best Stock Selection from October 2007 through February 2009 , is an independent research provider that combines fundamental and technical analysis to offer investors tremendous value in volatile times. To see how your portfolio can use this research, <A HREF=”http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=012559” target=”new”>click here now!</A> </I> <I>Our quantitative rating, which can be viewed for any stock through our stock screener <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=0" target="_blank">stock rating screener</a>, is based on a variety of historical fundamental and pricing data and represents our opinion of a stock's risk-adjusted performance relative to other stocks. However, the rating does not incorporate all of the factors that can alter a stock's performance. For example, it doesn't always factor in recent corporate or industry events that could affect the stock price, nor does it include recent technology developments and competitive dynamics that may affect the company. For those reasons, we believe that a rating alone cannot tell the whole story and that it should be part of an investor's overall research. </I>	May 04, 2009
You Ask, Scott Rothbort Answers	3723	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 1, 2009</I> Throughout the trading week on <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A>, investing professionals answer questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. <I>RealMoney's</I> <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/author/1005089/scott-rothbort/all.html" target="_blank">Scott Rothbort</a> answered questions on Thursday. Recently on <I>RealMoney</I>, Rothbort recommended <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/p/_search/rmoney/oil/10494595.html" target="_blank">keeping an eye on </a> <B>Exxon's</B> (XOM) balance sheet, predicted that <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/p/_search/rmoney/retail/10494176.html" target="_blank">it could take a more than a year</a> for <B>Starbucks</B> (SBUX) to turn itself around, and forecasted a <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/p/_search/rmoney/industrials/10493045.html" target="_blank">prolonged downturn</a> in <B>U.S. Steel</B> (X). Here are some questions and comments from the Stockpickr community that Rothbort responded to on Thursday. You might have to scroll through to find his answers. Is anybody buying <B>Agnico-Eagle Mines</B> (AEM)? <I><a href=" http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66601/" target="_blank">Click here for Rothbort's response.</a></I> What's going on with <B>Dendreon</B> (DNDN)? The stock is getting all buy upgrades and it's going down. Is this a buy opportunity? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66605/" target="_blank">Click here for Rothbort's response.</a></I> Do you like <B>Ruby Tuesday</B> (RT) at these levels or is it time to sell? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66610/" target="_blank">Click here for Rothbort's response.</a></I> What do you think of <B>Calgon Carbon</B> (CCC)?<I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66614/" target="_blank">Click here for Rothbort's response.</a></I> What CEFs pay a nice safe dividend and are not invested in high-yield bonds and not leveraged too much? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66615/" target="_blank">Click here for Rothbort's response.</a></I> Is <B>Home Depot</B> (HD) going higher, or should I wait for a pullback? What is a good entry point? <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66620/" target="_blank">Click here for Rothbort's response.</a></I> Could <B>Bare Escentuals</B> (BARE) is off the hook today. Do you think this could be like a <B>Coach</B> (COH)?<I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66623/" target="_blank">Click here for Rothbort's response.</a></I>	May 01, 2009
Top Nasdaq Short-Squeeze Plays	6592	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 1, 2009</I> When <b>Citigroup</b> (C) jumped up 2% on April 14, Karen Finerman reported on "Fast Money" that the stock's move was a "fake winner" caused by a <a href="http://www.thestreet.com:80/story/10486004/2/fast-money-recap-financials-weigh-on-markets.html" target="_blank">"gigantic short squeeze."</a> A short squeeze occurs when short-sellers quickly buy in shares of the stock in order to cover their bearish positions, driving the price of stocks up sharply. The ratio for measuring short-squeeze opportunities is the short ratio, which is the number of days it would take the short sellers to cover their position based on recent average daily volume. Stockpickr compiled a portfolio of the <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Top-NASDAQ-Short-Squeeze-Plays-for-April-2009/"> top <B>Nasdaq</B> short-squeeze plays</a>, all of which have market caps of more than $250 million. One Nasdaq stock with a high short interest is <b>NutriSystem </b> (NTRI), the weight-management products and services company, which has a short ratio of 33.1, This means that it would take the short sellers more than 33 days to cover their position. According to John Reese at <I>RealMoney</I>, NutriSystem is <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Theres-Magic-in-Greenblatts-tsmp-14324762.html" target="_blank">"a small-cap with excellent financials --- an earnings yield of 27% and a return on total capital of more than 78%."</a> This debt-free company has $38 million in cash. The stock even pays a nice high dividend of 4.8%, easily covered by its $92 million cash flow. NutriSystem is owned by <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Royce-amp-Associates/">Royce & Associates</a>, a New York-based money management company with more than $18 billion under management. It specializes in investing in smaller companies using a disciplined value approach. Royce also owns <b>Lincoln Electric Holdings</b> (LECO), with a short ratio of 8.3; <b>Knight Capital Group</b> (NITE), with a 2.2 short ratiol; and <b>Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings</b> (ENDP), with a short ratio of 4.5. Another heavily shorted Nasdaq stock is the online diamond and fine jewelry retailer <b>Blue Nile </b> (NILE), which has a short ratio of 26.6. Last month, an article in Stockpickr described how the Blue Nile stock showed a <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/problog/1493/" target="_blank">very favorable chart</a>. The stock has total debt of less than one million dollars with over $54 million in cash. Earnings and operating margin have been negative. Blue Nile is one of the top ten holdings of the <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Morgan-Stanley-Inst-Small-Co-MSSGX/">Morgan Stanley Institutional Small Co. Fund</a>, a three-star Morningstar-rated long-term capital appreciation fund, managed by David Cohen, that invests in small growth companies. The fund currently ranks in the top 3% of all small growth funds for the last three months, and the top 20% for the last five years. Other stocks the fund owns includes <b>Techne </b> (TECH), with a short ratio of 4; <b>Greenhill </b> (GHL), with a 7.1 ratio; and <b>Contango Oil and Gas</b> (MCF), with a 7.9 ratio. For more ideas, check out the <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Top-NASDAQ-Short-Squeeze-Plays-for-April-2009/"> Top Nasdaq Short-Squeeze Plays</a> portfolio.	May 01, 2009
Cramer's Take on Headline Stocks: May 1	14059	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Updated at 4:44 p.m. EDT on May 1, 2009</I> So it's still in the news, but we're no longer supposed to call it by its familiar name. The <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10494992/1/who-to-stop-using-term-swine-flu-to-protect-pigs.html " target="_blank"> World Health Organization </a> announced on Thursday that from now on it will refer to what we've been calling "swine flu" as " H1N1 influenza A" to avoid misleading people into thinking that pigs are dangerous. <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/story/10494790/2/5-dumbest-things-on-wall-street-may-1.html " target="_blank">Some think the name change comes a little too late.</a> Indeed, <B>Smithfield Foods</B> (SFD) and <B>Tyson Foods</B> (TSN) both plunged on Monday with the onset of swine-flu panic. On Friday, Smithfield closed down 3 cents to $8.61 for the day and down 16.6% for the week. Tyson closed up 2 cents to $10.56 for the day but down 3.4% for the week. <B>Continental</B> (CAL) announced on Friday that it will <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10495039/1/continental-airlines-curbs-flights-to-mexico.html" target="_blank">cut back on flights to Mexico </a> for the time being, due to fewer passengers booking seats on the flights. But pork futures <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10495142/1/pork-futures-surge-wheat-corn-soybeans-rise.html" target="_blank">were surging</a> on Friday morning, indicating that the swine-flu panic might be dying down. With this in mind, we thought we'd take a look at some of the headlines today and see what <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Take-on-Headline-Stocks-May-1/" target="_blank">Jim Cramer's been saying about them</a>. These stocks could be in the news for a number of reasons. Some require immediate attention; while others may not. Regardless, it never hurts to hear what Cramer (or any of the other professional investors on the site) has to say about them. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. In a <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=27bba2e1-5ea2-4601-86ae-9bfb00975fe0" target="_blank">recent post to his <I>RealMoney</I> blog</a>, Cramer had this to say about the swine-flu scare: "Did the short-sellers go nuts on swine flu and presume that we had something out of Stephen King's The Stand on our hands? Did they think that somehow this pandemic was going to affect the earnings of <B>Kellogg </B>(K) or <B>Exxon </B>(XOM)? Or maybe <B>Wyndham </B>(WYN) or <B>Visa </B>(V) "Judging by the powerful rally in the futures, someone needs this swine flu to flare up more than it has, because right now the short bet's not working, and you have to believe it isn't just the better-than-expected this or that that has the futures motoring here. "Now, there are plenty of reasons for the markets to be going up -- personal consumption's good, Japan had some better-than-expected numbers, we are seeing a step up in Chinese stimulus -- but there's little doubt in my mind that the remarkable lift that we are now having has to do with some major bets that the world's GDP would be crushed by the swine flu. "What's amazing about this one is it has created a bizarre confluence that has simultaneously lifted the soft-goods stories -- <B>General Mills </B>(GIS) and <B>Pepsi </B>(PEP) (although not the drug stocks, which remain in massive purgatory) -- without depressing the red-hot industrials or techs. It caused people to short the oils and minerals, betting on reduced world economic growth and a bulging of inventories -- especially oil -- but the equities didn't comply. "These are the kinds of behaviors you get when you have too many people leaning the wrong way, and that's exactly what I think is happening right now. "I don't know when it will end, because the bets can't be that massive -- there just wasn't enough time to put them on. But people got this wrong, big-time, and until the flu gets totally out of control or the bets are covered, there's a tremendous bid underneath this market at all times and we don't need much to send us higher. "<B>Random musings</B>: There are tons of real beats out there. I didn't expect <B>Owens-Illinois </B>(OI) to do that well, for certain. ... <B>Dow Chemical </B>(DOW) obviously had a lot of fat. ... Everyone's saying now that April's been pretty darned good. ... <B>Taiwan Semi's </B>(TSM) a monster, and a great play on China. ... Remember that while everyone is fretting about the banks, a lot of deals are getting done. ... When I look at the commercial real estate problems, I think they have more to do with the prices at which deals got done than they do with vacancy rates, which are holding up very strong. It's all balance sheet, not business. Very different from the gigantic overbuild of residential housing. ... Somehow the debt-holders are getting the blame for <B>Chrysler</B>. Disappointing that no one in the administrations fingers the unions..." For more of what Cramer's been saying about stocks in the news, check out the <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Take-on-Headline-Stocks-May-1/" target="_blank">Cramer's Take portfolio</a>. <I>(Editor's note: At the time of publication and/or original publication of his posts and shows, Cramer owned Visa, General Mills and Pepsi for his <A HREF="http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=011707" target="_blank">Action Alerts PLUS</A> charitable trust.)</I>	May 01, 2009
You Ask, Dan Fitzpatrick Answers	1781	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 1, 2009</I> Throughout the trading week on <A HREF="http://www.stockpickr.com/answers/" target="_blank">Stockpickr Answers</A>, investing professionals answer questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. <I>RealMoney's</I> <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/author/1521116/dan-fitzpatrick/all.html" target="_blank">Dan Fitzpatrick</a> answered questions on Tuesday. Recently on his TheStreet.com TV series "<a href="http://www.thestreet.com/video/10494936/3-stocks-i-saw-on-tv.html" target="_blank">3 Stocks I Saw on TV</a>," Fitzpatrick examined the charts of <B>Wimm-Bill-Dann</B> (WBD), <B>Flowserve</B> (FLS) and <B>Green Mountain Coffee</B> (GMCR). Here are some questions and comments from the Stockpickr community that Fitzpatrick responded to on Tuesday. You might have to scroll through to find his answers. What are your thoughts on China right now? I am looking at <B>China Mobile</B> (CHL), <B>Sohu</B> (SOHU) and <B>Baidu</B> (BIDU). Is now a good time to get in after this monster run, or should I wait for them to pull back?<I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66533/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> As for the proposal to give the UAW majority stakes in the automakers, how can a company turn a profit if it is trying to satisfy labor? I think a perfect example of this dynamic can be found in the airline industry, in companies such as <B>UAL</B> (UAUA). <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66509/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> What makes a stock its price? Take <B>Dendreon</B> (DNDN) and <B>Research In Motion</B> (RIMM) recently. How can a stock just move down to that level? I don't see buying or selling. <I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66526/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I> Any new thoughts on the S&P chart?<I><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/view/answers/66530/" target="_blank">Click here for Fitzpatrick's response.</a></I>	May 01, 2009
Top 5 Small-Cap Stocks for May 1	3379	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Posted on May 1, 2009</I> <I>TSC Ratings <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/thestreet-picks/thestreet-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">TheStreet.com Ratings</a> provides exclusive stock, ETF and mutual fund ratings and commentary based on award-winning, proprietary tools. Its “safety first” approach to investing aims to reduce risk while seeking solid outperformance on a total return basis.</I> Each business day, we compile a list of the top five stocks in one of five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- based on data from the close of the previous trading session. Today, small-cap stocks are in the spotlight. These are stocks of companies that have market capitalizations of $50 million to $500 million that rank near the top of all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at more than 60 factors. The stocks must also be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. They are ordered by their potential to appreciate. Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments or market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large underfunded pension plans. <B>Pervasive Software</B> (PVSW) provides embeddable data management and integration software products to customers worldwide. The stock has been rated a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8937-st006870.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since April 2008. This rating is driven by a few notable strengths, including the company’s solvency, attractive valuation levels, and growth in revenue and net income. For the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported revenue growth of 21% year over year. This growth beat the industry average of 6.9%, and appears to have trickled down to the company’s bottom line, as EPS improved from 5 cents to 10 cents per share. Pervasive’s net income increased significantly in the third quarter, rising 101.4% from $940,000 to $1.9 million. Net operating cash flow also increased slightly, rising 7.8% to $2.1 million. In addition, Pervasive has no debt to speak of, which we consider to be a relatively favorable sign, and a quick ratio of 4.3 clearly demonstrates the company’s ability to cover its short-term cash needs. Looking ahead to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, Pervasive announced that it expects its revenue to be in the range of $10.5 million to $11.5 million. The company also anticipates GAAP diluted EPS of 4 cents to 7 cents in the fourth quarter. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we fell that they are unlikely to have a significant impact on future results. <B>NCI</B> (NCIT) is a provider of IT services and solutions to U.S. federal government agencies. The company focuses on designing, implementing, maintaining, and upgrading IT systems and networks. NCI has been rated a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-10165-st013677.aspx" target="_blank">buy </a> since February 2008 based on its healthy growth in revenue and net income, solid stock price performance, impressive record of EPS growth, and sound return on equity. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, the company reported that its revenue rose 15.2% year over year, slightly outpacing the industry average of 13.5%. This growth appears to have helped boost EPS, which rose 44% compared with the same quarter last year. The company’s EPS growth is a continuation of a pattern of positive EPS growth over the past two years. Net income also improved, increasing 48.2% from $3.3 million to $5 million. Return on equity improved slightly when compared to a year ago, and can therefore be considered a modest strength for NCI. In addition, NCI’s stock price has surged 89.7% over the past year, due to strong earnings growth and other key factors. Management stated that it felt NCI had great results for fiscal 2008, remaining on track with its strategic plan. The company expects further growth in fiscal 2009 due to new business won in 2008, such as the $173 million ITES-2S task order with the Army National Guard and Air National Guard awarded to NCI in December. Looking ahead, the company expects first quarter 2009 EPS in the range of 31 cents to 33 cents, on revenue of $102 million to $107 million. Although the company shows weak operating cash flow, we believe that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weaknesses at this time. <B>Diamond Foods</B> (DMND) processes and markets culinary, snack, in-shell, and ingredient nuts, which are primarily sold through two main product lines: Diamond of California and Emerald Nuts. We have rated the company a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5046-st013261.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since July 2008 on the basis of the company’s impressive record of EPS growth, increases in revenue and net income, and largely solid financial position. For the second quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported revenue growth that exceeded the industry average of 0.8%. Diamond Foods’ revenue rose 12.5% year-over-year, helping boost EPS from 17 cents a year ago to 37 cents in the most recent quarter. We feel that the company’s trend of positive EPS growth should continue in the future. Diamond’s net income also improved significantly in the second quarter, increasing 129.8% from $2.7 million to $6.1 million. Net operating cash flow improved slightly, increasing 6.27% to $67.7 million. Additionally, factors such as Diamond’s strong earnings growth of 117.6% helped drive the company’s stock price higher by 44.3% over the past year. The company announced that its second quarter earnings were a record for Diamond Foods, and was pleased with the success of its business strategy. On the basis of the second quarter results, the company increased its full-year earnings guidance, announcing that it now expects net sales of $535 million to $565 million, and EPS between $1.27 and $1.34 per share. The new EPS range represents an increase of 2 cents per share over previous guidance. While we see the company’s low profit margins as a potential cause of concern, we currently believe that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. In addition, we feel that those strengths justify the higher price levels to which the stock has been driven over the past year. <B>American Physicians Service Group</B> (AMPH) is an insurance and financial services firm. Its subsidiaries and affiliates provide medical malpractice insurance, as well as brokerage and investment services to institutions and high net worth individuals. American Physicians Service has been rated a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-3946-st000477.aspx"> buy </a> since May 2003. This rating is supported by several positive factors, including its largely solid financial position and good cash flow from operations. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, American Physicians Service Group reported a decline in revenue, which in turn impacted EPS. Despite the steep drop in EPS, our model anticipates a reversal of the company’s negative EPS trend in the coming year. Net operating cash flow increased significantly when compared to the same quarter last year, rising 241.7% to $3.53 million. In addition, the company has a very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.1, which implies that its debt has been successfully managed. Management pointed out that 2008 was American Physician Service Group’s first full year of operation as a fully integrated insurance company, as API was acquired in 2007. While acknowledging that the company did not escape the worldwide economic difficulties, the company was pleased with its full-year performance, particularly in terms of earnings, share price, and return on equity. Although the company shows low profit margins, we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <B>American Physicians Capital</B> (ACAP) is an insurance holding company. Its primary focus is medical professional liability insurance, which it writes through its subsidiary, American Physicians Assurance Corporation. Our <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-3751-st000476.aspx" target="_blank"> buy rating </a> for American Physicians has not changed since November 2004 and is based on the company’s largely solid financial rating, strong cash flow from operations, expanding profit margins, solid stock price performance, and notable return on equity. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, the company’s net operating cash flow increased significantly, rising 138.8% year over year to $15.7 million. A low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.1 implies that the company has successfully managed its debt. American Physicians Capital has a gross profit margin of 40.8%, which we consider strong, while its net profit margin of 29.3% significantly outperformed against the industry. Although the company’s revenue dropped 9.7% when compared to the same quarter of last year, the company’s bottom-line was not hurt, as evidenced by increasing EPS. EPS jumped from $1.19 to $1.24 in the fourth quarter. Looking ahead, management stated that it expects the company to exceed EPS of $4.25 in fiscal 2009 if current trends in frequency, severity, and pricing remain stable in the company’s book of business. Although the company has had somewhat weak EPS growth recently, we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weaknesses at this time. <I>TheStreet.com Ratings, recently cited for Best Stock Selection from October 2007 through February 2009 , is an independent research provider that combines fundamental and technical analysis to offer investors tremendous value in volatile times. To see how your portfolio can use this research, <A HREF=”http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=012559” target=”new”>click here now!</A> Our quantitative rating, which can be viewed for any stock through our stock screener <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=0" target="_blank">stock rating screener</a>, is based on a variety of historical fundamental and pricing data and represents our opinion of a stock's risk-adjusted performance relative to other stocks. However, the rating does not incorporate all of the factors that can alter a stock's performance. For example, it doesn't always factor in recent corporate or industry events that could affect the stock price, nor does it include recent technology developments and competitive dynamics that may affect the company. For those reasons, we believe that a rating alone cannot tell the whole story and that it should be part of an investor's overall research. </I>	May 01, 2009
Top 5 Mid-Cap Stocks for April 30	2118	<I>By TSC Ratings Staff</I> Each business day, TheStreet.com Ratings <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/thestreet-picks/thestreet-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">TheStreet.com Ratings</a> compiles a list of the top five stocks in one of five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- based on data from the close of the previous trading session. Today we focus on mid-caps. These are stocks of companies that have market capitalizations of between $500 million and $10 billion that rank near the top of all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at more than 60 factors. The stocks must also be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. They are ordered by their potential to appreciate. Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments, market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large underfunded pension plans. <B>Edwards Lifesciences</B> (EW) is a global provider of products and technologies designed to treat advanced cardiovascular disease. The company has been rated a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-5327-st002844.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since February 2007. This rating is supported by the company's efficiency, solvency, and growth in net income, revenue and EPS. Edwards Lifesciences reported that its results in the first quarter of fiscal 2009 were due in part to strong heart valve sales. Although the company's revenue was less than that of the industry average, it was able to report an increase of 5.6% year over year. This growth appears to have been enough to have helped boost EPS, which showed significant improvement when compared to the prior year's quarter, rising from 31 cents to $1.03 per share. We feel that the company's trend of positive EPS growth over the past two years should continue going forward. Net income surged in the fourth quarter, rising 232.4% from $18.2 million to $60.5 million. Edwards' very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.1 indicates that the company has been very successful at debt management, while a quick ratio of 2 demonstrates the ability to cover short-term liquidity needs. An additional sign of strength for the company is its expanding return on equity, which increased from 12.6% to 18.2% over the past year. Management considered Edwards' first quarter results strong, and announced that it expects second quarter diluted EPS in the range of 73 cents to 77 cents per share. The company increased its full-year EPS estimate by two cents to a range of $2.95 to $3.03 per share. Any company may harbor some minor weaknesses, but we do not currently see any in Edwards Lifesciences that are likely to significantly impact future results. <B>First Financial</B> (THFF) is a bank holding company whose subsidiaries provide various financial services in Indiana and Illinois. It has been rated a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-9545-st003538.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since August 2006 because of its solid stock price performance and net income growth. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, First Financial reported weak revenue results, but declining revenue does not appear to have hurt the company's bottom line. EPS improved from 49 cents in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to 55 cents in the most recent quarter. Net income also increased, rising 12.4% from $6.4 million to $7.2 million. In addition, cash and cash equivalents increased from $74.3 million to $76.8 million. Investors have apparently begun to recognize these and other positive factors, driving First Financial's stock price up 34.4% over the past year. Although this puts the stock at a premium valuation compared to its peers, we feel that the company's strengths justify the higher price level at this time. <B>Pegasystems'</B> (PEGA) business management software helps companies manage complex, changing business processes by automating decision-making and the implementation of those decisions. We have rated the company a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8759-st006801.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since May 2008. This rating is based on the company's growth, solvency and expanding profit margins. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, the company reported revenue growth of 26.9% year-over-year. Continuing an impressive record of EPS growth, Pegasystems' EPS improved significantly, rising from 3 cents to 8 cents. Net income also increased in the fourth quarter, surging 99.6% from $1.4 million to $2.8 million. Both revenue and net income growth exceeded the averages for the Software industry. Pegasystems' gross profit margin is rather high at 64.8%; it has increased from the same quarter a year ago. The company has no debt to speak of, and its resulting debt-to-equity of zero can be seen as a favorable sign. In addition, Pegasystems maintains a quick ratio of 3.4, which clearly demonstrates its ability to cover short-term cash needs. Management reported that the company's fourth quarter revenue was a record for the company. Pegasystems also achieved record new license signings for the quarter. Looking ahead to fiscal 2009, the company currently expects full-year revenue to top $250 million, while net income could surpass $17 million on a GAAP basis. The company's weak operating cash flow is a concern, but we feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any weaknesses at this time. <B>Quality Systems</B> (QSII) develops and markets healthcare information systems that automate medical and dental practices, networks of practices such as physician hospital organizations, ambulatory care centers, community health centers, and medical and dental schools. We have rated Quality Systems a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-8980-st007281.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> since November 2001 due to its efficiency, solvency, and growth in revenue, net income, and EPS. Solid stock price performance also supports this rating. For the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the company reported that its revenues rose 36.1% year over year. The company announced that its net revenue results were a record for the company. A 15% improvement in EPS implies that the revenue growth trickled down to the bottom line. The company has achieved positive EPS growth routinely over the past two years, and we feel that this trend should continue. Net income also increased in the third quarter, rising 17.3% from $11.2 million to $13.2 million. Quality Systems has no debt to speak of, giving it a debt-to-equity ratio of zero. We consider this a favorable sign, as is a quick ratio of 2, which demonstrates the company's ability to cover its short-term liquidity needs. Quality Systems' stock has risen over the past year, reflecting the earnings growth and other positive factors like the ones cited above. Although this increase has driven to the stock to a level that is somewhat expensive to the rest of the Software industry, we feel that the company's strengths justify the higher price level at this time. <B>Check Point Software Technologies</B> (CHKP) and its subsidiaries develop, market, and support Internet security solutions for enterprise and high-end networks, service providers, consumers, and small and medium businesses. We upgraded the stock to a <a href="https://secure3.thestreet.com/StoreFront/p-4619-st001751.aspx" target="_blank"> buy </a> in January 2009. The buy rating is supported by the company's efficiency, solvency, and growth in revenue and EPS. For the first quarter of fiscal 2009, Check Point reported that it posted record revenues of $195 million, with revenue rising 1.8% year-over-year. This growth appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, as EPS improved 5.5% when compared to the same quarter a year ago. Net income also increased in the first quarter, rising 3.4% from $78.3 million to $80.9 million. The company's gross profit margin has increased from a year ago, currently coming in at 95.1%, which is very high. Check Point has no debt to speak of, which we consider to be a relatively favorable sign. In addition, the company's quick ratio of 2.9 indicates that it is clearly able to cover its short-term cash needs. Management stated that Check Point's first quarter results provided a good start to fiscal 2009. The company believes that it will be able to continue to post increased revenues and EPS during the year. We find the company's return on equity to be somewhat disappointing, but feel that the strengths detailed above outweigh any potential weakness at this time. <I> Our quantitative rating, which can be viewed for any stock through our <a href=" http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=0" target="_blank">stock rating screener</a>, is based on a variety of historical fundamental and pricing data and represents our opinion of a stock's risk-adjusted performance relative to other stocks. However, the rating does not incorporate all of the factors that can alter a stock's performance. For example, it doesn't always factor in recent corporate or industry events that could affect the stock price, nor does it include recent technology developments and competitive dynamics that may affect the company. For those reasons, we believe a rating alone cannot tell the whole story and should be part of an investor's overall research. </I>	May 01, 2009
Jim Cramer's Portfolios of the Week	18584	<I>By Stockpickr Staff Updated at 2:21 p.m. EDT on May 1, 2009</I> Jim Cramer thinks the market momentum is about to take a break for a moment due to some comments from President Obama about the auto sector on Thursday. Cramer believes that Obama freaked people out when he lectured the American public on how to build cars and blasted some hedge fund managers who are part owners in Chrysler. Cramer doesn’t want to fight the momentum in the markets because it’s coming at a time when the economy is possibly turning from negative to positive. He believes that many of the leading tech names, including <B>Apple</B> (AAPL) and <B>Research In Motion</B> (RIMM), are still undervalued and are showing signs of strength in the single worst economic environment he has ever seen. Cramer sees positive signs in many of the macro data points he follows, such as the increase in personal consumption, the U.S. and Chinese stimulus plans, the still-low inflation and still-low interest rates and the potential housing bottom. Cramer is upbeat and positive, and he’s finding plenty of investment ideas that look promising. Recently, he found opportunity in stocks breaking out, stocks with four-letter ticker symbols and stocks of potential comeback companies. Here are some Cramer highlights from over the past week as aggregated from his "Mad Money" TV show, the "Stop Trading!" segment on <I>CNBC</I> and his <I>RealMoney</I> blog posts (these blog post might require a <I>RealMoney</I> subscription). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Four-Letter-Frenzy-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Four-Letter Frenzy Stocks</a></b>: Cramer has spotted some bullish action in four-letter stocks. In an <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=85667b39-87ab-4d5b-9166-9bf900dcdebe" target="_blank">April 28 blog post</a>, he wrote: “Don't look now, but the <B>Nasdaq</B> is up 7% year to date, and that's just too glaring to be ignored. Performance is a magnet when it comes to stocks, and the magnet is in four letters.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Four-Letter-Frenzy-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Four-Letter Frenzy Stocks</a> include <B>Google</B> (GOOG) and <B>Qualcomm</B> (QCOM). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Breakout-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Breakout Stocks</a></b>: A number of stocks are at breakout levels. Is it time to buy? In an <a href="http://jimcramer.rmblogs.thestreet.com/entry.aspx?q=dd525fa9-fa68-4c56-b81d-9bf501217558" target="_blank">April 24 blog post</a>, Cramer wrote: “So many stocks with charts that look red hot, and the charts are telling the story. The charts are breaking out like the weather on this beautiful Eastern spring day.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Breakout-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Breakout Stocks</a> include <B>Schlumberger</B> (SLB) and <B>Fortune Brands</B> (FO). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Chinese-Subsidies-Stock-Plays/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Chinese Subsidies Plays</a></b>: Cramer thinks China’s plan to offer subsidies for various appliances will save the world’s economies. On <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10493943/1/cramers-stop-trading-chinas-potential.html" target="_blank">Wednesday’s “Stop Trading!” segment,</a> he said: “The Chinese are pulling everyone out of this recession.”<a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Chinese-Subsidies-Stock-Plays/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Chinese Subsidies Plays</a> include <B>Best Buy</B> (BBY) and <B>Corning</B> (GLW). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-New-Comeback-Kids/" target="_blank">Cramer’s New Comeback Kids</a></b>: Cramer has discovered two companies that are poised for a big comeback. In an <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/p/_jcblog/rmoney/jimcramerblog/10494442.html" target="_blank">April 30 blog post</a>, he wrote: “Now, I don't see either returning to their old greatness. But I do see them moving up over time after these initial moves, if only because people were so darned negative about both.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-New-Comeback-Kids/" target="_blank">Cramer’s New Comeback Kids</a> include <B>Starbucks</B> (SBUX). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Obama-Indicator-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Obama Indicator Stocks</a></b>: Cramer believes that Obama’s first 100 days in office should be judged by which stocks are up and which are down. On <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10492314/1/cramers-mad-money-recap-april-27.html" target="_blank">Monday’s “Mad Money” episode,</a> he told viewers that stocks are the only real indicator of how Obama’s doing, and they say two thumbs up. <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Obama-Indicator-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Obama Indicator Stocks</a> include <B>Intel</B> (INTC) and <B>American Express</B> (AXP). <b><a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Silver-Lining-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Silver Lining Stocks</a></b>: Cramer thinks a possible change in mood for the markets will provide a silver lining. In an <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/p/_jcblog/rmoney/jimcramerblog/10494646.html" target="_blank">April 30 blog post</a>, he wrote: “I'm sitting here actually hoping that things cool off so I can get into some of these stocks that have reported much-better-than-expected numbers and are looking cheap if they are sent down by the broader averages.” <a href="http://www.stockpickr.com/members/port/Cramer-s-Silver-Lining-Stocks/" target="_blank">Cramer’s Silver Lining Stocks</a> include <B>Visa</B> (V) and <B>VF Corp.</B> (VFC). <I>(Editor's note: At the time of publication and/or original publication of his posts and shows, Cramer owned Visa, VF Corp. and Qualcomm, for his <A HREF="http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=011707" target="_blank">Action Alerts PLUS</A> charitable trust.)</I>	May 01, 2009