Corrections Corp. Not Executing - Cramer's Lightning Round (4/25/08)

Stocks discussed in the lightning round session of Jim Cramer’s Mad Money TV program, Friday April 25. Click on a stock ticker for more analysis:

Bullish calls:

Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI): "I am telling you this deal is going to go through. I still think, that when it goes through, you've got a $5 stock."

ConcoPhillips (COP), Occidental Petroleum (OXY), Marathon Oil (MRO)

Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM): "This is your chance to buy gold. The gold stocks are down much more than the commodity."

First Solar (FSLR): "I am recommending First Solar."

Hudson City Bancorp (HCBK): "…at a 52-week high today…what bank stock is at a 52-week high?…this one's our play."

Urban Outfitters (URBN): "I don't care (that the CEO has sold shares)... I mean, he's been with the company a long time … It's just a dynamite look. I call it "cheap chic"

Apple (AAPL): "sell MSFT and move into Apple."

Bearish calls:

ING (ING): "It is a decent bank, not doubt about it, but I'm not a buyer of that."

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (SIRT): "No, no…..GlaxoSmithKline bought them, so you've got to ring the register."

South Financial Group (TSFG): "This is another stinker-roony McFaddy financial... No, no, and then I'm going to throw in another no... and, just to be clear... I'm saying, No."

Corrections Corp. of America (CXW): "Just because it is in the prison business doesn't necessarily mean it can execute well... Don't buy, dont' buy."

Microsoft (MSFT): "Disappointed, disappointed... I've got to tell you, the PC business is not so hot".

Energy Conversion Devices (ENER): "You are barking up the wrong solar play. I am recommending First Solar."

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Comments

[Tony/solarfan]

Cramer has gone from a previous position on ENER where he felt they were an "inexpensive solar play and I would stick with that" to "You are barking up the wrong solar play. I am recommending First Solar."

What’s up with the devotion to First Solar? Their PE is astronomical; their upside from here is difficult to see meeting expectations. They may be a well run company but they will have to execute flawlessly from here on out not to trip and drop in valuation.

Cramer does not explain his recommendation for First Solar or the reason behind his reason for ignoring ENER almost completely. It is interesting to note that when asked about ENER most recently he does not speak about ENER, only about his devotion to his recommendation for First Solar.

There is something up here that is very odd, not about ENER but about Cramer. He worships First Solar as his only viable solar recommendation with no explanation offered. When he speaks of other sector stocks he often offers some reasons for his preferences, likes and dislikes. However, when it comes to Solar and ENER he says NOTHING AT ALL, only hits the replay button and once again recommends First Solar. He almost appears as though he is getting annoyed by those asking about ENER. What’s up with that?

Someone else on this board noted the same impression recently when commenting about Cramer being asked about ENER on Mad Money.

As I understand it Cramer claims to have his investments in a blind trust to avoid conflict of interest. So whose interests are served by his solar sector devotion to First Solar, no discussion of substance offered, no secondary solar sector plays even worthy of discussion. Whose interests indeed?

The solar sector is in its infancy, it is hard to imagine there are not at least 2 or 3 firms worthy of an investment recommendation. Contrary to what Cramer would have his audience and advertisers believe, he does not have a crystal ball and cannot possibly know who the long term success stories will be for certain. Yet he only recommends First Solar. One of the most expensive plays in the solar sector. His singular devotion has an almost religious quality when repeated over and over with no justification, as such he is asking for his audience to have faith, just like a prophet.

Something is really odd about this, anyone have any ideas. Could it be he is simply ignorant about the specifics of solar sector development and following the crowd himself? Could he be getting religion because some of his investment buddies are heavily positioned in First Solar?

Anyone have an idea how to interpret the prophet Jim Cramer’s church of First Solar?

[bob the bear]

Cramer is, admittedly so, nutty as a fruit cake! He protesteth too much about his blind trust, which isn't blind, but run by him. It's called a charitable trust, by him. Anyway, the big news with ENER is that they have a patent on increasing the manufacturing speed of their photovoltaic thin film line by 10. This reduces cost to a point that they become as cheap as fossil fuels. That's a WOW!

[investorslive]

Cramer is a nut, but i agree with FSLR

Also watching: www.investorslive.com/.../