Comcast at Last - Cramer's Mad Money (5/6/08)

Stocks discussed in the in-depth session of Jim Cramer’s Mad Money TV program, Tuesday May 6. Click on a stock ticker for more analysis.

Andarko Petroleum (APC), Devon (DVN), Apache (APA), Southwest Energy (SWN), Ultra Petroleum (UPL), Encana (ECA), XTO (XTO), El Paso (EL), Conco-Phillip (COP), Nabors (NBR), Halliburton (HAL)

Cramer urged Clinton and Obama to abandon their windfall profit tax proposals for the oil industry and get behind natural gas, a resource that with a fantastic future ahead thanks to Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania. Cramer has referred to 2008 as “the year of natural gas” and his favorite pick is Andarko, March’s “must buy” which has already increased $11, and Cramer sees it heading toward $100. With average growth rates for natural gas at 15%, Cramer likes the whole sector, especially DVN, APA, SWN, UPL, ECA, XTO, EL, COP, NBR and HAL. Even though Cramer backs natural gas, he still likes oil as an investment, raised his price target from $125 and $150 and said it is not too late to catch a gain in oil.

CEO Interview: Duncan Niederauer, NYSE Euronext (NYX)

Cramer wore a paper bag over his head to demonstrate his past embarrassment over recommending NYX. However, he promptly removed it to announce the company tripled its first quarter profit. Cramer said he was so bullish on the company because he believed in CEO Ducan Niederauer, and Niederauer’s first full quarter as chief has proven to be a success. Niederauer said this was the first quarter that truly reflected the effect of the Euronext acquisition and he is confident the combined names will handle heavy trading volumes. However, the $70 million cost savings has yet to take effect and the CEO is finding new ways to reduce expenses. He added the company is working on closing the American Stock Exchange acquisition ahead of schedule.

Comcast (CMCSA) Cramer apologized to viewers for underestimating CMCSA, which he initially felt paled in comparison to its rivals VZ and T. He assumed Verizon’s FiOS fiber service would mean the end of cable, but on closer inspection, FiOs is available in just 22.5% of Verizon’s area. “There is still a lot of growth left for cable, Cramer said. In addition, CMCSA is employing more aggressive marketing techniques, is buying back stock and is introducing a dividend. The company has also improved its customer service which had been its weak spot in the past.

CEO Interview: David Steiner, Waste Management (WMI)

David Steiner said his company is “recession proof” but also has a fixed cost structure which will provide leverage when the economy improves. He says his team treats pricing “like a science and not an art.” The company deals with rising fuel costs by passing a surcharge on to the customer and Steiner discussed WMI’s strategies to save fuel and help preserve the environment. “There are a lot of you who don’t want a lot of risk, a lot of jumping around. WMI’s for you.”

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Comments

[Bdee]

Does this guy ever tire of hearing himself speak? I watched a couple of his shows (and tracked several of his recommendations and pans). Of the 9 recommendations , 7 were losers and of the 3 pans all were winners...I find him to be a loud mouth huckster with little or no true insight. Sure, he's been around the block when it comes to the market, however, we ALL have had our share of winners (and losers).
Do we really need someone to tell us that natural gas, solar and perhaps coal are good companies to invest in ? Crude is $122 a barrel and gas is $4.00+ per gallon with no end in sight. I bought FSLR at $211...it's $278 now.....maybe I deserve a show and a platform to tell others where to put their money...then when I'm wrong I'll simply apologize and say "oops, sorry, I missed something".
He sounds like some "full-service" brokers I worked with in the past....