Cramer: Economy Will ‘Shock to the Upside’
Finance December 6th, 2009
That may fly in the face of almost every other media pronouncement, but the news coming from American stalwarts Ford Motor [F 10.96 0.68 (+6.61%) ] and Boeing [BA 58.05 1.87 (+3.33%) ] is hard to ignore. Both stocks hit 52-week highs today, and that’s because business is good.
Consider Ford, once one of the ailing Detroit Big Three. Thanks to CEO Alan Mulally, Cramer said, this company has seen the best turnaround since Boeing – and Mulally was responsible for that, too.
Just look at the numbers: December registered a 42% increase in sales, while there was a total vehicle increase of 33%. And that came despite talk of how Cash for Clunkers would steal future business. Think of the money Ford must be making now that it’s no longer slashing prices to shed excess inventory. Cramer said he likes both Ford common stock and the preferred shares.
Then there’s Boeing. The company is the best manufacturer in its class, Cramer said, the dominant play in its industry, and new orders are flooding in. Plus, the long-awaited 787 Dreamliner has finally taken flight.
Aerospace and autos are the second- and third-biggest economic drivers for the US, and they look to be in great shape. What’s number one? Consumer spending, which given this past holiday season is doing just as well. Cramer is expecting blowout numbers from just about every major player in the sector: J. Crew Group [JCG 45.05 0.88 (+1.99%) ] to Sears Holdings [SHLD 87.20 3.78 (+4.53%) ], Macy’s [M 16.85 -0.21 (-1.23%) ] to Saks [SKS 7.17 0.37 (+5.44%) ].
Of course, both the press and the pundits seem to have missed all this. They’ve even kept many retail investors from taking part in the market’s big moves since last March. But their total lack of understanding is the reason the economy is not just going to surprise everyone, Cramer said, “but shock to the upside.”
“You want to participate in the great rebound?” Cramer asked viewers. “Bet on the best we have” – Ford and Boeing.
