Stop Trading!

With the market down big again today, Cramer said on today’s Stop Trading! segment that he thinks it’s a good time to get into defensive stocks like Johnson Controls and Verizon . With names like these, it’s best to buy a little here and then increase your position on the dip, he said.

Cramer had some other buys in the face of today’s sell-off, including SPX ,which is a “really well-run company” that’s “hitting on all cylinders.”

As for the brokerages, Cramer would buy Prudential and sell TD Ameritrade . He liked Prudential after its decision to close its equity research arm. It shows the brokerage has “the ability to take brutal action to make money for shareholders.” And even though Ameritrade CEO Joe Moglia is “doing a great job,” Cramer said the time has come to the sell the stock and buy it back later.

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