“Mad Money” host Jim Cramer’s “Game Plan” for the week of Monday, Feb. 27, is as follows.
MONDAY, FEB. 27
Priceline.com reports Monday after the bell, providing a checkup on momentum investing. The results could reflect the effect of rising gas prices on the travel industry, especially among consumers with less discretionary income and European tourists looking for bargains. Excellent execution, Cramer says, has already been rewarded in such companies as Salesforce.com, and names like Mastercard and Intuitive Surgical continue to hit new highs.
Southwestern Energy results might provide insight on how low natural gas can go, Cramer says. An industry leader in the space, Southwestern might highlight its plans on drilling or the outlook on using it as a surface fuel. Already this week, EOG ResourcesCEO Mark Papa spoke about how natural gas could potentially get even cheaper.
TUESDAY, FEB. 28
Autozone, one of the best stock performers Cramer has seen, reports earnings on Tuesday. Buybacks that have worked to grow earnings per share have made the stock one in which Cramer sees continued upside, especially in a nation where the average car on the road is 11 years old. Will it be all-systems-go for Autozone?
Domino’s Pizza, whose stock stalled since its last earnings report, reports Tuesday. Cramer expects the company to beat Wall Street estimates, and eagerly awaits details on its expansion into India, where a potential clientele that is largely vegetarian looks like a tailwinrd. Domino’s mobile app also faces further adoption from pizza fans
Markwest Energy, one of Cramer’s favorite master limited partnerships, reports after the close. Sky-high yields and a good risk-reward make this a stock to watch.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 29
Costco reports quarterly earnings Wednesday morning for the first time since the departure of co-founder and CEO Jim Sinegal. As the company’s new chief executive, Rich Galanti, makes his debut, Cramer will be listening for whether Costco is passing on rising food costs or eating it, as well as how its gas business is doing amid rising prices at the pump.
Joy Global reports Wednesday, too. Cramer will watch for mention of how coal demand will impact the company’s bottom line, as well as ramped-up competition from Caterpillar in its mining products, especially in China.
Staples reports Wednesday morning, Cramer hopes to hear an indicator of what growth looks like among the small-business sector — “the quintessential job creators.” That might be more important than whether the office-supply chain beats Wall Street estimates.
THURSDAY, MARCH 1
Kroger, which reports Thursday, could provide another indicator of consumer sentiment in the big picture. Although Cramer likes Whole Foods far better than all the other supermarkets, he’ll listen to what Kroger’s customers are doing amid food inflation – whether they’re trading down to store brands or eating at home more often because of rising oil prices.
Foot Locker reports after the close, following on the heels of Morgan Stanley’s upgrade of Under Armour. Cramer wants to hear how Under Armour’s lightweight shoes are performing on the retail scene, especially as the manufacturer has reportedly been running away with share from Nike.
FRIDAY, MARCH 2
Yelp’s IPO takes place Friday. With 66 million users a month and 25 million business reviews, Cramer thinks it’s worth trying to buy shares on the first day of trading — but warns against buying any Yelp in the after-market. And on a first-day price spike, Cramer suggests investors take the money and run.
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