Cramer on Friday revealed the most imporant events of the coming week.
The "Mad Money" host thinks retail is a "terrific area going into the end of the year," so he's looking forward to several key retail reports, including one from Dollar General on Monday. The stock has been "flying" lately, so Cramer's curious to hear how much upside is left. With nearly 9,000 stores in 35 states, its earnings report will also provide a "fantastic read" on the health and habits of the low-end consumer.
Speaking of retail, Cramer faveCostcoreports on Wednesday. Its earnings will shed light on the state of the middle and upper class shoppers. The company reported better-than-expected November same-store sales on Thursday and Cramer expects that to continue, as shoppers look to Costco for bargains. He'll be listening to hear what executives say about membership growth.
The best read on the strength of the economy, said cramer, is through the industrials. Many of the stocks in this sector are "true recovery plays" because of their exposure to late-cycle business, meaning companies that take off after the global economy begins to pick up steam. To get a feel for this space, Cramer will be monitoring two key analyst meetings next week: 3M on Tuesday and United Technologies on Thursday.
"I expect both of these companies to be extremely bullish," Cramer mused. "3M with its huge Asian business and numerous new products trying to make up for the fact that people thought the last quarter was disappointing. United Technologies with its late cycle businesses like heating ventilation and air conditioning systems and aerospace."
Pall Corp.also reports earnings on Thursday. The Port Washington, N.Y.-based company is a filtration play, which Cramer highlighted two weeks ago. Being as it sells filtration into the industrials, its earnings provide perspective on how healthy demand is across a range of businesses. Even though it's not a large-cap or widely followed stock, Cramer thinks Pall's earnings will be helpful in identifying trends.
With employment being top-of-mind, Cramer is anticipating next week's jobless claims on Thursday. He said high claims will put pressure on Washington to agree to compromise on taxes and unemployment benefits, as well.
Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC
Questions for Cramer? madmoney@cnbc.com
Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? madcap@cnbc.com
