Fast Money Stock Picks – April 15, 2008 – IBM and Miscellany

Najarian:
NSC – Norfolk Southern – Watch the rail space, NSC is cheaper than the others but enjoys the same benefits from transporting in-demand products
IBM – IBM – Buy into earnings
NE – Noble Corp – Buy – “Final Trade”

Adami:
JNJ – Johnson & Johnson – Buy
IBM – IBM – Sell into earnings, buy back on a dip
AAPL – Apple – Buy – “Final Trade”

Finerman:
VTR – Ventas – Don’t buy, it’s asset values are not going up
CROX – Crocs – Don’t buy, management has lost all credibility
MO – Altria – Buy
TAN – Claymore/MAC Global Solar Index – Buy puts
UFS – Domtar – Buy – “Final Trade”

Macke:
CROX – Crocs – Don’t buy
IBM – IBM – Sell into earnings, buy when it pulls back – “Final Trade”
WMT – Wal-Mart – Buy

Stevie Cohen, Ken Griffin, and John Paulson – the most-followed hedge funds:
MO – Altria – Buy on the suspicion management will load up more debt generating more cash for expansion and even more dividend increases

Pops (stocks that jumped higher):
STU – Student Loan Corporation (14%) – Finerman: I’m not buying it
SFD – Smithfield Foods (8%) – Macke: Move along
CPWR – Compuware (11%) – Najarian: Good enough
SCHW – Charles Schwab (9%) – Adami: Looks like good things are happening with Schwab
WLT – Walter Industries (3%) – Najarian: Coal the commodity moved higher and Walter got the pop
ZLC – Zale Corp (10%) – Finerman: It’s just curious

Drops (stocks that slid lower):
FRX – Forest Labs (9%) – Adami: I think this stock will become a value play
MTW – Manitowoc (9%) – Najarian: We’ll see
LVS – Las Vegas Sands (7%) – After MGM slashed jobs due to slowing revenues investors also cashed out of this competitor
COF – Capital One (2%) – Finerman: I’m short
ALK – Alaska Air (5%) – Higher oil prices took their toll on airlines both big and small
NOC – Northrop Grumman (7%) – Macke: Not interested