i'm jim cramer, and welcome to my world. you need to get in the game! they're going to go out of business and they're nuts! they're nuts! they know nothing! i always like to say there's a bull market somewhere. "mad money." you can't afford to miss it. hey, i'm cramer. welcome to "mad money." welcome to cramerica. other people want to make friends. i'm just trying to save you money. my job is to educate you. call me at 1-800-743-cnbc. what if everything is better than we think in this country? what if the averages -- they did it again.

what if everything is so good that we're simply misjudging the true state of things? first let's consider what's known as the top gap. when you're an lazing the u.s. stock market, you have to think of it not in a vacuum, but in terms of a larger super market of investments. for home gamers, will this can be almost impossible to get your head around. are people thinking about exxon overseas? everybody's trying to figure out where on put their savings. you want to put your money in china?

i see a country fighting to stave off a housing collapse how about the russians? to me, they're like the wild west. only well connected klepto accurates want to invest in russia. india, terrible inflation. interest rate hikes. controls over gold. it's a nightmare. brazil's rates are being cut. but no slow down to think of when it comes to inflation p about if you invest in a country like germany, you're also investing in greece and spain and italy because they all have one currency.

we've got to balance the trade deficit, if we simply switched our orientation away from oil and toward an abundant bridge fuel, natural gas. it would also give us a chance at energy independence although it's got a little less horsepower. the rest of the world is envious even if the current administration may be oblivious to our bountiful national resources. now the returns you have to scratch your head thinking about why anyone would want to park money in such a ridiculous place. we have firms whose stocks i wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, yet they're offering bonds

that are so much lower than treasury yields from just a few years ago, i would be embarrassed to even consider buying this nonsense. and it is nonsense. i don't want anything to do with that side of the aisle other than to help a clerk try to clean up a spill in the bond portion section. cleanup in aisle seven! bring a mop! it's the bonds again! what about u.s. real estate? tempting. yet the portion of u.s. real estate that's really undervalued, homes, that doesn't lend itself to mass buying. something warren buffett made clear when he pondered the notion of buying hundreds of thousands of houses. it's not feasible for him, not feasible for anybody. so we know which countries we want to be. we know which parts of the aisle we need to avoid which brings us to equities. okay, here we have a once totally disgraced class of paper. >> boo! >> one that has broken the hearts of so many investors from the dot-bomb explosion, to the flash crash where billions

vanished in minutes to the ponzi schemes and the insider trading scandals that have now become legion. you have to figure after all that, who the heck would want to own anything connected with our stock market? but just like with anything no one wants, eventually the price gets to a point where it's reflecting a ridiculous amount of pessimism that it gets so pessimistic that it gets tempting. that's where we were when we came into the year. the level of skepticism that made it so the portion of the aisle with the best bargains of the whole global financial super market, the united states, simply had no shoppers. think about it. the banks, probably the most hated group in the world, no one was looking at that part. as long as employment stayed off while housing and stocks were in the dumps, the principal sources of wealth could not be tapped. the fear was palpable. employment returned with a vengeance.

confidence is brightening. we get those numbers. most important, the companies themselves seem determined to take matters into their own hands. they're sick of the high frequency nonsense, sick and tired at being at the mercy of what i regard as being hedge funds that go in and out. they seem to recognize that they've got to do something to make their stocks more attractive in the supermarket aisle to you. they want you because you don't go in and out. you're not banging bids and taking off. you're not trying to get them to do some short-term thing. they're offering you enticements. so today we have apple, not content with just making you money and one of the greatest stock moves in history. we have them stepping up to pay a dividend today. one that while initially not that large could easily expand over time. the way microsoft and intel expanded their payouts.

and believe me, more on this later. holy cow, theme be generating $40 billion, $50 billion worth of cash just this year. you've got domino's paying you a special $3 dividend on friday after a 133% gain in the last year. you have cliff's natural resources increasing its dividend an astounding one, two, three. that's right, 123% just last week. and you have jpmorgan last tuesday boosting its dividend by 20% despite already having one of the largest dividends in the space. meanwhile, the strength in the retail and services part of the economy causing retailer after retail to beat the estimates while cyclical companies raise their forecast at every conference call. as a result, you get this real that seems unreal to just about everyone in america, particularly if you've been beaten down, starved for a raise, living hand to mouth like so many people in the country are. the move makes no sense to you whatsoever. you can't believe these stocks are going up because it just doesn't seem like things are so good. but when you put it in the

context of what the other countries have to offer and where those rich people are trying to invest, from there, you can see how we might be considered the only real investable place on earth. here's the bottom line. if you only look at one aisle of your supermarket and nothing jumps out at you, or it all seems pretty humdrum if not worth skipping altogether, then i understand why you wouldn't want to do any buying. but if you only have one supermarket in the world and all the aisles feature foods that are way past their expiration date, outrageously expensive, we're spoiled to the point where they're petrifying and you go to light shopping in the stock section of the good old usa. ♪ if this keeps up, we won't even need express checkouts. there will be too many people with carts so full of american stocks to invest in, that we just might have to open up more checkout lines. let's go to mike in connecticut. mike! >> caller: hey, jim, boo-yah from connecticut. >> good to have you on the show, my friend. >> caller: i've got a question about united health group.

>> fire away. >> caller: they've got a large million-dollar contract with the military. i was wondering how that's going to affect the stock. >> look, it was interesting because we only know one side. it wasn't really confirmed but it's a huge contract. it's absolutely terrific. and i think unh is still a very inexpensive stock. i want you to own it. greg in texas. greg. greg, could you -- you're on. >> caller: hey, jim. ox coal for a long time and i'm wondering if i should sell it or keep it. >> oh, boy, i so dislike the coal companies and really don't like arch coal. sell half tomorrow and then hope for a bounce. i know hope isn't part of the equation. we're near low, but that's a bad stock. that's a bad stock. i can't defend it. anyway, stronger. that's right. it is time to buy american because we are stronger than everyone thought. just please get your mind out of the idea that there's only one

country to invest in. when you're in america. and think about all those other countries because they don't have a country to invest in which is why they're investing here. "mad money" will be right back. coming up -- bad meaning good? after buckling under the stress test, this regional bank's up over 8%. so why are investors laughing all the way to the bank? stick around to find out. and later -- tech for your teeth? this household name has been in millions of medicine cabinets for over 200 years. but could this old-timer help reinvent your portfolio? plus -- ride the lightning. take a nonstop thrill ride as cramer goes stock after stock. all your calls taking rapid fire on "the lightning round." all coming up on "mad money." miss out on some "mad money"? get your "mad money" text alert today. text mm to 26221. to get cramer right on your phone. for more info, visit madmoney.cnbc.com.

or give us a call at 1-800-743-cnbc.

♪ there is a house in new orleans ♪ the banks are running. running like they've rarely run before. i've only seen them run like this a couple times in my career. they're running as though near junior growth stocks. like lulu lemon. gains that seemed unimaginable even just a few months ago. it's so unusual that we have to suspend some of the rules because the best have already rallied tremendously. when you get a run like this, a magnificent rising tide that lets all boats run, we have to do something i rarely do here. we've got to recommend the worst. stocks that are so beaten down that they can be coiled springs. giving you the best percentage gains of the entire cohort. last friday, i recommended fifth third, key bank and huntington saying they could roar back to life after being suppressed for

ages and that the stress test results were in. en fuego. i'm going to go one step further. a bank that failed the test, a bank that the fed said no to because it still has a hefty subpar mortgage portfolio. i'm talking about suntrust! oh! sti for all you home gamers. suntrust may have flunked when we got the results last tuesday, but i still think this wilton upside this one. see, the fed's stress test was incredibly difficult. it actually was. it stated if unemployment soared from 8 to 13%, stocks lost half their value and housing prices plummets another 20%. then suntrust wouldn't have enough capital to satisfy the fed's structure standards. there are just two problems with this severe fed decree.

one, it's not going to happen. of all the banks that got tested, suntrust was alone that day when everyone else was saying woe is me, i can't believe we passed. do you know that suntrust was the only one that its earnings were too low at the time of the test results? that's right. when everyone else, you got the grade, you say oh, great, suntrust, which failed, raised the guidance the very same time it flunked which is why this stock's been about the best performer in the group since the test results, bouncing 8.6% since the results were announced. i think the rally has just begun or my charitable trust would not be buying suntrust. while the stock is up 39% which is 28% for the banks, this still may have the most to run because alas around this time last year suntrust stood eight points higher than it does right now, 24 and change. t and it has what i believe might be the most unrecognized earnings power of any of the regionals. first, suntrust was, for many

years, considered the premier regional bank in the southeast, if not the whole united states. head quarted in atlanta. suntrust was so deeply entrenched in the community, it should have been the first bank of coca-cola. coke, another atlanta-based company. i always thought suntrust was the most conservative regional bank in the land. a total know-your-customer institution that would never make a loan to someone who could even have a chance of defaulting. i always imagine suntrust as the citadel that helps the broken developer, a man in full like tom wolf in part because nobody would mess with suntrust. somewhere along the line it changed. decided to expand too quickly. moving into florida, becoming a bloated institution. when the economy fell apart, suntrust long continued to be

the equal if not exceeding wells fargo crashed and burned in totally spectacular fashion. now, however, there's a turn going on in the economy in the southeast. one of my favorite publications, i read it every day, "florida trend" magazine. they have a great website. it's the single best way to stay in touch with the florida region. and according to them, real estate prices for most of the state are beginning to pick up to the point where yours truly has been kicking the tires for florida real estate. while some parts, notably orlando, are still way too depressed, we're beginning to see job growth that could make florida -- are you ready, skeedaddy, the biggest comeback story of the year. suntrust isn't waiting for the good times to return. new ceo bill rogers working to cut $300 million in costs. i think he can take out even more. the business of the region itself is getting better and better. commercial and industrial loans beginning to grow again. plus with the sudden increase in interest rates, suntrust can make more money off its deposits.

something that's been completely lacking since the spectacular great depression banking crash. to me the bank was using earnings to stress test this great bank. and by the end of the third quarter i would not be surprised if suntrust went back to the fed, asked for permission to put through a nice size dividend, and it gets the nod of approval. given the fact that it sells at a tremendous discount in book value to most banks, even though it's tier one capital, its financial is much better than many years, i think buyers will continue to take suntrust up. i don't know if bank stocks can get back to $89. that's where it was five years ago. but i think half of that say decent target over the next 18 months. if you haven't latched onto a bank stock yet which you know i want you to do in order to play this amazing move and you want to play the one that hasn't gotten ahead of itself, why don't you take a hard look at suntrust, sti. the bank everyone used to love.

that they now love to hated. in short, while the other banks have moved up since the bottom, there's still plenty of room for suntrust to run, and you want to run with it as it gets there. after the break, i'll try to make you even more money. coming up -- tech for your teeth? this household name has been in millions of medicine cabinets for over 200 years. but could this old-timer help reinvent your portfolio?

♪ before i leave before she my teeth with a bottle of jack ♪ ♪ because when i leave for the night i ain't coming back ♪ jack -- oh, excuse me. sometimes labels get in the way of finding high-quality stocks. that's why i'm on a mission, a mission to change the way you think of tech stocks. the market is full of stealth technology companies. tech names you can't see because they don't have anything to do with hardware or software or the internet. the thing people forget is that technology has never been about computers. it's about innovation. and we're always willing to pay

a premium for companies that know how to innovate. underarmour, a closet tech stock in dupont. as my new tech names, these are all highly innovative companies in the process of reinventing their respective industries, we don't think of them as tech, but we should. tonight i've got another one for you. another tech stock in the last place you'd ever think of it. ever imagine to look for technology. and the answer is colgate. colgate-palmolive. cl, charlie larry for you home gamers. i know you probably think of colgate as the simple soft goods play, right? maker of toothpaste, shampoo, cleaning supplies, deodorant, dog food. but that's the old-fashioned way. that's the way of people who don't understand the greatness of this company. i, on the other hand, prefer to

think of colgate as an innovation engine, constantly reinventing the toothbrush. coming up with all sorts of new products in order to fend off the competition and take market share all over the world. the fact is the soft goods space has become a really tough business. you can't advertise your way out or into anything anymore. and that's one of the reasons why i've told you to stay away from most of the consumer staples names like a procter & gamble. these companies have to deal with much higher input costs thanks to the sky-high price of oil. that hits on everything from fuel, packaging to the plastics used to make many of their products. remember, plastics are only made out of petroleum, unfortunately some of it's out-and-out gas. at the same time they're getting hit by relentless competition from brands. they work just as well as the nationally branded stuff. we're no longer fooled. but despite this challenging environment, colgate's winning the war for shelf space all across the globe, not just america. at last month's consumer analyst group of new york conference, that's called cagny, colgate had a standout presentation.

they talked about how they're either maintaining or taking share of their various markets. for example, toothpaste. in toothpaste, this is the global leader. their market share's up 30 basis points from a year ago to 44.3. believe me, in this war of packaged goods, 30 basis points is a lot. how did colgate pull this off when everybody else is struggling? it's because this company has a relentless focus on innovation and bringing it to the bottom line. colgate has it down to a science. it's a diet. the company gathers insights from its customers, develops new concepts with each of its categories, and then rapidly brings those concepts to life as new products. colgate does this in its nine consumer innovation centers which are scattered all over the globe so they can target new products for specific regions. they're very targeted for regions.

for example, colgate's been having a lot of success with their new optic white toothpaste. that uses the same ingredients found in whitening strips to give people whiter teeth, one week. this quarter the company will launch a new toothbrush, the 360 surround sonic power which is like an old-fashioned manual toothbrush except it's powered by a battery, has a wraparound cleaner and cheek-in-tongue. mine's sharp. anyway, wow! give me that bottle of jack after all. that's a ke$ha reference. they've also got a new palmolive dishwashing liquid coming out that not only cleans the dishes, it also cleans the sponge, washing away any odor-causing -- my sponges stink! i'm not kidding. i hate it. i have to wash my hands after i use my sponge. probably too much information for you. i find all of this really impressive because colgate's essentially figured out a way to reinvent the wheel. they found a formula for

building a better mousetrap. that's tech. over and over and over again. they even make innovative pet food. this will not be like the episode where i ate that pepperoni pup where i was sick as a dog and threw up at that upper east side party that i'm never invited back again. last year colgate launched science diet health advantage. this is a wellness food that's exclusive available from veterinarians. and their distribution is now well ahead of schedule because the company's done just a good job at convincing vets and pet owners that they have a superior product. but this is not a one-size-fits-all company. they're coming out with products made for individual markets. this quarter of the company is launching a whole new line of products in europe designed to provide optimum protection for teeth and gums as well as new bath and shower gels approved by dermatologists for helping your skin naturally recover its moisture. in latin america, they're introducing luminous teeth-whitener, speed stick that i use for both men and women that have been very successful in mexico rolling them out across the region.

plus, they make the leading antibacterial soap, that's been gaining share in latin america in the last few years. in asia, colgate's coming out with slim soft toothbrush, tapered bristles designed to clean between the teeth and the gum line. remember, they're local. it's not just about the new products. colgate understands that in a cluttered world, they need to adopt innovative marketing tactics. they already have 45 different facebook pages for various brands and they're stepping up investments in digital media. in this focus on relentless innovation that's made colgate a big player in latin america, 35% is operating income. unlike procter & gamble, colgate's products can be found in little mom and pop operations all across latin america. that's how they've created 69% in market share, 80% share in mexico. when i'm in mexico, i don't know who crest is. it's like hey! hola, colgate. that's a staggering level of dominance.

now, not everything's perfect here. a higher commodity costs are a problem, but i think they're baked into the stock. two weeks ago march 8th colgate announced a 7% dividend boost, not great. better than a stick in the eye. about a 2% discount to its five-year store average valuation. i think it deserves to trade at a premium given the company's fantastic international operations especially in latin america and their ability to effectively innovate new products that appeal to consumers the world over. this tech stock deserves a higher multiple. here's the bottom line. stop thinking of colgate as just another soft goods play. this is a technology company that's masquerading as a soft goods play, a technology company that happens to make consumer-packaged goods and the nonstop focus on innovation. a mantel once worn by procter & gamble. it should drive the growth and therefore the stock price for many years to come. i'm going straight to ron in kansas. ron!

>> caller: mr. cramer, how you doing this afternoon? >> man, i am all fired up, brian. this has been a fired-up day for me. how about you? >> caller: i'm doing great. kansas jayhawk basketball and kansas state football, boo-yah to you. >> you've got your bases covered boo-yah. my brackets blew out so quickly my head is spinning boo-yah. show me, pal. i'm sorry. go ahead. >> caller: that's all right. almost went down to k.u. last night. >> lehigh, thank you. >> caller: i was kind of wondering about pbi, pitney bowes. >> i'm worried about the dividend, partner. listen, ron. i'm worried about -- you guys are straight shooters out in kansas. i'm not going to tell you i feel good about it. i worry about the dividend and growth. i think that dividend could be a value trap. i had that company on. ron, be careful with that one. okay? to me, that's like taking duke right now. i don't know it's a good play for the ncaa. fran in north carolina.

>> caller: hi. how are you, mr. cramer? >> pretty good. how about you? >> caller: i have omc stock. it's been the highest i've seen in over a year. >> yeah. >> caller: do i keep it? do i sell it? >> it's a well-run company in a business where things are getting better. so i've got to tell you, i want you to own it. it really is the star of the show. i think omc is really good. i like omg pops game, that draw game. did that this weekend. okay. although i like ke$ha, i don't care for her brushing with a bottle of jack wrap. me, i like oral hygiene, and i like the inventions that are colgate. no, i don't want to eat this either. stay with cramer. coming up -- the clock is ticking. call cramer at 1-800-743-cnbc. to find out how to fire away at cramer on "the lightning round." can he withstand your thunderous onslaught of stocks?

plus, "stock showdown." one upgrade and one downgrade for this slick oil play. but after this duel, only one will be left standing. saddle up, partner. jim's pulling out the big guns. all coming up on "mad money." wñwñwñwñwñwñwñwñwñososososvycyíy

it is time -- it is time for "the lightning round!" >> buy, buy, buy! >> i play the sound and then the lightning round is over. are you ready, skeedaddy? it's time for "the lightning round." dave in georgia to start. dave! >> caller: how are you, mr. cramer? i appreciate you taking my call. the pollen is about to kill us but other than that we're doing great. >> i had people sneezing their heads off this weekend. it was starting to bother me. go ahead. >> caller: anyway, i've got to get your spin on threshold pharmaceuticals. the symbol is thld.

>> yeah, they have this new orphan drug sarcoma issued that was really positive. after our looking back at our seven years and seeing the strength of speculation, if you make this the speculative part of your portfolio, i am saying -- >> hallelujah! >> -- now go to honey in new york. honey! >> caller: hi, jim. how you doing? >> what do you got, hon? >> caller: i'm a big fan of yours. i'd like to know what your opinion is of lukadia. l-u-k. >> i have a hard enough time getting my head around what buffett is. i say ixnay. it's too hard to understand. let's go to charlotte in arizona. charlotte! >> caller: hi, jim. thank you for listening to me. >> my pleasure. >> caller: i'd like to get your opinion on a stock that i bought last month, kodiak oil and gas. >> kodiak's got tons of oil, and therefore i like it. i think that one is a winner. i want you to stay in it.

let's go to henry in my home state of new jersey. henry. >> caller: yes, sir. >> no, henry. >> caller: yeah, jim. >> hit me. >> caller: yes, i do hear you. >> okay. how about a stock? go ahead. >> caller: what was that? >> yeah, go ahead. name a stock. any stock. >> caller: yeah, i'm looking at medco health solutions. what do you think, jim? >> all right. my charitable trust, actionalertsplus.com, there's a lot of talk that some attorney generals are going to try and block this deal. good luck, partners. let's go to william in new york. william. >> caller: boo-yah, mr. cramer. >> boo-yah. >> caller: this is from bohemia. fcx is my stock. >> i think people are short fcx. my charitable trust owns it. people say break it down. because it is a hideous chart. i think copper demand is going to surprise people particularly in this country. i don't want to mispronounce it, helena? helena in ohio? helena? >> caller: yes, it's helena. >> there you go. i've got horse sense. what's up? >> caller: i need to know about

nice systems. n-i-c-e. >> i like nice, i've got to tell you, security remains a fabulous theme in this market. let's go to -- no, i'm not done. i'm going to fred in new york. fred! >> caller: jimmy, i'm here with my boys and the wise guys in brooklyn i don't have jimmy cramer and we've got your back. >> well, thank you. you know, you are great to say that. you are great. here's a real hard day for me, and i am thrilled that you said that. how can i help? >> caller: we've got your back. brooklyn boo-yah. what are you thinking? we have a major position in perfect world, p-w-r-p. need some feedback. >> listen, i happen to love games. i play a lot with my kids. i play them all the time. i really understand the thesis, but you're on your own. i cannot enforce it. thank you for having my back, but i can't endorse it. al in my home state of pennsylvania. al. >> how you doing, jim?

>> real good. how about you? >> caller: i just want to say thank you for getting me back to even. >> thank you. i'm glad i got you there. >> caller: i'm interested in tempurpedic. >> we liked it. it's pretty inflated here, but you know what? it's a winner. and especially it's also a big play on housing. and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the conclusion of "the lightning round"! >> "the lightning round" is sponsored by td ameritrade. one call to hoveround and you'll be singing too! pick up the phone and call hoveround, the premier power chair. hoveround makes it easier than any other power chair. hoveround is more maneuverable to get you through the tightest doors and hallways. more reliable. hoveround employees build your chair, deliver your chair, and will service your chair for as long as you own your chair.

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♪ one of my rules of the road is that you never buy a stock unless you have a thesis. meaning an argument for why you think it's going higher. the thesis can't be too complicated. you need to be able to explain it to a seventh grader and in plain english. and it can't be borrowed meaning you can't just take someone else's idea without doing your own homework. that's how people get hurt. i'm not saying you shouldn't use other people's investment ideas or else i wouldn't come out here every night and give you so many of them.

but when you do buy a stock based on somebody else's recommendation, you've still got to do your own research because if something goes wrong and the stock gets crushed, it's important you actually understand what you own and why you own it. the problem with buying a stock just because some analyst says he loves it or perhaps because an incredibly handsome fellow on a television show hit -- "buy, buy, buy -- over and over again is that all you have is that person's opinion. and somebody else's opinion isn't very comforting when your stock is being slammed. so it's essential for you to form your own opinion about every stock in your portfolio because only you are going to be there when it gets hit. that's why i like it so much. whenever we get two dueling analysts, two analysts will aggressively contradict each other about the same exact stock at the same time. because an analyst duel to the death gives you a chance to see both sides of the argument.

that's what makes you a great investor. i want you to take a company called stat oil. it is cogent. the symbol is stl. this is the gigantic norwegian gas company. a week ago deutsche bank upgraded it from neutral to buy continue it was incredibly bullish piece of research. i laughed it up. i said this guy's got horse sense. but that very same day, goldman sachs came out and downgraded the stock right to a sell. so how do we explain this divergence? more importantly, who's right, the bulls or the bears? everyone's paying a lot of money. whenever you pit one analyst against each other in a claymation death match, you've got to figure out, maybe there's some broader macro theme. it trades closely with the price of oil, maybe one analyst is more bullish about crude and the difference of opinion is more about the commodity than the company.

i mean, maybe the bears hated oil. not the case here. stat oil bear, goldman sachs actually sees a scenario where oil goes to $130 next year. that is higher than deutsche's projection. take that off the table. stat oil gets about two-thirds of its production from norway where they have terrific offshore assets. the other third comes from the rest of the world where the company's been successful at drilling to find new oil. deutsche bank had a buy on stat oil for most of last year because they believed in the company's exploration acumen. then in december they downgraded it to neutral. they already took it down once. the stock was at $25.72. why? valuation concerns. they felt that stat oil had run up too much and too quickly. then the stock ran up even further, rallying 9.5% before

deutsche bank surrendered, white flag, upgraded march 9th to a buy. with this latest upgrade, the deutsche bank analysts are acknowledging that the december downgrade was a mistake. they out and out call it, quote, premature which is as close as most analysts will come to ever saying i was wrong. they believed the market radically undervalued it, and they want people in the stock ahead of drilling-related analysts. for someone, down in brazil, boy, is there a lot of oil down there. and the other in tanzania. and deutsche bank believes the data about the size of these discoveries could be very positive. beyond the appraisals, stat oil also is a very active exploration. they're drilling in at least nine more high-impact prospects this year which means it could be a slew of positive drilling catalysts coming as we learn more about these finds. thanks to their past drilling successes, deutsche bank sees statoil delivering a 6% to 7% increase in production for 2012. that's huge for a company like this. and a third round should drive even more growth down the line.

if they can drive double digits, the stock is not staying here. that oil has less exposure to the downstream business of refining oil and selling. i hate that business. it's much more of a play on exploration production. that's where the big money is. so deutsche bank sees statoil as a fabulous oil and gas explorer via the drill bit. sort of like the mad viking of drilling. what about goldman sachs? what's their case why statoil is a sell, sell, sell? it's what i call it's a relative call. therefore, frankly, dubious value. they put together a wholesale reranking of all the big european integrated oil so they're trying to figure out which ones they like and which ones they don't. they like statoil least. goldman's reasoning, wile they acknowledging statoil's excellence in finding oil, they don't like how the stock is run.

at the time it outperformed by an average of 8% the previous month and it was the best performing in recent months. part of the sell call is on valuation. i like catalysts and earnings. goldman is concerned about the company's long-term gas contract renegotiations hurting its profitability in 2012 and 2013. but even though goldman cut their estimates, their numbers are still above the consensus, and that means they're more bullish of all the analysts covering the stock. overall, they prefer european oil names. both of which also have higher dividends since statoil's still sizeable 4% yield. i get that. i happen to be a big roil shell fan. which side do i come on? i think deutsche bank is right. statoil gives you a ton of positive catalysts as they explore for oil all over the world. their recent track record is phenomenal. top it off, they're paying you to wait for that juicy 4% yield versus what you get in bonds. the yield may not be as good.

but neither of them comes close to statoil in terms of drilling catalysts, in terms of finding oil. as for goldman's sell, here's the thing. goldman seems very bullish about the european-integrated oils in general, but there are certain conventions that analysts have to follow that you may not know at home. i'm from this world so let me tell you. see, goldman can't just say that all of the big european oil plays are buys. that's not what they're allowed to do. they've got to pick their favorites and least favorites like being graded at school. they've got to give you buys, holds and sells even if the overall sector is great. i happen to think they're wrong to like statoil least. even if they weren't, what goldman is saying is the statoil is the least attractive house in a fantastic neighborhood. as far as sell calls go, it wasn't really that bearish, but it was a sell. bottom line, between deutsche bank's full-throated endorsement of statoil, it seems that it's a pretty darn attractive buy. they have a ton of potentially positive analysts over the

course of this year. to top it off, they give that you notoriously b-i-g 4% yield. i say statoil is a buy, buy, buy. that will make the deutsche bull look good and force the goldman bear to eat an oil-based crow. "mad money" is back after the break. stamps.com is the best. i don't have to leave my desk and get up and go to the post office anymore. there's nothing worse than going to the post office and waiting in line. [ male announcer ] with stamps.com, you can buy and print real u.s. postage for all your letters and packages so you'll never have to go to the post office again.

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you know what? to be perfectly candid, i was a little disappointed in apple today.

not because they're paying out a relatively paltry dividend comparison to the cash horde. no one should ever sniff at a $2.65 a quarter dividend. when not that long ago the stock was in the 200s. there's plenty of room for apple to raise the payout over time as both intel and microsoft had done. almost as sure the dividend will cause other mutual funds that can only own dividend stocks to purchase some apple. that's not a real reason to like the stock. i'm not disappointed by the buyback. this one does not really do much, shrinks what's being issued to executives. i never care for that kind of activity. it seems old-time to me, but i'll give apple this. fannie should be rewarded, the execs of apple should be. no, what bothered me that this was a very special weekend for apple. the weekend the new ipad hit the stores. and for those of us who waited in line to get one, we understood that something amazing was going on. young, old, relatives, really incredible. i loved it.

and it drives me nuts that the dividend stole the thunder from the actual story. a new device that i believe is taking america by storm of every generation. i made sure before i went to my apple store that the line wasn't too long. of course, apple was incredibly organized and the crowd control was secure. thank you. but the fact was they needed it. apple had made sure at least with my store that it had ample ipads in stock. i settled for a black 32-gig when i wanted a white one, but beggars can't be choosers. i think the sheer volume of ipads may have made for more inspirational conversation in telephone conference today. a press conference just about the earth-shattering introduction, something apple can do because inventory controls are so superlative, it might have caused the stock to go up. plus, i wish apple had waited for a down moment for the stock market to put in a little shock and awe. i sense almost an apple fatigue by the end of the morning as evidenced of the stock went down, but it never recovered that higher ground despite rallying at the end of the day.

all in all, i'm thrilled apple is returning money to its shareholders. the biggest boost to earnings that i can think would be an increase in short-term interest rates by the fed. might as well give the cash to people who own the stock. in the end, apple, you buried the lead. after the incredible sales, i think earnings estimates are way too low. that's what matters. i feel more certain than ever that the company can make my prediction of $50 in fiscal year 2012. 12 times earnings with a decent dividend? hey, find me another growth story with those characteristics, and i'll tell you that you have a best-in-show stock to own and to invest in, and yes, to celebrate for 2012. stick with cramer!

it was like a dividend fest. first my daughter is over and we order domino's. and $3 dividend special. then right over to the apple store and that's the beauty of seeing young, old, everybody congregating around the apple ipads and i