they talked about a weak spring for their apparel and accessories, ascena, i didn't think it would bedress barn is down. you put these three together, you got a gloomy picture of what is out there with many shapes and sizes people spending less. you couple that with dollar general, you get a sense may was a very weak month. the huge increase in interest rates on a percentage basis is happening at just the wrong time. plus all the jabbering fed head guys. you combine higher rates with less business. it wasn't all bad. we had a hard goods retailer cons report god numbers. they sell home furnishings, appliances, they were up today. normally, it would be important to the offset vera bradley and ascena, conn's trend is in a grain of salt. when i put it together, i come back with at best a mixed retail picture at a time i expected an improving one, frankly. now mortgage rates have gone over 4%. is it the end of the world? no, no, no. do these numbers embolden me to think the correction is over? not really. that's what gives me less confidence to say things will improve for our stocks, even

normally, it would be important to the offset vera bradley and ascena, conn's trend is in a grain ofether, i come back with a best, a mixed retail picture at a time i expected an improven one, frankly. now mortgage rates have gone over 4%. is it the end of the world? no, no, no, do these numbers embolden me to think the correction is over? not really. that's what gives me less confidence to say things will improve for our stock, even though they have come down to emboelden me for my charitable trusts to start picking among some of the rubble. stay with cramer. >>> my interview with mitt romney tonight. you don't want to miss it. t.j. rodgers, ceo of cypress semi conductor is my head host. all that up next on "kudlow." . >> i hope to sigh you guys at the monster conference on saturday. i like to stay there is always a bull market somewhere. i promise to find it just for you right here on "mad money." i'm jim cramer and i will see you tomorrow [ music playing ] >>> an unprecedented government violation of privacy? a police stay or a necessary step to keep us safe from terrorists? it tu

i am not going to see ascena, i have see what sienna says and do homework before we opine on this company. peter in florida! >> caller: jim, i spoke to you a few months ago concern iing cer. if you had 6 trillion in contractual backlog, the tight ratio is good. at 98, i see it going to 120 and possibly splitting again with the same management it has had in the future. and i'd appreciate your comments on it. your thoughts. >> you are right, i thought it was rich. i thought athena was rich. athena, i hope they come back. i think it's a really good company. cernor didn't peak. i was concerned because all strips was having a hard time. even though i said cernor was better than all script, i was too kaumpblts you were right, i was wrong, i wish i had done a better job. a is it for effort? yes, the letter a the symbol for ad spu lent the company is making a turn-around, give you a couple ways to win. take some adulent. buy, buy, buy! . . humans. even when we cross our "ts" and dot our "i's", we still run into problems. that's why liberty mutual insurance offers accident forgiveness with our aut

. >> ascena is more recessed.e people call me maurice, like steve miller, speaking the papadus of love. i think when you add vera bradley which is handbag company, the opposite of michael kors, and you put in francesca's, you have all these mid-tier retailers. >> what's the message being sent here? sl peop >> people are cautious again. >> which people? >> the middle. this middle -- the other day we saw target go up because dollar general went down. oh, they're gravitating to target. no! the middle is being squeezed here. some of it could be may weather. but ascena has a huge number of stores. they bought this charming shop. it's not management screwing up. this is what i have a little trepidation about. >> may weather. and we're not talking floyd. >> no. >>> all right. can the dow avoid its first three-day losing streak of the year? that's right. opening bell just minutes away. get ready, we got another big day of trading ahead and a lot more "squawk on the street." s intuitive and customizable, just like a tablet