It isnt that simple and anyone who says otherwise doesnt have that much experience with the matter. The truth is that you dont know whats going to happen with his picks. Some go to the highs of the day at the start only to come down throughout the day. So you can go ahead, be my guest and buy into his picks, but what happens next, you dont know. There is a good blog spot that focuses on his picks and the moderator of that forum seems like an expert as he watches the show and tracks the picks everyday. http://shortcramerpicks.blogspot.com/
to be fair to cramer- they never differentiate whether those are his focus segment stocks, or just gun to the head lighting round calls, and more importantly which are short term trades vs holds. i respect his track record in hedge world but think his monkey on crack routine is probably dinging alot of amatuers trying to duplicate his style, particularly his avg down technique. but again- who cares what moves the stock- earnings, fda, accounting, fraud, cramer, or joe kernan back in internet days just reading the top up stocks at lunchtime, etc, etc- there will always be a catalyst that the reporters can say 'ah ha' if the stock is moving- but to drink the covel cool-aid- trade price and trend. much less stress. and since he zinged me, hanginman is the amatuer- first whiner to post about cramers 2007 picks in a flustered manner.
hanging's got it right; cramer's picks (for a short term player) aren't as predictable to trade any more. what used to happen - initially - buy when he mentions, you make money. then what happened (which i used to do) - short some a bit after he mentiones, short some in pre-mkt next morning, cover in the first hour (usually) and then go long on a set-up candlestick. not as easy any more. some come in, some don't. it's unfortunate in a way that the blog is out there - he's posted many of the observations i've had (just by following / tracking on my own). there's a couple he's not found (or searched for?) that i've found, but nothing that's goin to make me big bucks, only intraday stuff. but for the most part, that blog 1) gives you the ideas when not to fade cramer, and when to and 2) gives you an unbiased history of picks.