Cramer's View of the Market Is Now 'Grim'
Published:       Monday, 11 Apr 2011 | 7:07 PM ET 
Two headwinds have ended Cramer's 18 months of "bullishness" and left him with a more "grim" view of the market, he said Monday.
Why is he becoming less bullish on the markets?
Well,  an investor's worldview decides how much he or she is willing to pay  for earnings, the "Mad Money" host explained. One with a negative  worldview, for example, will be less willing to pay up for a company's  projected earnings, he said. Those who think the economy is  deteriorating will pay less for stocks.
"After  18 months of incredible bullishness, my worldview has just become a lot  more grim," Cramer said, adding that he thinks individual stocks can  still go higher, though.
There  have been numerous takeover bids in the past few days, which has helped  nullify some of his negative worldview. Stocks can also get a boost  when analysts issue an upgrade, although Cramer doesn't think they're  worth banking on. Companies can help their stocks to go higher by  boosting dividends, as McCormick [MRK    33.56     -0.03    (-0.09%)
      -0.03    (-0.09%)       ] and Freeport-McMoRan [FCX    53.70
] and Freeport-McMoRan [FCX    53.70     -1.74    (-3.14%)
      -1.74    (-3.14%)       ]  have recently. Other companies can help their stocks by spinning off  lagging businesses. In some cases, a company's stock can be helped by  purchasing a lagging business, as Diamond Foods [DMND    60.63
]  have recently. Other companies can help their stocks by spinning off  lagging businesses. In some cases, a company's stock can be helped by  purchasing a lagging business, as Diamond Foods [DMND    60.63     0.54    (+0.9%)
      0.54    (+0.9%)       ] had with its purchase of Procter & Gamble's [PG    62.89
] had with its purchase of Procter & Gamble's [PG    62.89     0.70    (+1.13%)
      0.70    (+1.13%)       ] Pringles.
] Pringles.
The  market could either be exuberant or muted to good news, Cramer said. It  all depends upon the "big picture," which sets the overall tone for the  market. For the last 18 months, Cramer thought the big picture was  "terrific." During that time, the market was being helped by the  monetary policies of Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, he said. The  market has now run into two significant headwinds, though: higher oil  prices and the debt ceiling.
"Higher  oil means higher costs for businesses in so many ways. It means a  slowdown in new autos, as people associate not buying a new car, or  switching to mass transit, with saving money and offsetting the  increased cost of gasoline," Cramer said. "It means higher gas, which  means a tax on the consumer, making it too difficult for people to  afford Lobsterfest at Darden's [DRI    46.86     0.17    (+0.36%)
      0.17    (+0.36%)       ] Red Lobster."
] Red Lobster."
A  decline in oil prices on Monday helped consumers avoid seeing the price  for a gallon of gas skyrocket to $4. It is critical for the health of  the economy that gas not go that high, Cramer said. He wants to see oil  prices fall below $100 a barrel.
Meanwhile,  Cramer is concerned about the debt ceiling, too. The U.S. government  borrows trillions of dollars to finance spending on things like Social  Security and the military, Cramer explained. If other countries try the  U.S. to keep its fiscal house in order, though, they could demand the  U.S. raise interest rates. Businesses borrow money every day and at a  higher rate than the government. A rate hike would not only affect  businesses, but it would make selling the old housing inventory more  difficult. Homebuilding would be further delayed and companies would be  less likely to start aggressively hiring again.
To  Cramer, if oil continues to climb and the debt ceiling isn't raised, it  won't matter what action Bernanke takes. These two outside forces will  make investors pay less for stocks, or sell them en masse. For that  reason, Cramer suggests investors sell into strength.