In Trading With the Enemy, to be published this month by Harper Business, Maier alleges that CNBC anchors Maria Bartiromo and David Faber were used like pawns to talk up stocks that Cramer's hedge fund had purchased. He did this by giving them heads-up on analysts' upgrades and downgrades in particular stocks.
Writes Maier: "We were the first firm most brokerage houses told such news [of upgrades and downgrades], and Jim decided to use this early-call status to help the reporters, who all wanted to break a story."
Maier goes on to explain that after the stocks were touted on television, Cramer would promptly dump the firm's position: "No sooner would Maria be thanking us for the help than we'd be getting a payback--a quick hit thanks to our friends at CNBC."
In one case, recalls Maier, Faber called Cramer and immediately Cramer demanded that the firm buy a hundred thousand shares of MCI Group (nasdaq: MCIT - news - people). "There will be news!" said Cramer's colleague to the broker at Goldman Sachs, who also purchased shares. No more than an hour later, Faber went on the air with news that telecommunications giant MCI was rumored to be an acquisition target. Maier admits he does not know what Faber actually told Cramer during their conversation and writes, "Reporters often called us, asking if we could confirm a rumor in the marketplace."
ROFL |
