Russell dives 2.4% at close; AGP, VDSI, and EGBN lead gainers

SCI Microbloggers | Oct 23, 2008 4:52pm EDT | Comment

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Small caps dove again at closing, careening 2.4%. Small-cap stocks were especially punished today relative to the broad market and for the first time in months the Dow officially replaced the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) as a better performing index for 2008. Today’s small-cap gainers are Amerigroup (NYSE:AGP), Vasco Data Security (Nasdaq:VDSI) and Eagle Bancorp (Nasdaq:EGBN).

Other Market Watch highlights today include:

• The Russell is down 36% for the year, while the Dow is off 34% and the S&P 500 is down 38%.
• It should be noted that the market staged an impressive recovery move off the lows late in the session.
• AIG CEO Edward Liddy said that the $112.8 billion bailout by the government “may not be enough” and the firm may need to tap into additional capital.
• Financial stocks, homebuilders, airlines and retailers took a hit on Thursday.
• The ISE Homebuilders Index was down 9% following a study by RealtyTrac this morning saying that foreclosures were up 21% from September 2007 and up a jarring 71% from the third-quarter of last year.
• Energy stocks were a source of solid support today for equities, underpinned by a $1-a-barrel bounce in crude oil prices ahead of this week’s OPEC meeting in Vienna.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Amerigroup up 15% after health insurer reported a 26% increase in Q3 earnings on strong revenues. See (NYSE:AGP).
• Vasco Data Security International Inc. gapped higher and rallied some 28% as quarterly revenue and income set records for the firm. See (Nasdaq:VDSI).
• Eagle Bancorp posts 17% increase in net, earnings beat sole analyst estimate. Shares close up 14%. See (Nasdaq:EGBN).
• F5 Networks close up 10% after fiscal fourth-quarter earnings beat the Street. See (Nasdaq:FFIV).
• Chipotle Mexican Grille closed up 8% after CNBC’s Matt Nesto touts restaurant chain. See (NYSE:CMG).

Small Cap Losers:

• Landamerica Financial Group Inc. closed down 28% as title insurers continue to sink along with the housing crisis. See (NYSE:LFG).
• Phoenix Technologies Ltd. tumbled 35%, also tied to sloppy earnings news. See (Nasdaq:PTEC).
• Belden Inc. shed nearly 36% as the specialty electronics maker announced earnings that didn’t enthuse investors. See (NYSE:BDC).