SCBT Financial: The other B-word

Mention the "B" word (or "banks") as a viable investment path in this time of great hand-wringing, and some might gasp, shake their heads and run away. That is, unless they invest in SCBT Financial... | Nasdaq: SCBT |Comment

Bears come out in full force against small caps

After swooning out of the gate, the Russell 2000 has pulled off its lows of the session, but still remains besieged in the red mid-session. A spike in unemployment claims, disconcerting July retail... | NYSE: AIG |Comment

Beneficial Mutual Bancorp: A bright spot in banking

Beneficial Mutual Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:BNCL) is a mid-tier bank serving a region of the U.S. that has been relatively immune to the housing crisis, and the company's stock and balance sheet reflect... | Nasdaq: BNCL |Comment

Community Bankshares climbs 71% on merger announcement

Community Bankshares, Inc. (AMEX:SCB) skyrocketed 71% Thursday after the Orangeburg, S.C.-based bank announced just before the bell it would merge with First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, Inc. | AMEX: SCB |Comment

EuroBanc shares surge on upgrade

Shares of EuroBancshares Inc. (Nasdaq:EUBK) are on a tear today after the holding company for Eurobank was upgraded by Keefe Bruyette and Woods to “outperform” from “market perform” on... | Nasdaq: EUBK |Comment

Cashing in on China

Jim Trippon, editor in chief of the newsletter China Stock Digest, shares his outlook on Chinese small caps and the Chinese economy. His picks include China Agritech (OTC:CAGC) and China Direct... | OTC: CAGC |3 Comments

Bank stock prices could recover before credit virus is cured

Markets can’t seem to shake the credit crisis fever, but small-cap banking stock prices might not suffer as long as the underlying economy, according to B. Riley banking analyst Andy Stapp. | Comment

B. Riley on investing in small-cap banks: Selectivity is key

The credit crunch continues to take its toll on the economy, markets, and in particular, banking stocks, but if you’re patient B. Riley senior banking analyst Andy Stapp thinks you can get into... | Comment

Sector Watch: Payment processing stocks

Like most things that go the way of the Internet, so, too, goes commerce. This bodes well for CyberSource Corporation (Nasdaq:CYBS) and CAM Commerce Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:CADA), two companies... | CYBS |Comment

IPO Watch: SPACS Make Good

Some weeks, it seems like there is only one sector in the entire U.S. financial services business that is in demand: initial public offerings of special purpose acquisition companies. | AMV |Comment

Check on China: China Direct, Inc.

China Direct, Inc. (AMEX:CDS), an American firm that assists Chinese companies with accessing the U.S. capital markets, has had recent success attributable to savvy acquisitions. | CDS |1 Comment

IPO Watch: Visa

Finally, there’s a hot IPO. Visa, the king of the credit cards, is going public in the king of all IPOs, the biggest ever in the United States. | AXP |Comment

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service CEO: FY08 tax returns in year-over-year decline

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. (NYSE: JTX) CEO Michael Yerington said the tax preparer expects a fiscal year tax return decline of about 5% to 6%. | JTX |Comment

Irwin Financial purges quarterly dividends

Irwin Financial Corp. (NYSE: IFC) shares are declining after the financial services company announced before Monday’s opening that it plans to suspend quarterly dividends. | IFC |Comment

China Finance Online rises on Q4 profit

Shares of China Finance Online Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: JRJC) rose today on news that the provider of online financial services posted a fourth-quarter profit above analysts’ expectations. | JRJC |Comment

Value Find: EDGAR Online, Inc.

Over the years, EDGAR’s founding management gained a reputation for broken promises and the stock languished, but with 80%-plus gross margins, a business on the cusp of profitability and XBRL... | EDGR |2 Comments

Check on China: China Finance Online

Savvy acquisitions have played a role in China Finance Online Co. Ltd.'s (Nasdaq: JRJC) growth. | JRJC |Comment

Gladstone Capital down on news of 3M-share offering

Gladstone Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: GLAD) shares are down in heavier-than-average volume after the money lender announced before the opening that it priced a three million-share public offering at $17... | GLAD |Comment

China Finance Online provides positive outlook

China Finance Online Co. (Nasdaq: JRJC), a Chinese online financial information, data and analytics provider, today provided earnings and revenue guidance, of which the upper end of the range... | JRJC |Comment

LECG Corp. lowers Q4 guidance

LECG Corp. (Nasdaq: XPRT), lowered fourth-quarter earnings and revenue guidance due to a restructuring charge from the completion of the company’s recovering value plan and a loss associated with... | XPRT |Comment

Show me the money: Susquehanna Financial recaps last week's money flows

Follow the money trail and usually you’ll find the answer to your investment questions. Last week the broad sectors of the market saw negative money flows led by the basic materials and utilities... | LNX |Comment

First Cash Financial Services posts disappointing Q4

First Cash Financial Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: FCFS), an operator of pawn stores that provide consumer financial services in the United States and Mexico, reported disappointing fourth-quarter... | FCFS |Comment

Ambac Financial CEO acknowledges plummeting market value

Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABK) interim CEO Mike Callen acknowledged that the market value of the bond insurer has “plummeted” after its credit rating was cut Friday. Ambac abandoned a... | ABK |Comment

LaBranche & Co. posts Q4 EPS above the Street

LaBranche & Co Inc. (NYSE: LAB) reported fourth-quarter earnings above the consensus on Wall Street, sending shares higher in pre-market. | LAB |Comment

Sector Watch: Debt collection stocks

Portfolio Recovery Associates (Nasdaq: PRAA) and Asset Acceptance Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: AACC) are two debt collection specialists profiting from the ever-expanding opportunities of an unpaid... | PRAA |3 Comments

MoneyGram International dives on unrealized losses

MoneyGram International, Inc. (NYSE: MGI), a wire money transfer company, has become the latest subprime casualty. Shares of the Minneapolis-based firm are plunging to all-time lows after MoneyGram... | MGI |Comment

Manatron to be acquired by private equity firm Thoma Cressey

Shares of Manatron, Inc. (Nasdaq: MANA) are soaring in pre-market trading after the provider of enterprise-level property tax services for state and local governments said that it will be acquired... | MANA |Comment

NovaStar Financial tumbles in pre-market on decision to downsize

Shares of NovaStar Financial Inc. (NYSE: NFI) are tumbling in pre-market after the mortgage lender said in a filing with the SEC on Friday that it is eliminating roughly170 jobs as part of a... | NFI |Comment

Central Pacific Financial issues EPS guidance below the Street

Central Pacific Financial Corp. (NYSE: CPF), parent company of Central Pacific Bank, issued preliminary earnings numbers for the fourth quarter below the consensus on Wall Street. | CPF |Comment

MFB Corp. to be acquired by MutualFirst Financial

Shares of MFB Corp. (Nasdaq: MFBC) are soaring today after the regional bank said it is being acquired by MutualFirst Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: MFSF) for $52.7 million. | MFBC |Comment

WGNB Corp. drops to 52-week low as Q4 profit disappoints

Shares of WGNB Corp. (Nasdaq: WGNB) have fallen to a new 52-week low on news after the close on Wednesday that the holding company for First National Bank of Georgia expects fourth-quarter net... | WGNB |Comment

Life Partners Holdings: Dying for dollars

As the life settlement scale increases, so does the opportunity, at least for the largest, most-established player in the field, Life Partners Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: LPHI). | LPHI |1 Comment

Sterling Financial lowers Q4 earnings outlook on unexpected charges

Sterling Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: STSA) said it is tempering its fourth-quarter earnings outlook on account of charges for credit costs and prepayment for high fixed rate trust preferred securities. | STSA |Comment

Georgia Gulf dips after Citigroup lowers price target

Georgia Gulf Corp. (NYSE: GGC) shares are dipping after Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C) lowered its price target to $9 from $12. Citigroup said the weak housing market is hurting Georgia Gulf’s earnings. | GGC |Comment

BOE Financial to merge with Community Bankers Acquisition

BOE Financial Services of Virginia, Inc. (Nasdaq: BSXT), TransCommunity Financial Corp. (OTCBB: TCYF) and Community Bankers Acquisition Corp. (Amex: BTC) said today that BOE and Community Bankers... | BSXT |Comment

Bankrate seals two acquisitions, provides 2008 revenue guidance

Bankrate, Inc. (Nasdaq: RATE), owner and operator of an Internet-based consumer banking, said this morning that it acquired Nationwide Card Services, Inc. and Savingforcollege.com in separate... | RATE |Comment

Pzena Investment Management initiated with a rating of "underperform"

Shares of Pzena Investment Management (NYSE: PZN) are losing ground today after JP Morgan initiated coverage on the investment manager with a rating of “underweight.” | PZN |Comment

China Finance Online rises on Hong Kong brokerage acquisition

China Finance Online Co. (Nasdaq: JRJC) shares are rising after the provider of online financial and company data completed its acquisition of an 85% stake in Hong Kong-based brokerage firm Daily... | JRJC |Comment

Newsletter Watch: Small-cap funds

This week in newsletter watch, three top stock advisors choose their favorite small-cap funds and explore the prospective growth behind each. | STSCX |Comment

China Finance Online misses Q3 estimates by a long shot

Shares of China Finance Online Co. Limited (Nasdaq: JRJC) are careening lower in pre-market trading after the Chinese online financial information data provider reported third quarter results... | JRJC |Comment

Global Cash Access Holdings plunges on delayed Q3 filing due to investigation

Global Cash Access Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GCA) shares are plunging after the operator of casino ATMs said it will delay its third-quarter regulatory filing. The Las Vegas-based business said the... | GCA |Comment

NovaStar Financial CFO says struggling company will use cash for debt

NovaStar Financial Inc. (NYSE: NFI) CFO Greg Metz said for the foreseeable future, the embattled finance company’s cash flow will be used to pay down debt and try to grow the firm’s retail... | NFI |Comment

Van der Moolen clocks narrowed Q3 loss, to de-list from NYSE

Van der Moolen Holdings (NYSE: VDM), an international securities trading and brokerage company, said this morning that it recorded a narrowed third-quarter loss and that it will deregister trading... | VDM |Comment

CBRE Realty Finance soars after beating Q3 estimates

CBRE Realty Finance, Inc. (NYSE: CBF) shares soared in trading after the real estate finance company beat analyst third-quarter expectations, excluding two abandoned projects in Maryland. | CBF |Comment

Fremont General Corp. appoints new CEO

Fremont General Corp. (NYSE: FMT), which primarily conducts business through its industrial bank, Fremont Investment & Loan, said this morning that it chose Stephen H. Gordon as Chairman and Chief... | FMT |Comment

Advance America, Cash Advance: Small-cap lending for small-cap borrowers

Everyone needs love, and everyone needs credit. On the former, even the most dinged and damaged among us can find it, if they just look. And on the latter, the dinged and damaged can find it if... | AEA |Comment

Stifel Financial down after missing Wall street estimates

Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) shares are down after the financial services provider’s announcement that its third-quarter profit totaled $8.1 million, or $0.45 per share, below analyst... | SF |Comment

RAM Holdings up on Q3 operating earnings growth

RAM Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq: RAMR) shares are up after the provider of financial guaranty reinsurance reported its third-quarter operating earnings grew 11.4% to $13.7 million, or $0.50 per share,... | RAMR |Comment

TradeStation Group posts 38% increase in daily trades for October

Online brokerage firm TradeStation Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRAD) reported this morning that its daily average revenue trades increased 38% for the month of October. | TRAD |Comment

U-Store-It Trust down after missing Q3 earnings estimates

U-Store-It Trust (NYSE: YSI) shares are down after the real estate investment trust and operator of self-storage facilities recorded a third-quarter net loss of $4.1 million, or $0.07 per share,... | YSI |Comment