Tag - NYSE:HPT

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) dove again Tuesday, closing down over 2% and rejecting a brief afternoon bounce into positive territory. Today’s small-cap gainers are Optimer Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:OPTR), Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings (NYSE:CCO) and Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE:HPT).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• For the year, small caps are off 37%, while the Dow is down 34% and the S&P 500 is down 39%.
• Energy, insurance, retail, technology and financial stocks were major sources of weakness today.
• Homebuilders, drug stocks, agriculture products and home entertainment software companies lagged the overall market downdraft.
• Russia is the second-largest oil producer in the world and in addition to the commodity woes right now, had to raise interest rates today to fight off capital outflow and inflation.
• Crude oil prices tumbled to 20-month lows, slipping below $59 a barrel as concerns about demand continue to chip away at commodity valuation.
• Data from China overnight showed that import growth was slowing and that inflation was at a 17-month low.
• The slide in physical markets gained momentum as the dollar rallied against the euro, with the greenback up 1.5% as the day progressed.
• The Commodity Research Bureau Index of 19 commodity markets tumbled some 3%, sinking to the lowest point since December 2003.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. jumped 87% on news that the firm’s antibiotic drug met late-stage trial goals. See (Nasdaq:OPTR).
• Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings closed up 27% despite being downgraded . . .

Small-cap stocks remained in negative territory into mid-session, pressured by worries about corporate profitability in a sluggish economic environment around the world. Today’s small-cap gainers are Russ Berrie (NYSE:RUS), Clear Channel Outdoor  (NYSE:CCO) and Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE:HPT).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• As for the insurers, analysts at Goldman Sachs lowered ratings on the group and the S&P Insurance Index was down 6% at midday.  
• Real estate services are getting hammered today, as are tire, rubber and automobile manufacturers, wireless telecoms and insurance stocks.  
• The only area showing decent strength is agriculture products.
• Crude oil prices tumbled to 20-month lows today, slipping below $59 a barrel, which kept energy and commodity stocks on the defensive.  
• Credit futures are near contract highs, with European bond futures making contract highs today, which shows that money flow is into credit instruments, not equities.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• Russ Berrie reports Q3 results; shares pop 30%. See (NYSE:RUS).  
• Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings up 25% despite being downgraded to "market perform." See (NYSE:CCO).  
• Hospitality Properties Trust reported solid third-quarter earnings and rose 16%. See (NYSE:HPT).
• MGIC Investment Corp. up 12% in lower-than-average volume. See (NYSE:MTG).  
• Hill International up 9% after being honored as "Construction Management Firm of the Year" by the Developers & Builders Alliance. See (NYSE:HIL).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Bidz.com Inc. shed 35% after the online retailer slashed the full-year outlook, a numbing concept into the key holiday shopping season. See (Nasdaq:BIDZ).  
• Stillwater Mining warns it will not break even on PGM mining without operational changes; shares dive 30%. See (NYSE:SWC).  
• PHH Corp. on Monday reported a wider Q3 loss; shares still reeling, down 25% today. See (NYSE:PHH).  
• Strategic Hotels reports net loss last week, shares down 9% today. See (NYSE:BEE).  

Small-cap stocks remained in negative territory into mid-session, pressured by worries about corporate profitability in a sluggish economic environment around the world. At 12:21 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was off 10.23, or 2.07%, at 482.87; meanwhile, losses in the Dow and S&P 500 were running about 1% deeper than what was seen in small caps.

European shares tumbled about 4% for the day, following step with steep declines on many Asian bourses, which clearly sent a chill through American equities as well. Declines in Russia got so bad that they halted trading until Thursday with a 12% loss in tow. Central bank officials in Russia actually raised rates today, hoping to fight capital flight and inflation. Credit futures are near contract highs, with European bond futures making contract highs today, which shows that money flow is into credit instruments, not equities.

Meanwhile, crude oil prices tumbled to 20-month lows today, slipping below $59 a barrel, which kept energy and commodity stocks on the defensive. Looking at S&P sector activity so far today, the only area showing decent strength is agriculture products. Meanwhile, real estate services are getting hammered; tire and rubber and automobile manufacturers are hurting, wireless telecoms are getting clobbered, insurance stocks are down hard, metals and mining shares are down, life insurers are taking a hit and coal stocks are getting smoked.

As for the insurers, analysts at Goldman Sachs lowered ratings on the group . . .