Tag - NYSE:PRM

I've said it many, many times: every day there is an opportunity to make big returns in the market on a percentage basis. This is the lure of investing in stocks generally, and in small caps specifically. Buy the right stock and you might make 20%, 50% or 100% in just a couple of days.

Radyne Corp (Nasdaq:RADN), Nautilus Inc (Nasdaq:NLS) and Acme Packet Inc (Nasdaq:APKT) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Collective Brands Inc (Nasdaq:PSS), Crawford & Co. (Nasdaq:CRD.B) and Primedia Inc (Nasdaq:PRM) are also among the biggest percentage gainers.

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Stocks continued their assent midday, as oil slipped, the greenback gained and investors shrugged off lackluster earnings news from bond insurer MBIA.

At 12:49 p.m. ET the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 1.34%, or 9.63, to 729.68 while the Dow had gained 0.79%, or 100.79, to 12,846.67.

Oil futures continued to slide midday as investors locked in gains from last week. A crude oil contract for the month of June was off roughly $1.21 midday to $124.75, down from the $126 level breached last week.

As oil futures sold off, the dollar rallied against other major currencies, quelling inflation concerns.

Just this morning Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said that housing was still a drag on the economy, and that growth risks were to the downside, but inflation risk was on the upside. Evans also said that U.S. growth should improve in the second half of the year, but that tight credit markets would crimp near-term GDP.

In corporate news, the financial sector is making headlines today. Investors shrugged off MBIA’s (NYSE:MBI) first-quarter results, as the bond insurer swung to a first-quarter loss on account of $3.58 billion unrealized loss on insured derivatives. Shares rallied.

Deltek Inc. (Nasdaq:PROJ), 3D Systems Corp. (Nasdaq:TDSC) and Cheniere Energy Inc. (Nasdaq:LNG) are among the new 52-week lows in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Primedia Inc. (Nasdaq:PRM), Community Bancorp (Nasdaq:CBON) and Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OREX) are also among the new 52-week lows.

Here are the new 52-week lows among small caps:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) went through the roof today as a late rally in financial shares lifted all the major U.S. indices. The small-cap index advanced 21.86 points, or 3.26%, to 693.43. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) gained 298.98 points, or 2.50%, to 12,270.17.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has lost 9.48%, while the Dow has let go 7.50% and the S&P 500 is missing 8.84%.

Small-cap stocks outpaced their larger brothers today as speculation of more rate cuts fueled the late-session rally.

February fed funds futures overwhelmingly suggest that the U.S. Federal Reserve will vote to lower its target for the federal funds 0.75% during its two-day meeting starting Jan. 29. A reduction of at least 0.50% is seen as a sure bet.

On Tuesday, the Fed lowered the federal funds rate, the rate at which commercial banks make overnight loans to each other, to 3.50% from 4.25%.

Shares representing the financial sector were invigorated and freed themselves of the bears’ grasp. Among the few exceptions was consumer financial services provider First Cash Financial Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: FCFS), which issued a 2008 earnings guidance below analysts’ projections.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) fell throughout Thursday’s trading session on weaker-than-expected durable goods orders and lackluster financial firm news, magnifying investors’ already present concerns surrounding a possible economic slowdown. The small-cap index dropped 23.52 points, or 2.95%, to 773.51. The Dow shed 192.08 points, or 1.42%, to 13,359.61.

News of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto only added to the unsettling economic data, shaking the markets.

Durable goods orders for the month of November edged up a less-than-forecasted 0.1% from October’s 0.4% decline. Economists were forecasting an increase of 2.5%.

In corporate news, Goldman Sachs issued a note late Wednesday speculating that financial juggernaut Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) might have to slash its dividend by 40% in light of now greater-than-forecasted write-downs for bad bets on collateralized debt obligations. Goldman is now projecting write-downs in the neighborhood of $18.7 billion, up from the investment bank’s previous estimate of $11 billion.

In related news surrounding the unfolding of the credit crisis, Fitch Ratings put 205 residential mortgage-backed securities backed by bond insurers, including MBIA and Ambac Financial Group, on review for a downgrade.

The day’s negative news overshadowed U.S. consumer confidence, which rose unexpectedly in December. The Conference Board's index of confidence increased to 88.6, the first gain in five months, from a revised 87.8 the prior month. November's number was the lowest in two years.

The bears roared today as the Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) lost ground due to renewed credit fears. The small-cap index dropped 11.80 points, or 1.40%, to 829.37. The Dow retreated 108.28 points, or 0.77%, to 13,984.80.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has increased 5.33%, while the Dow has added 12.11%.

Fears that this summer’s credit problems are still active spread throughout Wall Street today, leading to a steep sell-off.

It all started after Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) reported a 57% drop in its third-quarter profit. Net income at the New York-based bank, the largest in the U.S., was $2.38 billion, or $0.47 per share, compared with $5.51 billion, or $1.10 a share, during the same quarter a year earlier.

Citigroup blamed losses from subprime and leveraged loans, fixed-income trading and its U.S. consumer business for the decline in earnings.

Also dragging the financial sector down was news that Citigroup, Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) will be pooling money to prevent investment funds from having to dump assets into the market.

The pool will try to prop up about $400 billion of structured investment vehicles, which have had trouble refinancing their debt and may even have to sell off assets to pay back investors.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) are continuing their descent with two hours left in the session. At 2:26 p.m. ET, the small-cap index was down 14.43 points, or 1.72%, to 826.74. The Dow had retreated 155.83 points, or 1.11%, to 13,937.25.

The bears are on the prowl this afternoon, as credit concerns resurface following news of a steep decline in Citigroup Inc.’s (NYSE: C) third-quarter profit.

Citigroup, the largest U.S. bank, reported a 57% drop in its third-quarter profit. Net income at the New York-based financial services giant was $2.38 billion, or $0.47 per share, compared with $5.51 billion, or $1.10 a share, during the same quarter a year earlier.

Citigroup blamed losses from subprime and leveraged loans, fixed-income trading and its U.S. consumer business for the decline in earnings.

Also dragging the financial sector down is news that Citigroup and other leading banks will be pooling money to prevent investment funds from having to dump assets into the market.

The pool, which will also receive contributions from Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), will try to prop up structured investment vehicles, which have had trouble refinancing their debt and may even have to sell off assets to pay back investors. Together, these vehicles owned some $400 billion of assets as of August.

HSW International, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSWI), Primedia Inc. (NYSE:PRM) and Advanced Battery Technologies Inc. (Amex:GBT) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage losers:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the other major U.S. indices are sliding into negative territory on news of a decline in Citigroup’s earnings.

At 10:13 a.m. ET, the small-cap index had lost 5.20 points, or 0.62%, to 835.97. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had shed 47.48 points, or 0.34%, to 14,045.60.

With no major economic news coming out today, investors are focusing on mergers, acquisitions and corporate earnings. Stocks began the day in the green but quickly surrendered those gains.

Dominating the headlines is news that Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) suffered a 57% drop in its third-quarter profit. The largest U.S. bank reported before that opening that its net income was $2.38 billion, or $0.47 per share, compared with $5.51 billion, or $1.10 a share, during the same quarter a year earlier. However, the quarterly results were above analysts’ forecast of earnings of $0.44 per share, according to a poll by Thomson Financial.

The New York-based financial giant blamed losses from subprime and leveraged loans, fixed-income trading and its U.S. consumer business for the decline in earnings.

In other business news, industrial and consumer products manufacturer Danaher Corp. (NYSE: DHR) announced that it will buy measurement equipment maker Tektronix Inc. (NYSE: TEK) for $2.85 billion.

The Russell 2000 lost big today, while the Dow managed a small rise.  Among specific small cap stocks, QAD Inc. (Nasdaq: QADI) said it expects to report a loss in the first quarter of fiscal 2008, while shares of Source Interlink Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: SORC) sagged on news of a $1.2 billion media acquisition.

The Russell 2000 lost 7.21 points, or 0.87%, to 822.33.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 20.56 points, or 0.15%, to 13,346.78.