Tag -  ETRM 

Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:BBGI), Helicos BioSciences Corp. (Nasdaq:HLCS) and CSK Auto Corp. (NYSE:CAO) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

EnteroMedics Inc. (Nasdaq:ETRM), Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD.B) and Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:IDIX) are also among the top small-cap percentage gainers.

Here are Tuesday's biggest percentage gainers:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) is higher as investors anticipate the U.S. Federal Reserve will lower its target interest rate.
 
At 10:41 a.m. ET, the small-cap index had climbed 1.86 points, or 0.24%, to 793.06. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had declined 20.64 points, or 0.15%, to 13,706.39.

Small-cap stocks are posting modest gains as investors focus their attention on the U.S. Federal Reserve, which is meeting today to decide on monetary policy. Financial markets have recently taken the view that a 0.25% cut in the federal funds rate, the rate at which commercial banks make overnight loans to each other, is a sure bet.

The target interest rate currently stands at 4.5%. The U.S. central bank will announce its decision at 2:15 p.m. ET.

A cut will help boost the economy, which some economists say could fall into recession due to the ongoing slump in the housing sector and the credit squeeze.

Also helping the bulls are solid earnings news from major players.

Telecommunications giant AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) said that it will buy back up to $15.2 billion of shares. The San Antonia, Texas-based company also said that it expects to see growth in fiscal 2008 earnings.