Tag -  LCRD 

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:OGXI), OmniVision Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:OVTI) and Ebix Inc. (Nasdaq:EBIX) are among the new 52-week highs in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Poniard Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:PARD), Jaguar Mining Inc. (Nasdaq:JAG), LaserCard Corp. (Nasdaq:LCRD), Targacept Inc. (Nasdaq:TRGT), Dynex Capital (Nasdaq:DX) and Miller Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:MLR).

EnerSys (Nasdaq:ENS), American Dental Partners Inc. (Nasdaq:ADPI) and Cyberonics Inc. (Nasdaq:CYBX) are among the biggest percentage losers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Isramco Inc. (Nasdaq:ISRL), IEC Electronics Corp. (Nasdaq:IEC), Wonder Auto Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:WATG), Destination Maternity Corp. (Nasdaq:DEST), Ames National Corp. (Nasdaq:ATLO) and LaserCard Corp. (Nasdaq:LCRD).

Universal Travel Group (Nasdaq:UTA), Cray Inc. (Nasdaq:CRAY) and Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. (Nasdaq:HMIN) are among the new 52-week highs in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: RINO International Corp. (Nasdaq:RINO), Voltaire Ltd. (Nasdaq:VOLT), Builders FirstSource Inc. (Nasdaq:BLDR), John Bean Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq:JBT), LaserCard Corp. (Nasdaq:LCRD) and Clearwater Paper Corp. (Nasdaq:CLW).

SPSS Inc. (Nasdaq:SPSS), Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq:VECO) and Virgin Mobile USA Inc. (Nasdaq:VM) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: LaserCard Corp. (Nasdaq:LCRD), Universal Travel Group (Nasdaq:UTA), Summit Financial Group Inc. (Nasdaq:SMMF), EnerNOC Inc. (Nasdaq:ENOC), Lacrosse Footwear Inc. (Nasdaq:BOOT) and Immunomedics Inc. (Nasdaq:IMMU).

Iomai Corp (Nasdaq:IOMI), Fuel Systems Solutions Inc (Nasdaq:FSYS) and USANA Health Sciences Inc (Nasdaq:USNA) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc (Nasdaq:AVAN), LaserCard Corp (Nasdaq:LCRD) and North American Palladium Ltd (Nasdaq:PAL) are also among the biggest percentage gainers.

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

PharmaNet Development Group Inc. (Nasdaq:PDGI), Guaranty Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:GFG) and Elizabeth Arden, Inc. (Nasdaq:RDEN) were among the new 52-week lows established during Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations or values under $750 million.

LaserCard Corp. (Nasdaq:LCRD), Riverview Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:RVSB) and Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:OPTT) were also among the 52-week small-cap lows.

Here are Thursday's 52-week small-cap lows:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the other major U.S. indices are falling as investors listen to Ben Bernanke.

At 10:36 a.m. ET, the small-cap index had lost 10.31 points, or 1.47%, to 689.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had declined 93.48 points, or 0.75%, to 12,372.68.

Stocks opened in the green but lost ground as investors digested the latest economic news and tuned in to hear U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testify before the House Budget Committee.

Calls for a policy response to prevent the U.S. economy from slipping into recession have been mounting and all eyes are on the Fed chief as he discusses the overall state of the economy. Many observers expect that the Fed will lower the federal funds rate, which currently stands at 4.25%, when it next meets on Jan. 29 and 30.

In economic news, the U.S. Census Bureau reported before the start of trading that housing starts fell 14% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.006 million units, below November’s downwardly revised total of 1.173 million.

An estimated 1,376,100 housing units were authorized 2007, a stunning 25.3% below the 2006 figure of 1,838,900. That’s the worst one-year decline in nearly 30 years.

The situation will not improve soon and the housing sector appears to be headed for a third year of stagnation.

That’s because building permits, a sign of future construction, fell 8.1% to an annual rate of 1.068 million units.

Economists were expecting December housing starts and building permits to post smaller declines.

In more economic news, the U.S Labor Department announced that initial jobless claims for the week ended Jan. 12 decreased 21,000 to 301,000, from the preceding week’s unrevised figure of 322,000.

The 4-week moving average, a more stable measure, fell 11,750 to 328,500, from the preceding week’s downwardly revised average of 340,250.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the other major U.S. indices moved up today on news of a stronger-than-expected profit at International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM). The small-cap index gained 7.83 points, or 1.11%, to 712.48. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) added 171.85 points, or 1.36%, to 12,778.15.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 is off 6.99%, while the Dow has lost 3.67% and the S&P 500 has declined 3.55%.

Stocks small and large got off to a positive start as the bulls dominated trading today on news that IBM, the largest information technology company in the world, reported better-than-expected preliminary quarterly results.

The Armonk, New York-based company expects earnings from continuing operations for the quarter ended Dec. 31 to be $2.80 per share, above analysts’ projections of $2.60 per share.

Investors clearly liked the news so much that they disregarded a forecast from Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based retailer Sears Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: SHLD), which forecasted that fourth-quarter earnings will be below analysts’ expectations due to a decline in same-store holiday sales.

That’s troubling because it points to a negative economic trend.

The announcement from Sears is the latest sign that consumer spending, which comprises about 70% of U.S. gross domestic product, has begun to slow. In the past few weeks many U.S. retailers, including those catering to the wealthy, have reported slugging sales.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and Dow lost big today as news of disappointing earnings and residual credit fears scared investors. The small-cap index suffered the biggest loss of the major U.S. indices, falling 26.24 points, or 3.18%, to 798.79. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) retreated for the fifth time this week, letting go 366.94 points, or 2.54%, to 13,522.02.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has increased 1.44%, while the Dow has added 8.34%.

The Russell 2000 futures were flat before the start of trading but the index opened in negative territory on news that Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia Corp. (Nasdaq: WB), the fourth largest U.S. bank, reported a 10% decline in its third-quarter profit due to difficult credit market conditions.

The bank also said that that it recorded a provision for credit losses of $408 million, about four times the level during the same three months of 2006.

The news came as an unpleasant reminder that the turmoil in the subprime mortgage sector, which peaked during summer months, is still relevant and capable of spreading shockwaves throughout the financial sector.

The subprime mortgage sector started bleeding earlier this year after U.S. housing prices went into reverse in the second half of 2006. The ongoing housing recession has been identified by observers as the biggest risk to the economy.

Shares of LaserCard Corp. (Nasdaq: LCRD) are rallying today after investors cheered the Italian government’s decision to move forward with the secure ID credentials supplier’s government contract.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company said it received the “green light” on September 20 from Italy’s national and provincial governments to move forward with its citizen’s ID card project.

Specifically, LaserCard said it expects the Italian government to issue an international tender for a large quantity of data capture enrollment systems in the current quarter, which will enable significant increases in card issuance rates.

“Over the last couple of weeks investor sentiment has been negative,” said Lazard Capital analyst Nick Andrewes who currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. “However, given that [LaserCard] received the request for proposal for card drives that investors have been waiting on, shares are rallying.”

According to Andrewes, the Italy contract is their biggest, and could be worth up to $40 million a year. The project was launched about two years ago but a change in the Italian government caused the program to stall for a bit. 

CyberSource Corp. (Nasdaq: CYBS), Authorize.Net Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANET) and LaserCard Corp. (Nasdaq: LCRD) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage gainers:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) is posting steep losses as investors react to news of poor earnings and more credit fears. At 1:37 p.m. ET, the small-cap index was down 13.78 points, or 1.67%, to 811.25. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had retreated 2098.26 points, or 1.5%, to 13,680.70.

The bears have been running the show ever since Wachovia Corp. (Nasdaq: WB) reported before the opening that its third-quarter profit fell 10% due to difficult credit market conditions.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia, the fourth largest U.S. bank, also said that it recorded a provision for credit losses of $408 million, about four times the level during the same three months of 2006.

Contributing to more poor earnings news was heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), which announced that quarterly profit missed analysts’ forecasts. The company forecasts that the ongoing slump in the U.S. housing sector will result in a 12% drop in sales of machinery and engines in 2007. Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar expects international sales to pick up the slack.

In commodities news, the price of oil has eased $1.43 to $88.04 a barrel. The recent spike in oil prices was partially attributed to tensions along the border between Iraq and Turkey and the weakness of the U.S. dollar.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) is down steeply as the major U.S. indices are swimming in a sea of red following news of weak earnings.

At 10:34 a.m. ET, the small-cap index had lost 10.38 points, or 1.26%, to 814.65. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) was off 162.09 points, or 1.17%, to 13,726.87.

With little on the economic front, news of poor earnings from major corporate players is grabbing the headlines and spooking investors.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia Corp. (Nasdaq: WB), the fourth largest U.S. bank, reported before the opening that its third-quarter profit fell 10% due to difficult credit market conditions.

Net income stumbled to $1.69 billion, or $0.89 per share, compared with $1.88 billion, or $1.17 per share, a year earlier. Wall Street was looking for earnings of $1.03 per share. Wachovia said that it recorded a provision for credit losses of $408 million, about four times the level during the same three months of 2006.

In other disappointing news, heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) announced a quarterly profit that missed analysts’ forecasts.

The Russell 2000 small-cap index and the Dow are posting small gains this afternoon. At 3:06 p.m. ET the Russell 2000 was up 1.44 points, or 0.17%, to 853.75. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had gained 50.57 points, or 0.37%, to 13,662.25.

Shares of LaserCard Corp. (Nasdaq: LCRD) are rising following news the maker of secure ID cards has received a $4.3 million order. The order is part of a previously announced subcontract for the supply of laser cards for a national ID card project in a Middle Eastern country, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company reported before the start of trading. Deliveries of this new order have already begun and are scheduled to continue through calendar 2007. Shares are up $0.40, or 4%, to $11.55.

The Russell 2000 gained but the Dow fell on a day of choppy trading following news of positive economic developments and a rise in government bond yields. The Russell 2000 added 1.93 points, or 0.23%, to finish at 850.13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 11.46 points, or 0.08%, to 13,565.84.

The U.S. Labor Department reported that jobless claims for the week ended June 30 increased 2,000 to 318,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. That met economists’ expectations.

The picture in the services industry was rosier. The Institute for Supply Management’s index of non-manufacturing businesses moved up to 60.7 in June, from 59.7 in May, the group said after the start of trading. That’s a sign that U.S. economic growth has picked up.