Tag - CRXL

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) managed to end Monday in the green, rising 1.28% at closing. Some of today’s small-cap gainers were TransGlobe Energy Corporation (NYSE:TGA), RXi Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:EAT) and Anaren Inc. (Nasdaq:ANEN).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Existing home sales came in at an annual rate of 4.74M units, above the forecast of 4.4M. Sales were up 6.5%, compared with a slide of 9.4% in Nov.
• Leading indicators came in at +0.3%, better than the projection for -0.3%. This marked the first rise in leading indicators since June 2008.
• For the New Year, the Russell is now down 9.9%, while the Dow is off 7.5% and the S&P 500 is down 7.3%.
• Commodities in general rose slightly on the day, with the Commodity Research Bureau Index up 0.6%. 
• The biggest percentage movers today were dominated by small banks and financial institutions (the KBW Banking Index tumbled 1.7%). 
• Looking at the chart picture for small caps, the market is basically waffling up and down in the range set on Obama’s inauguration day.
• The market will get more information on the housing sector via Thursday’s . . .

Small-cap stocks remained higher into mid-session, bolstered by a big acquisition on the pharma front, which sparks hope that small caps are undervalued overall. If there are deals being done for large caps, then there should be attractive acquisitions for a bevy of smaller companies. In addition, a surprisingly strong showing on existing home sales also provided a lift to the market. Some of today's small-cap gainers were RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq:RXII), WellCare Health Plans Inc. (NYSE:WCG) and StealthGas (Nasdaq:GASS).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Looking at sector activity today, metals and mining stocks were the strongest performing group in the S&P.  
• Energy prices and stock market direction have been trading hand-in-hand of late, so the rise in equities clearly supported crude oil.
• Energy stocks were on a roll today, up 2.9%, mirroring a 3% climb in cash crude oil prices.  
• Small caps remained higher, bolstered by a big acquisition on the pharma front, which sparks hope that small caps are undervalued overall.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp. jumped 31% on news that the firm will enter a research collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Medical School. See (Nasdaq:RXII).  
• WellCare Health Plans Inc. rallied about 19% as the firm updated its 2008 forecast and said it would pay in fall outstanding term loan balances. See (NYSE:WCG).
• StealthGas climbs 15% in pre-market after announcing a rise in Q3 profit; declaring dividend. See (Nasdaq:GASS).
• Homebuilder stocks were going well today, with the ISE Homebuilders Index up 4.6%, with small-cap builder Lennar Corp. rising 11%. See (NYSE:LEN). 

Small Cap Losers:

• Wyeth withdraws from Crucell takeover talks; Crucell tumbles 15% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:CRXL).
• AMN Healthcare Services Inc. was down 13% sinking to 52-week lows. See (NYSE:AHS).  

Small-cap stocks pushed higher after a flat open, underpinned by bullish enthusiasm stoked by news that Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) would pay $68 billion for Wyeth (NYSE:WYE) in one of the biggest pharma M&A deals in years. In addition, economic data on home sales and leading indicators topped expectations, fueling the rise in equities. Some of today's small-cap gainers were RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq:RXII), WellCare Health Plans Inc. (NYSE:WCG) and StealthGas (Nasdaq:GASS).
  
Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Crude prices pushed about $1 a barrel higher, which should underpin energy shares if the firm tone persists.  
• Even though much of the early news today seemed soft (outside of the econ data), the market was holding together reasonably well.  
• Leading indicators came in at +0.3%, better than the projection for -0.3%. This marked the first rise in leading indicators since June 2008.
• Existing home sales came in at an annual rate of 4.74M units, above the forecast of 4.4M. Sales were up 6.5%, compared with a slide of 9.4% in Nov.

Small Cap Gainers:

• RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp. jumped 31% on news that the firm will enter a research collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Medical School. See (Nasdaq:RXII).  
• WellCare Health Plans Inc. rallied about 19% as the firm updated its 2008 forecast and said it would pay in fall outstanding term loan balances. See (NYSE:WCG).
• StealthGas climbs 15% in pre-market after announcing a rise in Q3 profit; declaring dividend. See (Nasdaq:GASS).
• AngioDynamics Inc. was up 12%, gapping higher and pushing toward multi-month highs. See (Nasdaq:ANGO).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Wyeth withdraws from Crucell takeover talks; Crucell tumbles 15% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:CRXL).
• AMN Healthcare Services Inc. was down 13% sinking to 52-week lows. See (NYSE:AHS).  

Small-cap stocks went into a tailspin on the opening, with worries about the banking sector combining with slumping retail sales to spark a flight away from equities. Some of today’s small-cap gainers were YRC Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq:YRCW) and Sequenom (Nasdaq:SQNM).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Copper tumbled 5% on the opening, yet another worry sign for the economy as copper is a key component in construction.  
• Traders say that concerns over the appointment of Timothy Geithner to Treasury Secretary has played into the overall market malaise.  
• Earlier this morning the import price series tumbled 4.2%, well below the forecast for a drop of 0.5%.  
• Within the economic data news, business inventories came in at minus 0.7%, slightly below the forecast for a drop of 0.5%.

Small Cap Gainers:

• YRC Worldwide Inc. up 10.3% in pre-market today, paring some of the losses the stock saw earlier this week after it was downgraded late last week. See (Nasdaq:YRCW).
• Sequenom up 3% in pre-market after commencing an exchange offer to acquire EXACT Sciences. See (Nasdaq:SQNM).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Under Armour Inc. announced preliminary results that were sloppy and UA’s stock took a 15% hit early this morning. See (NYSE:UA).  
• Biopharmaceutical company Crucell N.V. down 5.7% in pre-market on very light volume. See (Nasdaq:CRXL).  
• ZymoGenetics, Inc. down 4.3% in pre-market, giving back some of the huge losses the stock clocked on Tuesday. See (Nasdaq:ZGEN).

Small-cap stocks tumbled on the open, pulled down by spillover selling from a decline in overseas markets fueled by a weak tone in financial and commodity shares. Today’s small-cap gainers are Optimer Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:OPTR), Crucell (NYSE:CRXL) and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (Nasdaq:GLDD).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Ernst & Young survey: 52% of CEOs of Russell 2000 companies expect no real economic upswing until 2010.  
• As for the crude oil, the market for black gold was down about $2 a barrel into the U.S. stock market opening and briefly printed below $60.  
• Small caps tumbled on the open, pulled down by spillover selling from a decline in overseas markets fueled by a weak tone in financial and commodity shares.  
• Emerging markets were taking a hit this morning, with stock markets in Russia slipping 9% at times overnight, while shares in Dubai off 7%.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• Optimer Pharmaceuticals soaring 75% in pre-market on Phase 3 news. See (Nasdaq:OPTR).  
• Biotech firm Crucell swings to profit in Q3; shares up over 10% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:CRXL).  
• Morgan Joseph upgrades Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation to "buy" from "hold;" shares up 8%. See (Nasdaq:GLDD).  


Small Cap Losers:

• Browne & Co. Inc. is off 36% as the marketing communication company took a hit after reporting earnings. See (NYSE:BNE).  
•  Taleo down 29% ahead of the bell after filing notification with SEC for late filing of Q3 report. See (Nasdaq:TLEO).  
• Focus Media Q3 earnings trail Street; Q4 outlook weak. Shares are slumping 35% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:FMCN).  
• Sangamo Biosciences nerve drug fails a mid-stage trial, shares sink 60% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:SGMO).  

Sangamo Biosciences Inc. (Nasdaq:SGMO), DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS) and Bidz com Inc, (Nasdaq:BIDZ) are among the most actively traded companies in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO), Centennial Communications Corp. (Nasdaq:CYCL), Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF), Eagle Test Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLT), Crucell NV ADR (Nasdaq:CRXL) and Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Quest Energy Partners L P (Nasdaq:QELP), Crucell NV ADR (Nasdaq:CRXL) and USA Truck Inc (Nasdaq:USAK) are among the most actively traded companies in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: TASER International Inc (Nasdaq:TASR), USANA Health Sciences Inc (Nasdaq:USNA), DrdGold ADR (Nasdaq:DROOY), ARGON ST Inc (Nasdaq:STST), Cepheid (Nasdaq:CPHD) and Clean Energy Fuels Corp (Nasdaq:CLNE).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Energy XXI (Nasdaq:EXXI), Canadian Solar Inc (Nasdaq:CSIQ) and Crocs Inc (Nasdaq:CROX) are among the most actively traded companies in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Brigham Exploration Co (Nasdaq:BEXP), FCStone Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCSX), Gulfport Energy Corp (Nasdaq:GPOR), Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd (Nasdaq:SOLF), OmniVision Technologies Inc (Nasdaq:OVTI) and Crucell NV ADR (Nasdaq:CRXL).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps: