Tag - HCCI

Geron Corp. (Nasdaq:GERN), Amicus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:FOLD) and Epoch Holding Corp. (Nasdaq:EPHC) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: IncrediMail Ltd. (Nasdaq:MAIL), Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI), LSI Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:LYTS), Coldwater Creek Inc. (Nasdaq:CWTR), O'Charley's Inc. (Nasdaq:CHUX) and XenoPort Inc. (Nasdaq:XNPT).

Exide Technologies (Nasdaq:XIDE), Cascade Corp. (Nasdaq:CAE) and First Community Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq:FCBC) are among the biggest percentage losers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: LCA Vision Inc. (Nasdaq:LCAV), Union Drilling Inc. (Nasdaq:UDRL), Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI), Central Pacific Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:CPF), Volcom Inc. (Nasdaq:VLCM) and Western Refining Inc. (Nasdaq:WNR).

RC2 Corp. (Nasdaq:RCRC), Zep Inc. (Nasdaq:ZEP) and Alkermes Inc. (Nasdaq:ALKS) are among the biggest percentage losers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI), A. Schulman Inc. (Nasdaq:SHLM), ATMI Inc. (Nasdaq:ATMI), Diodes Inc. (Nasdaq:DIOD), AZZ Inc. (Nasdaq:AZZ) and DealerTrack Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:TRAK).

Double Take Software Inc. (Nasdaq:DBTK), PDL BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq:PDLI) and Carbo Ceramics Inc. (Nasdaq:CRR) are among the new 52-week lows in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Consolidated Graphics Inc. (Nasdaq:CGX), Macerich REIT (Nasdaq:MAC) and First Busey Corp. (Nasdaq:BUSE) are among the biggest percentage losers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Vocus Inc. (Nasdaq:VOCS), Western Alliance Bancorp (Nasdaq:WAL), Cabot Corp. (Nasdaq:CBT), Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd. (Nasdaq:GNK), First United Corp Maryland (Nasdaq:FUNC) and Heritage Crystal Clean Inc (Nasdaq:HCCI).

Schawk Inc. (Nasdaq:SGK), Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI) and Summit Financial Group Inc. (Nasdaq:SMMF) are among the new 52-week lows in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (Nasdaq:ENER), Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI) and Cardiovascular Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:CSII) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Nash-Finch Co. (Nasdaq:NAFC), Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI) and Mac-Gray Corp. (Nasdaq:TUC) are among the new 52-week lows in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Monday started off with a bang as President-elect Obama’s stimulus plans and auto bailout talk helped buoy the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) to a closing above 4%. Some of today’s small-cap gainers are DryShips (Nasdaq:DRYS), Excel Maritime Carriers (NYSE:EXM) and Titan International (NYSE:TWI).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Russell is now down 37% for 2008, while the Dow is off 33% and the S&P 500 is down 38%.
• Obama said he hopes to create more than 2.5M jobs by 2011 while launching the biggest infrastructure project in the U.S. since the 1950s.
• Commodities in general were back on the rally track today after being dismissed for the last few months amid the global slowdown.
• Corn shot up 6%, soybeans were up 4%, sugar and coffee rallied 6%, silver was up 6%, and platinum and palladium were up 7%.
• Crude oil joined in on the commodities surge, climbing 7.1%, or $2.90 a barrel.
• Oil, metal and cement stocks saw dramatic gains in several emerging market locales today.
• Commodities were bolstered by a decline in the U.S. dollar against the euro, with the greenback off more than 230 basis points, or 1.8%.

Small Cap Gainers:

• DryShips Inc. rode the wave of commodity-themed bargain hunting, closing up 51%. See (Nasdaq:DRYS).
• Within the ocean vessel theme, Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. jumped 40% and is another stock that has seen the bottom fall out of their boat since mid-August, but is trying to mount a recovery now. See (NYSE:EXM).
• Titan International Inc. rose 37% as the tire maker for off-road . . .

MetroCorp Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq:MCBI), G-III Apparel Group Ltd. (Nasdaq:GIII) and Heritage Crystal Clean Inc.(Nasdaq:HCCI) are among the new 52-week lows in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Allos Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:ALTH), Otelco Inc. (Nasdaq:OTT) and Blyth Inc. (Nasdaq:BTH) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: K Swiss Inc. (Nasdaq:KSWS), Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI), Retalix Ltd. (Nasdaq:RTLX), Vail Resorts Inc. (Nasdaq:MTN), VIST Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:VIST) and America's Car-Mart Inc. (Nasdaq:CRMT).

Pozen Inc. (Nasdaq:POZN), Xyratex Ltd (Nasdaq:XRTX) and LeCroy Corp. (Nasdaq:LCRY) are among the  among 52-week lows in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Bassett Furniture Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:BSET), Loral Space & Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:LORL), 4 Kids Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq:KDE), First Citizens Bancorp Cleveland (Nasdaq:FCZA), American Bancorp of New Jersey Inc. (Nasdaq:ABNJ) and Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI).

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

TurboChef Technologies Inc (Nasdaq:OVEN), Energysouth Inc (Nasdaq:ENSI) and Meadow Valley Corp (Nasdaq:MVCO) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Par Technology Corp (Nasdaq:PTC), Occam Networks Inc (Nasdaq:OCNW), Gencor Industries Inc (Nasdaq:GENC), Computer Task Group Inc (Nasdaq:CTGX), Heritage Crystal Clean Inc (Nasdaq:HCCI) and Ener1 Inc (Nasdaq:HEV).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

If the state of the current market has you down in the dumps, look no further than waste management companies American Ecology Corp. (Nasdaq:ECOL) and Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CWST), market leaders in two of the best-performing segments – hazardous waste remediation and waste recycling.

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. is the nation’s 12th-largest waste management firm and considered one of the most forward-looking by many industry analysts. This vertically integrated, regional player provides waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services to residential and commercial customers across 14 states in the eastern United States. At FY 2008 year end, Casella’s operations consisted of 34 solid waste collection operations, 30 transfer stations, 11 disposal facilities, 38 recycling facilities and three landfill gas-to-energy facilities. The company also holds a 50% interest in a joint venture that manufactures and sells cellulose insulation made from recycled fiber, and has a 20% equity interest in a company that markets incentive-based recycling services to some 250 national and local customers.

Casella was one of the first waste management service providers to recognize an emerging industry trend favoring improved resource management and greater recycling. More than 150 million tons of material was recycled in the United States last year and recycling has become a $71 billion industry employing more than 50,000 workers nationwide. Casella currently derives more than 30% of revenues from recycling. In 2007, the company sold more than 400,000 tons of recycled paper and 15 million tons of recycled aluminum. 

Since 2003, Casella has invested over $200 million in developing strategically located landfill capacity with the goals of strengthening its market position and creating . . .

Heritage Crystal Clean Inc (Nasdaq:HCCI), Apex Silver Mines Ltd (Nasdaq:SIL) and Banro Corp (Nasdaq:BAA) are among the new 52-week lows in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Bancorp Bank (Nasdaq:TBBK), BNC Bancorp (Nasdaq:BNCN), Aircastle Ltd (Nasdaq:AYR), TomoTherapy Inc (Nasdaq:TOMO), KV Pharmaceutical Co (Nasdaq:KV.A) and ExlService Holdings Inc (Nasdaq:EXLS).

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

Chiquita Brands International Inc (Nasdaq:CQB), Great Florida Bank (Nasdaq:GFLB) and Heritage Crystal Clean Inc (Nasdaq:HCCI) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Comm Bancorp Inc (Nasdaq:CCBP), American Realty Investors Inc (Nasdaq:ARL), China Sky One Medical Inc (Nasdaq:CSY), Toreador Resources Corp (Nasdaq:TRGL), Meta Financial Group Inc (Nasdaq:CASH) and Universal Truckload Services Inc (Nasdaq:UACL).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI), Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PBH) and WSI Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq:WSCI) were among the new 52-week highs established during Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations or values under $750 million.

Jinpan International Ltd. (AMEX:JST), Republic Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:RBCAA) and National Research Corp. (Nasdaq:NRCI) were also among the 52-week small-cap highs.

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

Some weeks, it seems like there is only one sector in the entire U.S. financial services business that is in demand: initial public offerings of special purpose acquisition companies. These are the blank-check deals in which investors give a management team money in hopes that they will make a good acquisition with it. If within two years they don’t, they need to return the funds, which create fewer expenses incurred between the IPO and the disbanding of the company. Even without an operating business, the SPAC has to pay rent, hire auditors and retain people to investigate potential acquisition opportunities. There’s a real opportunity cost to making a SPAC investment.

On the other hand, a SPAC transaction lets a company go public without the hassle of a road show or scrutiny from IPO buyers, something that many executives find demeaning. For that matter, it lets a company go public, which is no easy matter these days. Good companies will continue to want access to public markets, and restructuring companies will have divisions that they want to sell off. SPACs may make it possible for a handful of companies to get public capital in the next year.

Many SPACs have come public in recent months, but only a few have had deals to announce yet. One of the most recent was the March 13, 2008 announcement of the acquisition of Halcyon Asset Management, a hedge fund manager, by Alternative Asset Management Acquisition Corp. (AMEX:AMV), a SPAC that came public in August 2007. Alternative Asset Management will pay $505 million in cash and notes (more or less its entire net worth) for a 44% stake in Halcyon.

On March 7, Negevtech, an Israeli company that makes test equipment used to inspect semiconductor wafers for defects, announced that it would go public through a merger with . . .