Tag - NWPX

DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS), Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF) and USANA Health Sciences Inc. (Nasdaq:USNA) are among the most actively traded companies in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), VisionChina Media Inc (Nasdaq:VISN), OYO Geospace Corp. (Nasdaq:OYOG), Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp (Nasdaq:SNTA), Tower Group Inc. (Nasdaq:TWGP) and Northwest Pipe Co (Nasdaq:NWPX).

Small-cap stocks started out the final week of this year’s trading on a somber note, as familiar worries about the economy, spending and the credit crisis sparked selling from a holiday-reduced pool of investors. A decline in financial, retail and homebuilder shares was more than enough to cancel out gains for commodity stocks, especially since much of the rise in commodities was fueled by safe-haven and risk bid flows—and not by improved fundamentals. Today's small-cap percentage gainers are Linn Energy LLC (Nasdaq:LINE), Northwest Pipe Co. (Nasdaq:NWPX), and BPZ Resources (NYSE:BPZ).

Other Market Watch highlights included:

•    Yields on six-month bills were going for about 5% back in August 2007; today’s high yield was 0.25%.  
•    The Treasury auctioned off $27 billion in six-month bills Monday, and the result was the lowest yield in history on auctions that date back to the 1930s.  
•    Much of the rise in commodities was fueled by safe-haven and risk bid flows—and not by improved fundamentals.  
•    A decline in financial, retail and homebuilder shares was more than enough to cancel out gains for commodity stocks.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Linn Energy LLC gapped higher and was showing a gain of 19% after a bullish article in Barron’s. See (Nasdaq:LINE).
• Northwest Pipe Co., which makes welded steel pipes, was up 13.2% to $37.65. See (Nasdaq:NWPX).  
• Flow-measurement product maker Badger Meter up 11% to $33.64. See (NYSE:BMI)
• BPZ Resources, formerly known as BPZ Energy, up 10.5% to $5.39 after announcing increases in oil reserves at the Corvina Field. See (NYSE:BPZ)  


Small Cap Losers:

• Among today's other 52-wk lows: Skilled Healthcare Group, Minerals Technologies Inc. and Dionex Corp. See (NYSE:SKH, NYSE:MTX, and Nasdaq:DNEX)
• Real estate investment trust Macerich Company down 15% to $17.23. See (NYSE:MAC).   
• Riverbed Technology, Inc. down 13% to $9.93 after Wedbush Morgan downgrade to "Hold" from "Buy" See(Nasdaq:RVBD)  
• ATC Technology Corp., a vehicle remanufacturing and logistics company, hit a new year-low of $12.37. See (Nasdaq:ATAC) 

Northwest Pipe Co (Nasdaq:NWPX), United Security Bancshares (Nasdaq:USBI) and Harris Stratex Networks Inc (Nasdaq:HSTX) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Badger Meter Inc (Nasdaq:BMI), Trina Solar Ltd (Nasdaq:TSL), Lacrosse Footwear Inc (Nasdaq:BOOT), American River Bankshares (Nasdaq:AMRB), Ultralife Corp (Nasdaq:ULBI) and JMP Group Inc (Nasdaq:JMP).

Small-cap stocks extended the morning slide into midday action, with losses in financial, homebuilder, technology and retail stocks more than offsetting gains in energy and mining shares. Today's small-cap percentage gainers are Linn Energy LLC (Nasdaq:LINE), Northwest Pipe Co. (Nasdaq:NWPX), and Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI).

Other Market Watch highlights included:

• Although today’s slide in small caps looks ugly from a performance standpoint, it really does very little to alter a relatively tame, sideways chart structure.  
• Technology shares failed to gain traction, even though tech stocks were decent performers overnight in Asia on a burst of M&A activity.  
• Ongoing concerns about the economy and credit crunch weighed on financial and bank stocks, with small banks and financial firms dominating the list of percentage losers.  
• Losses in financial, homebuilder, technology and retail stocks were more than offsetting gains in energy and mining shares. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Linn Energy LLC gapped higher and was showing a gain of 19% after a bullish article in Barron’s. See (Nasdaq:LINE).
• Northwest Pipe Co., which makes welded steel pipes, was up 13.2% to $37.65. See (Nasdaq:NWPX).  
• Flow-measurement product maker Badger Meter up 11% to $33.64. See (NYSE:BMI)
• BPZ Resources, formerly known as BPZ Energy, up 10.5% to $5.39 after announcing increases in oil reserves at the Corvina Field. See (NYSE:BPZ)  

Small Cap Losers:

• Among today's other 52-wk lows: Skilled Healthcare Group, Minerals Technologies Inc. and Dionex Corp. See (NYSE:SKH, NYSE:MTX, and Nasdaq:DNEX)
• Real estate investment trust Macerich Company down 15% to $17.23. See (NYSE:MAC).   
• Riverbed Technology, Inc. down 13% to $9.93 after Wedbush Morgan downgrade to "Hold" from "Buy" See(Nasdaq:RVBD)  
• ATC Technology Corp., a vehicle remanufacturing and logistics company, hit a new year-low of $12.37. See (Nasdaq:ATAC) 

Small-cap stocks edged lower, pressured by ongoing worries about sluggish economic conditions, slumping corporate profits and soft holiday retail sales. Losses were limited by a firm tone in the commodities arena, which helped support overseas markets in overnight trading. Today's small-cap percentage gainers are Linn Energy LLC (Nasdaq:LINE) and Northwest Pipe Co. (Nasdaq:NWPX).

Other Market Watch highlights included:

• Looking at the short-term picture for today, resistance comes in at 481, then at 491. On the downside, support is at 464, then down at 452.50.
• On the charts, the Russell 2000 will need a breakout through 491 on the upside or 416 on the downside to suggest a dramatic new move is on tap.  
• Gold prices were on a roll, climbing to 11-week highs in European action, which could provide a lift to gold stocks and mining shares if the trend remains in play.  
• Losses were limited by a firm tone in the commodities arena, which helped support overseas markets in overnight trading.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Linn Energy LLC gapped higher and was showing a gain of 19% after a bullish article in Barron’s. See (Nasdaq:LINE).
• Northwest Pipe Co., which makes welded steel pipes, was up 13.2% to $37.65. See (Nasdaq:NWPX).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Comverge, Inc., which makes equipment for improving electric capacity, is down 16.7% to $5.00. See (Nasdaq:COMV).  
• Jones Apparel Group Inc. down 12.7% after late Friday report that it cut back its revolving credit facilities. See (NYSE:JNY). 

FCStone Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCSX), Polypore International Inc. (Nasdaq:PPO) and Amicus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:FOLD) are among the new 52-week lows in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Northwest Pipe Co. (Nasdaq:NWPX), Universal American Corp. (Nasdaq:UAM), Calgon Carbon Corp. (Nasdaq:CCC), Medicines Co. (Nasdaq:MDCO), Hutchinson Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:HTCH) and Hungarian Telephone and Cable Corp. (Nasdaq:HTC).

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

Northwest Pipe Company (Nasdaq:NWPX) announced today it had a verbal agreement with Ranger Pipelines of San Francisco to supply 12,500 feet of piping in a deal worth about $8 million. The Portland, Ore.-based company builds large-diameter, high-pressure steel pipeline systems, usually involving drinking water systems. This order is set to start delivery in the first quarter of 2009.

Despite the new order, shares of Northwest Pipe are down 3% today on below-average volume, about $1.68 lower than Monday’s close.

Almost Family Inc (Nasdaq:AFAM), Northwest Pipe Co (Nasdaq:NWPX) and Secure America Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq:HLD) are among the new 52-week highs in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Ideation Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq:IDI), GHL Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq:GHQ), Inter Atlantic Financial Inc (Nasdaq:IAN), Stoneleigh Partners Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq:SOC), Stepan Co (Nasdaq:SCL) and 2020 Chinacap Acquirco Inc (Nasdaq:TTY).

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

Ever think about a multi-faceted manufacturer of steel products as a global-warming play? It can be if it’s Northwest Pipe Co. (Nasdaq:NWPX), a diversified maker of steel products, notably the large-diameter pipes that bring water to the driest regions.

Northwest Pipe is a leading North American maker of high-pressure steel pipeline systems. The company, with corporate roots that date back more than a century, has plants scattered across North America. Northwest Pipe reorganized recently into two operating segments, tubular products and water transmission, having melded its Mexico-based fabricated products unit into its water works.

With an apparent flood of business coming its way, Northwest Pipe has drawn the interest of investors searching for an old-line, industrial manufacturer with some solid fundamentals to shore up its bottom line...

Houston American Energy Corp (Nasdaq:HUSA), Digital Ally Inc (Nasdaq:DGLY) and Fuel Systems Solutions Inc (Nasdaq:FSYS) are among the new 52-week highs in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Northwest Pipe Co (Nasdaq:NWPX), VanceInfo Technologies Inc (Nasdaq:VIT) and NCI Inc (Nasdaq:NCIT) are also among the new 52-week highs.

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

Crystal River Capital Inc (Nasdaq:CRZ), Western Refining Inc (Nasdaq:WNR) and Corus Bankshares Inc (Nasdaq:CORS) are among the new 52-week lows in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

US Shipping Partners LP (Nasdaq:USS), LCA Vision Inc (Nasdaq:LCAV) and Adams Golf Inc (Nasdaq:ADGF) are also among the new 52-week lows.

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

Small-cap stocks opened modestly higher after a see-saw overnight session. At 9:56 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 0.26, or 0.04%, at 703.45, as the market trimmed away opening gains in choppy action. Stability in the foreign exchange market, a decent batch of overnight earnings and mild short profit-taking provided mild support for stocks but the market appeared to be searching for a more dynamic directional bias this morning.

The U.S. dollar was up modestly at the beginning of U.S. trading and crude oil was down a couple bucks off Tuesday’s record high, which may have prompted a mild sigh of relief that the moves weren’t immediately extended. Still, the issue of a sluggish economy, coupled with rising food and energy costs, remains a major roadblock for equity market bulls. A USA Today poll said that rising food costs were a “significant” worry for Americans, with 73% of respondents citing higher grocery bills as a concern.

The market has seen quite a bit of daily volatility in recent days, with percentage moves in the 2% or more range every other day for six sessions. If that pattern holds true today, then this will be the “quiet” day on the rollercoaster ride. From a charting standpoint, the Russell has support today near 700, 695 and then a window . . .

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the Dow have trimmed their earlier gains and are moving erratically on news that a major bond insurer is raising capital. At 2:54 p.m. ET, the small-cap index was up 2.81 points, or 0.41%, to 683.79. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) was up 13.19 points, or 0.11%, to 12,226.99.

Stocks small and large dropped steeply into the red at about 1:30 p.m. ET, following news that bond insurer Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABK) is planning on raising $1.5 billion in capital in order to keep its triple A rating. The Russell 2000 rebounded at about 2:45 p.m. ET.

The New York-based company, which is suffering the consequences of having guaranteed subprime-related debt, has been trying for months to raise money in order to maintain its rating. A downgrade will create problems for banks that hold over $500 billion in bonds insured by Ambac as some investors sell the debt while others reduce their holdings.

The bulls dominated the first half of the session on news that fourth-quarter productivity was revised up while the U.S. services sector contracted less than expected in February.

Northwest Pipe Co. (Nasdaq: NWPX) CEO Brian Dunham said he expects strong results for the company, which makes welded steel pipes, fittings and tanks, during 2008.

“Our backlog was at a record-high level of $212 million as of the beginning of the year,” Dunham said. “We expect the total market for 2008 to be a new record high for the company.”

Because of manufacturing delays, the chief executive said the company projects lower sales during the first quarter than the $98.2 million posted in the fourth quarter. Based on bidding activity, Dunham said Northwest expects the second quarter to be stronger than the first quarter and likewise, the second half to be stronger than the first half in 2008.

Before Wednesday’s opening, Northwest Pipe posted fourth-quarter sales of $98.2 million, up from $97.5 million a year earlier. Analysts predicted $94.4 million in revenue. Water transmission sales during the three month period helped offset lower fabricated and tubular product sales.

Quarterly profit declined 7% to $5.6 million, or $0.60 per share, compared with $6 million, or $0.72 per share, during the year-ago period. Wall Street analysts, on average, projected earnings of $0.60 per share.

During the three month period ended Dec. 31, cost of sales edged down to $80.2 million, from $81.3 million a year earlier. The firm ended the quarter with $453.6 million in total assets, from $424.5 million a year earlier.