Tag - OSIR

Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq:AMED), Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR) and Green Bankshares Inc. (Nasdaq:GRNB) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Chardan 2008 China Acquisition Units (Nasdaq:CACAU), Financial Institutions Inc. (Nasdaq:FISI), Evercore Partners Inc. (Nasdaq:EVR), Broadwind Energy Inc. (Nasdaq:BWEN), CSS Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:CSS) and Santander Bancorp (Nasdaq:SBP).

Charlotte Russe Holding Inc (Nasdaq:CHIC), Electro-Optical Sciences Inc (Nasdaq:MELA) and Saga Communications Inc (Nasdaq:SGA) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc (Nasdaq:MSO), Osiris Therapeutics Inc (Nasdaq:OSIR), Southern National Bancorp Of Virginia Inc (Nasdaq:SONA), Biocryst Pharmaceuticals Inc (Nasdaq:BCRX), ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc (Nasdaq:ACAD) and American Commercial Lines Inc (Nasdaq:ACLI).

Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR), Volt Information Sciences Inc. (Nasdaq:VOL) and McGrath Rent Corp. (Nasdaq:MGRC) are among the biggest percentage losers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Syms Corp. (Nasdaq:SYMS), Zoltek Companies Inc. (Nasdaq:ZOLT), OYO Geospace Corp. (Nasdaq:OYOG), Basic Energy Services Inc. (Nasdaq:BAS), Independence Holding Co. (Nasdaq:IHC) and Digi International Inc. (Nasdaq:DGII).

DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS), Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR) and Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF) are among the most actively traded companies in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), Sun Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:SNBC), ATP Oil & Gas Corporation (Nasdaq:ATPG), Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (Nasdaq:ENER), NBT Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:NBTB) and UAL Corp. (Nasdaq:UAUA).

Palm Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM), Centennial Communications Corp. (Nasdaq:CYCL) and Diodes Inc. (Nasdaq:DIOD) are among the most actively traded companies in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR), Fuel Systems Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq:FSYS), Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (Nasdaq:ENER), ACI Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq:ACIW), Bucyrus International Inc (Nasdaq:BUCY) and Eclipsys Corp. (Nasdaq:ECLP).

Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR), Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (Nasdaq:EBS) and Churchill Ventures (Nasdaq:CHV) are among the new 52-week highs in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Small-cap stocks pushed higher on the opening, but gains were short of expectations built on pre-market futures activity. Support was tied to further declines in lending rates and advances in overseas equities, but the focus today was clearly on the elections underway in the United States. At 10:01 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 0.82, or 0.15% at 539.32.

The factory orders report came out at minus 2.5%, which was below the forecast for a decline of 1.5%. The market noticeably trimmed away gains after the report.

Even with the market in rally mode early today, the spotlight will likely be on the exit poll reports as American voters close out the presidential election campaign. Barack Obama is widely reported as holding a comfortable lead into today’s vote, but market watchers are also closely watching the House and Senate seats that are up for a vote to see if the Democrats will mount a big power shift. In addition, traders are debating the potential impact of an Obama stimulus package.

On the inter-bank lending front, three-month Libor rates tumbled to a five-month low and are now below the levels in place before the stock market collapse in September. In addition, three-month Euribor rates hit a seven-month low. Libor rates are now down more than 2% from the peak seen in the credit crisis when banks were . . .

JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:JASO), Delta Petroleum Corp. (Nasdaq:DPTR) and DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS) are among the most actively traded companies in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF), United Natural Foods Inc. (Nasdaq:UNFI), Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE), A Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:APWR) and Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR) is the sole 52-week high among small caps

Here is the sole 52-week high among small caps:

Jos A Bank Clothiers Inc. (Nasdaq: JOSB) and Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: OSIR) are the new 52-week highs in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

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

Ames National Corp. (Nasdaq:ATLO), Chemical Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:CHFC) and Weyco Group Inc. (Nasdaq:WEYS) are among the new 52-week highs in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: TowneBank (Nasdaq:TOWN), Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR), Home Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq:HOMB), Neogen Corp. (Nasdaq:NEOG), Simmons First National Corp. (Nasdaq:SFNC) and Suffolk Bankcorp (Nasdaq:SUBK).

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

Stem cell therapeutic company Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR) said before today’s opening that Richard W. Hunt had filled the chief financial officer spot effective July 23. The Columbia, Md.-based company also said it had promoted Philip R. Jacoby Jr. to vice president of finance.

In today’s trading, shares are mostly flat from Friday’s close of $15.46. Shares have ranged from $9.98 to $15.60.

Shares of Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: OSIR) are rising following news after the close on Thursday that the stem cell therapeutic company has been awarded a $224.7 million contract from the U.S. Defense Department.

The contract is to develop and stockpile an adult stem cell therapy called Prochymal, which is intended to heal gastrointestinal injury resulting from radiation exposure. The deal calls for the purchase of up to 20,000 doses, at $10,000 per dose, upon the receipt of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“We are honored that the Department of Defense has selected Prochymal in this critical effort to better safeguard our armed forces against the potentially horrendous effects of battlefield exposure to a radiological weapon,” said president and CEO C. Randal Mills in a statement.

The small cap was not immediately available for comment.

Columbia, Md.-based Osiris is also currently conducting clinical trials on Prochymal for the treatment of type 1 diabetes and Graft vs. Host Disease, a common complication following bone marrow transplantation.

At 3:02 p.m. ET shares of Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (OSIR) had gained $1.40, or 11%, to $13.97. The 52-week high of $29.29 was reached on Jan. 16, 2007, while the 52-week low of $9.98 was set on Nov. 26, 2007.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) futures are falling on news of a worse-than-expected December jobs report and the small-cap index will surely drop.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased a disappointing 18,000 in December, the U.S. Labor Department reported. Job losses in construction and manufacturing offset gains in several service-providing industries.

Economists were expecting to see 70,000 new jobs. However, the payroll gain in November was revised up to 115,000 from an initially reported 94,000.

Nevertheless, the slowdown in job creating is an obvious sign that U.S. economic growth is faltering amid tighter credit and the ongoing slump in the housing market.

The unemployment rate climbed to 5% from the previous level of 4.7%. Economists were forecasting a smaller rise to 4.8%.

Here are the biggest percentage gainers and losers in pre-market trading among companies with a market cap between $100 million and $750 million:

Biggest percentage gainers:

• Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR), up 27% on news it won a $224.7 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense.
• Prospect Capital Corp. (PSEC), up 9%.
• NxStage Medical, Inc. (NXTM), up 9%.

Biggest percentage losers:

• Micrel, Inc. (MCRL), down 15% on news it has revised its earnings and revenue outlook for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.
• Landec Corp. (LNDC) down 8% on news that fiscal second-quarter revenue missed analysts’ expectations.
• Universal Display Corp. (PANL) down 6%.

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSIR) shares are up after the medical products maker reported positive results from its trial of Chondrogen, a stem-cell treatment for knee surgery. The Columbia, Md.-based firm said that one-year data showed improvement in joint condition among patients who received Chondrogen.

The biotechnology firm said patients in the Chondrogen trial experienced a “clinically significant” improvement in pain levels.

“These results are very promising given that a single injection of Chondrogen resulted in a clinically significant reduction in pain that was about double what we typically achieve with products currently available for OA,” Dr. Thomas Vangsness, a University of Southern California medical professor, said in a statement.

Unlike controversial embryonic stem cell research, Osiris uses stem cells derived from human bone marrow and donated by adult volunteers.

Hyaluronic acid, the treatment that Chondrogen is being tested against, has annual sales of about $500 million. Around 21 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, CEO C. Randal Mills said in a statement.

“The durability of the effect may have a profound impact on cost of treating arthritis,” Mills said in a statement. “These data allow us to advance our development efforts with confidence. With both clinically and statistically significant results in an approvable endpoint, we have started preparing for the appropriate registration trials. I would like to thank the investigators and patients for their continued support with this landmark study.” 

In afternoon trading, OSIR shares are up 12.01%, or $1.23, at $11.47. Over the last 52 weeks, shares have ranged from $9.98 to $29.29.

AspenBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: APPY), Datawatch Corp. (Nasdaq: DWCH) and WCA Waste Corp. (Nasdaq: WCAA) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage gainers:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) is in the green even though news of a sharp decline in November consumer confidence shaved earlier gains.

At 10:37 a.m. ET, the small-cap index had added 4.24 points, or 0.58%, to 739.31. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had advanced 115.34 points, or 0.91%, to 12,858.78.

Wall Street was bullish before the start of trading on news that Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) has sold 4.9% of itself to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority for $7.5 billion. The cash infusion will allow the largest U.S. bank to better deal with losses accumulated through bets on securities backed by subprime mortgages.

New York-based Citigroup posted a loss during the third quarter, hurt by more than $6 billion in writedowns. The bank could face even larger losses in the fourth quarter.

Futures were pointing higher and small and large-cap stocks rose out of the gate.

But the rally quickly lost steam after 10 a.m. ET, when the Conference Board announced a larger-than-expected drop in consumer confidence for November.

Shares of Integrated BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: INBP), the Hillside, N.J.-based vitamin company, are down about 8% following the company’s announcement after Friday’s close of lowered 2007 revenue estimates. The company, which makes the Naturally Noni, Naturally Aloe and Naturally Pomegranate brands, blamed a decrease in consumer spending for the lowered revenue guidance. Poor weather conditions and increased gasoline prices hindered consumer spending, the company said in a press release. For the fourth quarter ending June 30, the company expects revenues to be in the range of $64 million and $66 million, down from the previous estimate between $68 million and $70 million.

Shares of On Track Innovations Ltd. (Nasdaq: OTIV), the Rosh-Pina, Israel-based developer of smart card systems, are down over 6% after the company’s announcement at the start of trading Tuesday of a widened loss for the first quarter from a year earlier. The company reported a net loss of $4.1 million, or $0.22 a share, from the same period in 2006. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected the company to post a loss of $0.06 a share.

Share of BioProgress plc (Nasdaq: BPRG), the Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, are down almost 6% following the company’s announcement before the start of trading Tuesday it is delisting from Nasdaq due to the “burdensome” compliance expenses. The company noted the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the 2002 law that greatly widened SEC reporting guidelines in light of the Enron and WorldCom scandals, as a significant factor in the delisting decision, which will take effect June 18. The company announced it expects $4 million in savings from the decision.

These are the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $500 million: