Tag - PHX

Immucor Inc. (Nasdaq:BLUD), CPI International Inc. (Nasdaq:CPII) and Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. (Nasdaq:PHX) are among the biggest percentage losers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Old Second Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:OSBC), Digimarc Corp. (Nasdaq:DMRC), Union Drilling Inc. (Nasdaq:UDRL), Penford Corp. (Nasdaq:PENX), Bridgford Foods Corp. (Nasdaq:BRID) and Care Investment Trust Inc. (Nasdaq:CRE).

Small-cap stocks remained sharply lower into mid-session, pressured by fresh worries about the health of the banking sector as we enter into earnings season and by dreadful retail sales numbers this morning.  Some of today’s small-cap gainers were LaBranche (NYSE:LAB), Vahli, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) and Panhandle Oil and Gas (NYSE:PHX).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund was off 4.5% at midday.  
• Crude oil tumbled amid the sell-off in stocks; energy shares were dueling with financials for the biggest downside market hit so far today.  
• Bank stocks took a hit in European trading ahead of today’s opening and those concerns continued to play out during the U.S. session.  
• Financials, commodities, retailers and manufacturers are all taking a hit, but the slide in bank stocks is a major spot of bother.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Goldman Sachs upgrades LaBranche; shares rise 16%. See (NYSE:LAB). 
• Valhi, Inc. up 9% after announcing issuance of final low-level radioactive waste disposal license. See (NYSE:VHI).  
• Panhandle Oil and Gas up 6% after declaring a dividend last week. See (NYSE:PHX).   • Charles River schedules 2008 earnings and 2009 guidance release for Feb. 9; shares rise over 5%. See (NYSE:CRL).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Allis-Chalmers Energy slides 16% as energy stocks are feeling the heat today. See (NYSE:ALY).  
• Cliffs Natural Resources shares drop over 15% on deferral. See (NYSE:CLF).
• National Financial Partners Corp. slides 14% as financials nosedive today. See (NYSE:NFP).  
• North American Energy Partners down over 12% on light volume, pulled down by the slump in energy stocks. See (NYSE:NOA).  

Small-cap stocks edged higher Wednesday in an exceptionally quiet, tight-range pre-holiday session. A mixed bag of economic data failed to spark trading fervor in either direction, while slumping energy and commodity markets acted as a mild drag on the market. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed up 1.85, or 0.4% at 470.49, snapping a two-day losing streak in an abbreviated session before the Christmas holiday.

A fresh batch of economic releases this morning came in predictably awful, but some segments of the data weren’t as gloomy as feared, which allowed bargain hunters the courage to snap up a few beaten down stocks in what turned out to be one of the dullest sessions in months. The price range in the Russell today amounted to less than 8 handles, easily the thinnest motion in what has been a raucous four-month time frame.

Looking at broad market sector activity today, the best performing groups were seen in airlines, brewers, footwear companies, department stores, electronic components, diverse financial firms and general merchandise stores. On the flip side, the worst performers were coal stocks, homebuilders, aluminum companies, insurance firms, industrial conglomerates, construction materials, real estate investment trusts and real estate services firms.

Crude oil prices continue to slump, pushing down despite a surprising drop today on weekly inventories as energy traders continue to fret about a recession for major customers like the U.S., Japan and the U.K. and slowing demand out of China. Elsewhere on the commodity front, copper prices edged down to four-year lows in London trading, which is a worry point because copper is considered a nice proxy for the world economy. Even though crude oil cash prices have been plunging of late, energy stocks have been trying to hang tough and only dropped about 0.5% today.

MEDecision Inc (Nasdaq:MEDE), Vantage Drilling Co. (Nasdaq:VTG) and Northern Oil and Gas Inc (Nasdaq:NOG) are among the new 52-week highs in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: RAM Energy Resources Inc (Nasdaq:RAME), Pyramid Oil Co (Nasdaq:PDO), Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc (Nasdaq:PHX), National Coal Corp (Nasdaq:NCOC), Kensey Nash Corp (Nasdaq:KNSY) and Integral System Inc (Nasdaq:ISYS).

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

NGAS Resources Inc (Nasdaq:NGAS), BMB Munai Inc (Nasdaq:KAZ) and Cano Petroleum Inc (Nasdaq:CFW) are among the new 52-week highs in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: RAM Energy Resources Inc (Nasdaq:RAME), Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc (Nasdaq:PHX), Stepan Co (Nasdaq:SCL), International Assets Holding Corp (Nasdaq:IAAC), United States Lime & Minerals Inc (Nasdaq:USLM) and Natural Gas Services Group Inc (Nasdaq:NGS).

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