Tag - PMFG

PMFG Inc. (Nasdaq:PMFG), North American Galvanizing & Coatings Inc. (Nasdaq:NGA) and Yucheng Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq:YTEC) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.      

Also included among the results: Alto Palermo (Nasdaq:APSA), LECG Corp.(Nasdaq:XPRT), Salix Pharm (Nasdaq:SLXP), Encore Bancshares Inc (Nasdaq:EBTX), Berkshire Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:BERK) and TeleCommunication Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:TSYS).         

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:    

Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc (Nasdaq:OMRI), Micromet Inc (Nasdaq:MITI) and LoJack Corp (Nasdaq:LOJN) are among the most actively traded companies in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.           

Also included among the results: Yucheng Technologies Ltd (Nasdaq:YTEC), PMFG Inc (Nasdaq:PMFG), Industrial Services of America Inc (Nasdaq:IDSA), i2 Technologies Inc (Nasdaq:ITWO), InterVoice Inc (Nasdaq:INTV) and Saia Inc (Nasdaq:SAIA).      

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:       

American Ecology Corp (Nasdaq:ECOL), Allos Therapeutics Inc (Nasdaq:ALTH) and Merit Medical Systems Inc (Nasdaq:MMSI) are among 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:

After opening higher, small caps have been beaten down mid-session, as crude oil futures gushed higher and the troubled financial sector weighed on stocks. At 1:37 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 1.81, or 0.25%, at 723.92.

Crude oil prices were up to $137.76 a barrel in recent trading after reports surfaced that Israel executed a practice strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Additionally, revelations that Shell cannot meet its contractual obligations to export oil from Nigeria provided support for higher crude prices. One of Shell’s Nigerian oil fields was attacked by militants on Thursday.

In morning trading, crude was trading lower following a weekend pledge from Saudi Arabia to increase production. However, the announcement was widely expected and any bump from the announcement was already baked into crude futures. Some investors also saw the Saudi offer as fraudulent because it was so small.

Despite the rise in crude oil prices, the dollar is up against the yen and euro in Monday midday trading.

In large cap headlines, Bunge Ltd. (NYSE:BG), a giant fertilizer and oilseed processing company, announced plans to purchase Corn Products International (NYSE:CPO) in a deal worth $4.4 billion. Investors reacted negatively to the announcement, with BG shares down more than 11% in midday action. The stock is moving lower even though Bunge increased its earnings forecast. CPO has jumped some 17% on the news.

Financial stocks have been pummeled in recent weeks by investors amid ongoing worries about the credit crunch. Although some stocks in the financial zone might benefit from bargain hunters this week, there were additional analyst downgrades on banks and against home lenders overnight, which could keep that area on the defensive. Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) were off early today after Lehman Bros. analysts increased their loss forecast on the pair.

Small-cap stocks opened higher, but were unable to sustain the early bid and slipped back slightly into the red as slumping financial stocks and higher crude oil overcame bullish fodders on the merger and acquisition front from a large deal in the agriculture arena. At 10:03 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 1.06, or 0.15%, at 724.67.

Bunge Ltd. (NYSE:BG), a giant fertilizer and oilseed processing company, announced plans to purchase Corn Products International (NYSE:CPO) in a deal worth $4.4 billion. BG shares were up in overnight trading, benefiting from news that the company increased its earnings forecast, but turned lower shortly after the regular market open this morning. CPO prices soared some 24% on the news.

Crude oil prices were on the rise heading toward the U.S. stock market opening, climbing despite a pledge from Saudi Arabia to raise production. Tension in the Middle East has been stirred lately by revelations that Israel executed a practice strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Despite the rise in crude oil prices, the dollar was actually on a roll this morning, climbing about 0.7% against the euro following soft economic data out of the Eurozone overnight. The greenback was also up about 0.5% versus the yen.

Financial stocks have been pummeled in recent weeks by investors amid ongoing worries about the credit crunch. Although some stocks in the financial zone might benefit from bargain hunters this week, there were additional analyst downgrades on banks and against home lenders overnight, which could keep that area on . . .