Tag - RHD

Selling enthusiasm swamped small-cap shares when the afternoon release of FOMC minutes suggested a lower growth forecast, inflation jitters and an April rate cut that was a close call. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) lost 8.54, or 1.16%, to 727.11. It was the fourth consecutive session in which small caps closed below the opening, something that hasn’t happened since January.

Small caps spent much of the day trying to hold onto tepid gains in the face of red ink in large-cap index products and yet another spike in crude oil prices. However, the selling dam burst after the release of the FOMC minutes. In addition to suggesting that the economy was on a slower recovery path, the Federal Reserve’s policy-making board basically did everything but say outright that rate cuts were on hold right now because of inflation issues.

It wasn’t hard to look for signs of fresh price inflation today. Within the energy arena, crude oil prices jumped to more than $133 dollars a barrel when a weekly inventory report showed a surprising dip in crude oil stockpiles versus expectations for an increase in supplies. With pump prices starting to move north of $4 dollars a gallon in some metropolitan areas, consumer’s discretionary spending money is getting even more pinched, which could stall any burgeoning economic recovery.

The sting of higher crude oil prices wasn’t just felt in consumer pocketbooks today. Airline stocks were shot down in stunning fashion, with the Amex Airline Index sinking more than 12% to fresh 52-week lows. At this time last summer, the Airline Index was trading in the $50 range … today, the price is below $19. Among airline stocks, small-capper US Airways Group (NYSE:LCC) fell 17% to new 52-week lows . . .

Central Garden & Pet Co. (Nasdaq:CENT), Gibraltar Industries Inc (Nasdaq:ROCK) and Overhill Farms Inc (Nasdaq:OFI) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

RH Donnelley Corp (Nasdaq:RHD), China Technology Development Group Corp (Nasdaq:CTDC) and Colfax Corp (Nasdaq:CFX) are also among the biggest percentage gainers.

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

After declining in morning trading, small-cap stocks began a rally around 10 a.m. ET, surging to more than 729. Better-than-expected earnings from several small-cap companies helped to act as a catalyst for the market rally. At 1:24 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 5.60, or 0.77%, at 729.95.

Despite the rally, several bearish indicators gave investors pause early in the session. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said late Monday that increasing home foreclosures might harm the economy. Adding to investors’ concerns was mortgage firm Fannie Mae’s (NYSE:FNM) reported a $2.2 billion loss on credit-associated costs, which enabled the company to post a wider-than-expected quarterly loss of $2.5 billion. Swiss banking giant UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) reported early Tuesday that it will cut 5,500 employees and sell $15 billion in risky debt to BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) at 25% off its face value.

Among sectors, the big losers include airlines, water utilities, fabricated plastic and rubber materials producers and personal services firms. On the flip side, companies associated with oil and gas operations, coal, motion picture services, gold and silver were gaining ground.

Some of the firms that have broken out in Tuesday’s trading include China Finance Online Co. (Nasdaq:JRJC), which broke through $23 resistance and is now up about 9% at $23.94. After experiencing a sell-off at $56.75, vacuum and . . .

RH Donnelley Corp (NYSE:RHD), Innophos Holdings Inc (Nasdaq:IPHS) and Dixie Group Inc (Nasdaq:DXYN) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Hudson Highland Group Inc (Nasdaq:HHGP), China Technology Development Group Corp (Nasdaq:CTDC) and Citizens Republic Bancorp Inc (Nasdaq:CRBC) are also among the biggest percentage gainers.

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) closed with a steep loss as recession fears spread on Wall Street. The small-cap index fell 16.14 points, or 2.45%, to 643.97. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) lost 153.54 points, or 1.29%, to 11,740.15.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has declined 15.93%, while the Dow is down 11.50% and the S&P 500 has shed 13.28%.

The bears dominated the session today as the specter of recession loomed in the background. Friday’s disappointing jobs report, which showed that payrolls plunged 63,000 in February, led many economists to conclude that the U.S. economy is either in or will soon be in a recession.

A report by investment bank The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) released before the start of trading forecasts that the U.S. Federal Reserve will respond by lowering its target federal funds rate to 2% by late April to give the economy a boost.

The federal funds rate, the rate commercial banks charge each other for overnight loans, currently stands at 3%.

The Russell 2000 was on a steady decline from the start of trading, slowly sliding lower throughout the course of the day. Today’s declines were led by shares of steel companies and shares of companies in the financial services industry.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) snapped a five-session losing streak on generally bullish economic news and plans to help a bond insurer. The small-cap index added 2.76 points, or 0.41%, to 683.74. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) gained 41.19 points, or 0.34%, to 12,254.99.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 is down 10.74%, while the Dow is missing 7.61% and the S&P 500 has lost 9.17%.

A volatile day of trading began on a bullish note following news that business productivity growth for the fourth quarter of 2007 was revised up to an annualized rate of 1.9%, according to the U.S. Commerce Department before the opening.

Economists were expecting productivity to stay at its initially reported rate of 1.8%.

Contributing to the upbeat mood was a report after the start of trading from the Institute of Supply Management that non-manufacturing activity increased to a reading of 49.3% in February from 44.6% in January. That still indicates a contraction in the sector that provides about 80% of U.S. gross domestic product, but economists had projected worse.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) closed lower for the fifth consecutive session on news of more subprime fallout and tech sector woes. The small-cap index declined 3.24 points, or 0.47%, to 680.98. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) lost 45.10 points, or 0.37%, to 12,213.80.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 is missing 11.10%, while the Dow is down 7.92% and the S&P 500 has retreated 9.64%.

The bears dominated trading and small-cap stocks spent the entire session in negative territory. With no major economic releases scheduled, investors focused on corporate news.

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) reported before the opening that it may have to cut as many as 30,000 jobs over the next year and a half due to writedowns related to the subprime mortgage mess. Additionally, Citigroup might need to raise more capital to get over the credit crunch.

Contributing to the bearish sentiment was Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip maker Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC), which announced after the close on Monday that it has lowered its first-quarter gross margin forecast to 54% from 56% earlier.

Small-cap stocks declined, with Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. (NYSE: JTX) being one of the biggest losers. Before the opening the Parsippany, N.J.-based company posted third-quarter net income of $18.2 million, or $0.61 per share, a 34% decline from a year earlier.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) posted a decline following news of more bleak economic reports. The small-cap index fell 1.96 points, or 0.29%, to 684.22, its fourth consecutive decrease. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) lost 7.49 points, or 0.06%, to 12,258.90.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has lost 10.68%, while the Dow is down 7.58% and the S&P 500 has shed 9.33%.

The U.S. economy again took center stage today as twin government reports again raised fears of a recession. Stocks fell on Friday after an inflation gauge came in higher than expected and a measure of regional business conditions disappointed.

Today’s bad news came in the form of a report from the U.S. Census Bureau after the opening that construction spending fell a more-than-expected 1.7% in January to an annual rate of $1.121 trillion. On a year-over-year basis, construction spending is down 3.3%.

Meanwhile, the Institute for Supply Management said after the start of trading that its manufacturing index declined to 48.3 in February from 50.7 in January. Economists were expecting to see a steeper decline. Readings below 50 indicate a contraction.

New orders, inventories, production and employment all posted declines, while the backlog of orders increased.

The Russell 2000 dropped out of the get then rose to its session high of near 689 points at about 10:30 a.m. ET before falling again. Small-cap stocks bottomed out at 3 p.m. ET at a level of 675 but rallied in the last hour of trading.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) posted a steep decline following news of weak economic reports. The small-cap index fell 19.54 points, or 2.77%, to 686.18, its third consecutive decrease. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) lost 315.79 points, or 2.51%, to 12,266.39.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has let go 10.42%, while the Dow is down 7.53% and the S&P 500 is off 9.38%.

Small-cap stocks started the session down and extended their losses as the day wore on and investors digested bearish economic news.

The U.S. Commerce Department reported before the start of trading that spending increased 0.4% in January, while personal income added 0.3%. Economists were expecting smaller increases of 0.2%.

But the rise in consumption went to cover inflation. The same report showed that the price index for personal consumption expenditures rose 0.4%, while the core index, which excludes the costs of food and energy, climbed 0.3%.

In other economic news, the National Association of Purchasing Managers-Chicago reported after the opening that its index of regional business conditions fell to its lowest level since December 2001, while the University of Michigan’s final figures for February consumer confidence showed the worst result since 1992.

One of the biggest losers in today’s sell-off was general merchandise retailer Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUCK), which slumped to a new 52-week low on news of a disappointing 2008 earnings forecast.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) lost ground and fell more than the other major U.S. indices as economic concerns brought out the bears. The small-cap index declined 10.72 points, or 1.50%, to 705.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) shed 112.10 points, or 0.88%, to 12,582.18.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has retreated 7.87%, while the Dow is down 5.15% and the S&P 500 has let go 6.86%.

Fourth-quarter economic growth was as slow as initially projected, an inflation gauge moved up, and some small banks might not survive the subprime meltdown, according to today’s economic news.

Small-cap stocks fell out of the gate on news that the U.S. Commerce Department reaffirmed its initial estimate for fourth-quarter economic growth of 0.6% at an annual rate, disappointing economists expecting an upward revision to 0.8%.

The same report showed that an index measuring the prices paid by U.S. residents increased 3.9%, above the initial estimate of 3.8%.

Separately, the U.S. Labor Department said that jobless claims for the week ended Feb. 23 were 373,000, a larger-than-expected increase from the preceding week’s upwardly revised level of 354,000.