Tag - TLEO

Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq:RMBS), Euronet Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq:EEFT) and Catapult Communications Corp. (Nasdaq:CATT) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: United Natural Foods Inc. (Nasdaq:UNFI), Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO), TeleTech Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:TTEC), IXYS Corp. (Nasdaq:IXYS), Zion Oil and Gas Inc. (Nasdaq:ZN) and NutriSystem Inc. (Nasdaq:NTRI).

Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO), Macerich REIT (Nasdaq:MAC) and Digital River Inc. (Nasdaq:DRIV) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: True Religion Apparel Inc. (Nasdaq:TRLG), Trina Solar Ltd. (Nasdaq:TSL), Citizens Holdings Co. (Nasdaq:CIZN), QCR Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:QCRH), Callon Petroleum Co. (Nasdaq:CPE) and iPCS Inc. (Nasdaq:IPCS).

Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO), ATA Inc. (Nasdaq:ATAI) and Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq:TKTM) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Intersections Inc. (Nasdaq:INTX), GeoResources Inc. (Nasdaq:GEOI), Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. (Nasdaq:USAP), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Macquarie Infrastructure Co LLC (Nasdaq:MIC) and OM Group Inc. (Nasdaq:OMG).

Small-cap stocks tumbled on the open, pulled down by spillover selling from a decline in overseas markets fueled by a weak tone in financial and commodity shares. Today’s small-cap gainers are Optimer Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:OPTR), Crucell (NYSE:CRXL) and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (Nasdaq:GLDD).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Ernst & Young survey: 52% of CEOs of Russell 2000 companies expect no real economic upswing until 2010.  
• As for the crude oil, the market for black gold was down about $2 a barrel into the U.S. stock market opening and briefly printed below $60.  
• Small caps tumbled on the open, pulled down by spillover selling from a decline in overseas markets fueled by a weak tone in financial and commodity shares.  
• Emerging markets were taking a hit this morning, with stock markets in Russia slipping 9% at times overnight, while shares in Dubai off 7%.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• Optimer Pharmaceuticals soaring 75% in pre-market on Phase 3 news. See (Nasdaq:OPTR).  
• Biotech firm Crucell swings to profit in Q3; shares up over 10% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:CRXL).  
• Morgan Joseph upgrades Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation to "buy" from "hold;" shares up 8%. See (Nasdaq:GLDD).  


Small Cap Losers:

• Browne & Co. Inc. is off 36% as the marketing communication company took a hit after reporting earnings. See (NYSE:BNE).  
•  Taleo down 29% ahead of the bell after filing notification with SEC for late filing of Q3 report. See (Nasdaq:TLEO).  
• Focus Media Q3 earnings trail Street; Q4 outlook weak. Shares are slumping 35% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:FMCN).  
• Sangamo Biosciences nerve drug fails a mid-stage trial, shares sink 60% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:SGMO).  

Small-cap stocks tumbled on the open, pulled down by spillover selling from a decline in overseas markets fueled by a weak tone in financial and commodity shares. At 10:00 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 11.42, or 2.32%, at 481.69.

Slumping energy and commodity values already took a toll on overseas equities heading toward this morning’s opening. Shares in emerging market countries that are heavily dependent on energy exports — such as Russia and Dubai — were down as much as 9% overnight. Around the world, stock were off 3% in Japan, Hong Kong was down 4.7%, China off 1.1%, Taiwan down 2.1%, Australia off 3.5%, Singapore down 4.1%, South Korea off 2.1% and India down a whopping 6.6%.

As for the crude oil, the market for black gold was down about $2 a barrel into the U.S. stock market opening and briefly printed below $60. Copper, which is considered a key economic indicator, slipped 3% in London and aluminum producer and Dow component Alcoa Inc. (NYSE:AA) said that they were slashing output in this difficult demand environment.

This morning’s soft tone on commodities certainly is a quick turnabout from Monday morning, when commodity markets were in rally mode in Asia and Europe. If you’re wondering why Monday’s “great news” rally out of Asia on China’s announcement to implement a $586 billion stimulus plan, Northern Trust’s James Pressler penned a great piece on the news, questioning how much of the plan was actually “new” stimulus and just how the money to pay for the plan would be raised.

“Given the vagaries of how much real spending was in yesterday’s announcement, we are hesitant to significantly modify China’s growth forecasts upward or downplay the many risks facing the country’s struggling export economy and encumbered financial system,” Pressler said in an email. “However, we do feel that the uncertainties regarding how China will pay this bill will haunt global markets. If Beijing simply issues 4 trillion (yuan) in debt to cover its tab, then the long-term impact would be a manageable domestic issue. However, if it considers liquidating any of its many U.S.-backed assets or no longer buying as much of our debt, this New Deal . . .

Sangamo Biosciences Inc. (Nasdaq:SGMO), DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS) and Bidz com Inc, (Nasdaq:BIDZ) are among the most actively traded companies in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO), Centennial Communications Corp. (Nasdaq:CYCL), Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF), Eagle Test Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLT), Crucell NV ADR (Nasdaq:CRXL) and Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Westport Innovations Inc. (Nasdaq:WPRT), Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. (Nasdaq:CRZO) and EnerNOC Inc. (Nasdaq:ENOC) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Energy Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq:ES), Bruker Corp. (Nasdaq:BRKR), Sykes Enterprises Inc. (Nasdaq:SYKE), Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO), Evergreen Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:ESLR) and SunPower (Nasdaq:SPWRB).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Shares of Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO) fell 8% Tuesday, reaching a new 52-week low, following an analyst’s downgrading of the company’s stock.

MKM Partners lowered its rating on the stock to “neutral” from “buy.”

By mid-morning, the Dublin, Calif.-based talent management software company is at $14.77, down $1.30 from Monday’s close, after dropping as low as $14.37 earlier in the day. The stock has ranged between $14.92 and $34.20 during the past 52 weeks.

For detailed price information and news stories on Taleo, click TLEO.

During its second quarter, Taleo Corporation (Nasdaq:TLEO) posted record revenues of $38.8 million, up 25% from a year ago, the company said after Thursday’s close. The news sent shares up 12% in today’s trading. Net income for the quarter ended June 30 was $1.1 million, or $0.04 per share, compared with a net loss of $1.75 million, or a loss of $0.07 per share, for the same period a year ago.

“Our results highlight both the growing demand for talent management solutions in large and small companies regardless of the economic environment,” said Michael Gregoire, chairman and CEO, in a statement. “I am also proud that we were able to perform at this level, while simultaneously working on closing our acquisition of Vurv. Taleo's ability to innovate and execute has helped enhance our leadership position.”

At 2:46 p.m. ET, shares of Dublin, Calif.-based Taleo are at $21.07, up $2.33 from Thursday’s close. Trading volume is more than three times the average number of shares.

Shares of Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO) are down despite news before the opening that technology offered by the talent management solutions company has been selected by Kindred Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:KND).

“Our goal with Taleo’s recruiting solution is to allow us to more quickly identify and move candidates through the recruiting and hiring process," said Wendy Swisher, Kindred’s VP of Human Resources and Leadership Development, in a statement.

At 1:38 p.m. ET, the stock had lost $0.85, or 4%, to $18.40.

The Russell 2000 (IWM) rose for the first time this week despite news that painted a bleak picture of the U.S. economy. The small-cap index added 10.29 points, or 1.49%, to 702.78. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) added 46.90 points, or 0.38%, to 12,247.00.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has shed 8.26%, while the Dow has let go 7.67% and the S&P 500 has left behind 8.95%.

Small-cap stocks went on a rollercoaster ride that started with a decline out of the gate as investors reacted to news that U.S. retail sales in January generally missed already low expectations.

That’s a worrying sign that consumers have pulled back and the economy is either headed for a recession or already in one.

Grabbing the headlines was Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), which announced that its January same-store sales increased a paltry 0.5%, below the forecasted 2%. If American consumers really are reining in their spending, the squeeze won’t be felt just by the world’s largest retailer.

“Smaller-cap retailers are definitely more volatile than their larger brethren, many times because they are focused on one particular niche,” said Eric Beder, a retail analyst with investment bank Brean Murray, Carret & Co., in an email.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) is gaining despite news of weak retail sales in January.

At 10:18 a.m. ET, the small-cap index had added 8.09 points, or 1.17%, to 700.58. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) was up 48.77 points, or 0.40%, to 12,248.87.

Retail sales in January largely missed already low expectations, indicating that consumers have pulled back and the economy is either headed for a recession or already in one.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the world’s largest retailer, announced that its January same-store sales increased just 0.5%, below the forecasted 2%. Worse, the Bentonville, Ark.-based giant said that consumers are using their gift card redemptions more for food and consumables than for discretionary items.

In other economic news, the U.S. Labor Department reported before the start of trading that initial jobless claims for the week ended Feb. 2 fell 22,000 to 356,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised figure of 378,000.

The numbers disappointed economists, who were expecting a bigger decline.

In the late 1990s, the tech world scoffed at the notion that corporate America would ever accept the concept of paying to download software from the Internet. But today, a growing number of small and medium-sized businesses are using on-demand software, or software-as-a-service (SaaS), for convenience and as an effective way to trim IT costs.

Market researcher IDC predicts that SaaS, which currently accounts for less than 2% of the global software market, will grow 25% annually and become a $14.5 billion industry by 2011. The popularity of on-demand software is growing so fast, in fact, that it is beginning to transform the business software industry. The rise of the SaaS delivery model has software giants Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: MSFT), Oracle Corporation (Nasdaq: ORCL) and SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) a little nervous; all are plowing billions into efforts to respond to the emerging SaaS threat.

The emergence of the on-demand software trend reflects companies' growing desire for less cumbersome and more economical means of using information technology (particularly, Web-based systems) to their advantage. For example, a new generation of Tech-savvy workers and global talent shortfalls have changed the face of human resources, which has become a hot segment for on-demand software specialists at a time when even a tiny company may have a tangled mess of disjointed IT.

San Francisco, Calif.-based Taleo Corporation (Nasdaq: TLEO) is a developer of on-demand software that helps companies manage their human resources operations. HR is an area that is often challenging for smaller companies with less manpower dedicated to the department and inefficient ad hoc systems — often based on Excel spreadsheets and emails. Taleo software, which is easy to install, manage and integrate with existing software, helps growing businesses bring their human-resources functions up to snuff by simplifying recruitment, screening and tracking chores. The company sells its software directly to customers and through HR outsourcers with which it has established partnerships.

Small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly turning to on-demand software downloaded from the Internet as an effective way to reduce IT spending; Salary.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLRY) and Taleo Corporation (Nasdaq: TLEO) are two leading providers that are reaping the benefits of the growing software need.

Gartner, a research firm, expects sales of on-demand software to grow to $11.5 billion by 2011 from $5.1 billion this year. That growth outlook is three to four times higher than projections for conventional business software. The advantages of on-demand software are that it is relatively inexpensive to implement and easily integrated with packaged software already in place. On-demand software is widely deployed in payroll, merchant services, human resources and customer relationship management applications.

Salary.com provides on-demand compensation software that helps small businesses manage payroll and reduce employee turnover while avoiding significant investments in hardware and IT staffing.

Salary.com software is integrated with a proprietary compensation database that lists market pricing for over 3,000 positions across numerous industries.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: VNDA), Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRMP) and Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: SWHC) are among the most actively traded companies in Friday pre-market trading among those with market capitalizations under $750 million:

Acorda Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) announced it is beginning the third clinical trial phase of its multiple sclerosis drug Fampridine-SR.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ACAD) received a bullish mention from MSNBC pundit Jim Cramer Tuesday night.

Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq: TLEO) announced an offering of about 3.1 million shares of common stock priced at $19.85 per share.

After Tuesday’s closing bell, Volterra Semiconductor Corp. (Nasdaq: VLTR) warned second quarter sales are going to be between $18.5 million and $19.5 million, which is lower than its previous guidance.

Neurochem Inc. (Nasdaq: NRMX) announced it obtained written consent from shareholders for the private placement of $80 million in notes.

The following are the most actively traded companies in Wednesday pre-market trading among those with market capitalizations under $500 million: