Tag - Acf

Brown Shoe Company Inc. (Nasdaq:BWS), TF Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:THRD) and OYO Geospace Corp. (Nasdaq:OYOG) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Gladstone Commerical (Nasdaq:GOOD), RadiSys Corp. (Nasdaq:RSYS), Vivus Inc. (Nasdaq:VVUS), Century Aluminum Co. (Nasdaq:CENX), Hiland Partners LP (Nasdaq:HLND) and AmeriCredit Corp. (Nasdaq:ACF).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Small-cap stocks remained higher into midday as investors looked beyond an awful reading on employment to snatch up bargains into the weekend. Gains for commodity stocks and drugs shares helped offset weakness in financials. Today’s small-cap gainers are Luminex Corporation (Nasdaq:LMNX), Emergent BioSolutions (NYSE:EBS) and World Fuel Services (NYSE:INT).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund was up 2.9% at midday, outperforming the broad market indices.  
• Today holds an afternoon press conference by President-elect Obama, who is huddled with economic leaders in Chicago.  
• Financial shares were limping along today and automakers were in full retreat mode.  
• Small-cap stocks remained higher into midday as investors looked beyond an awful reading on employment to snatch up bargains into the weekend.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• Luminex Corporation rallied 24% as the genetic analysis firm also received a lift from earnings news. See (Nasdaq:LMNX).  
• Emergent BioSolutions Q3 profit rises; revises FY08 earnings. Shares climb 18%. See (NYSE:EBS).
• World Fuel Services up 18% as Q3 profit soars on higher revenues. See (NYSE:INT). 
• AmeriCredit announces extension of offer to repurchase 1.75% convertible senior notes due 2023. Shares up 15%. See (NYSE:ACF).  
• Mirant 3Q earnings double on hedging gains, shares up 5%. See (NYSE:MIR).  


Small Cap Losers:

• RHI Entertainment Inc. slumped 27% as the made-for-television entertainment company released earnings results. See (RHIE).
• Talbots to sell J. Jill, pulls outlook; stock down over 20%. See (TLB).  
• Syniverse Holdings down 13% today following a downgrade by Robert W. Baird earlier this week. See (SVR).  
• Bio-Rad's Q3 revenues climb 30%, charges related to DiaMed acquisition cut into the firm’s profit for the quarter. Shares slump 11%. See (BIO).  

Even though the market is still hammered for the year, today’s rally was a significant rise for the stock market, small caps included. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) rallied 7.6% for the second-largest one-day gain of the year. Today’s small-cap gainers are Dineequity (Nasdaq:DIN), Synutra International (Nasdaq:SYUT) and Quest Energy Partners (Nasdaq:QELP).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Conference Board reported today that consumer confidence plunged to 41-year lows. With two-thirds of the U.S. economy driven by consumer spending, a retrenched mood into peak holiday season purchasing activity is a troubling sign.
• Some of the renewed faith in the market on Tuesday could very well be tied to optimism ahead of the Federal Reserve’s announcement on interest rates Wednesday afternoon. 
• Inter-bank rates slipped again overnight for the twelfth straight trading day, which many hope is a sign that things are getting better in the ongoing credit crisis.
• The only areas of pronounced weakness today were household appliances, building products, health care facilities and homebuilders.
• Energy stocks were a clear source of strength for the stock market today, with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund jumping some 9%. 
• Despite the rise in energy shares, crude oil prices were skittish to join the buying party and closed down about $0.50 a barrel. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Dineequity Inc. soared some 81% and has now charged some 192% off the lows from Monday. See (NYSE:DIN). 
• Synutra International, Inc. closed up 51% on light volume. See (Nasdaq:SYUT). 
• Quest Energy Partners declares cash distribution for Q3 2008. Stock price closed up 27.5%. See (Nasdaq:QELP). 
• Shares of ARM Holdings closed up 29% after the tech company reported . . .

Small-cap stocks turned lower by mid-morning, unable to sustain the opening drive higher against bearish headwinds stirred by glum consumer confidence readings. At 12:35 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 3.35, or 0.75%, at 445.05 as the market slipped to fresh five-year-plus lows once again today.

As we’ve seen in recent weeks, small caps were bruised relative to large-cap products, with the Dow and S&P 500 still in positive territory despite the stunning downturn on consumer confidence readings. The Conference Board’s monthly consumer confidence index tumbled to the lowest level since the survey began back in 1967, sinking to 38.0, well below the forecast of 52.

The dive in confidence was enough to stem an early buying tide in small caps and investors continue to move along with a “bigger is better” mentality on equity investments. Still, the dive in confidence clearly had an impact on large caps as well, which were well off the morning highs.

On the opening, a push higher in Asia and Europe overnight sparked enthusiasm for equities, a sentiment furthered along by a dip in inter-bank lending rates and a firm tone for technology and energy shares. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund was up nearly 5% at mid-session, providing a significant upside element for large caps that spilled into small caps on a much smaller degree.

It was interesting to see that the Russell stalled this morning just shy of logical short-term resistance at 462 instead of jumping above that point on the open. If the market can mount an afternoon rally through 462, then the next resistance points of note are at 474 and 481. On the downside, persistent price action below 450 is truly troubling and there are no noteworthy support points until the Russell gets . . .