Tag - Amed

Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq:AMED), Osiris Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIR) and Green Bankshares Inc. (Nasdaq:GRNB) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Chardan 2008 China Acquisition Units (Nasdaq:CACAU), Financial Institutions Inc. (Nasdaq:FISI), Evercore Partners Inc. (Nasdaq:EVR), Broadwind Energy Inc. (Nasdaq:BWEN), CSS Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:CSS) and Santander Bancorp (Nasdaq:SBP).

Allos Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:ALTH), Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq:AMED) and Novavax Inc. (Nasdaq:NVAX) are among the most actively traded companies in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Vical Inc. (Nasdaq:VICL), China Natural Gas Inc. (Nasdaq:CHNG), Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:SPPI), Sequenom Inc. (Nasdaq:SQNM), Century Aluminum Co. (Nasdaq:CENX) and Sanmina-SCI Corp. (Nasdaq:SANMD).

Zion Oil and Gas Inc. (Nasdaq:ZN), Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:OPTR) and Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq:AMED) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: American Italian Pasta Co. (Nasdaq:AIPC), Answers Corp. (Nasdaq:ANSW), Cepheid (Nasdaq:CPHD), American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. (Nasdaq:AEL), Tredegar Corp. (Nasdaq:TG) and Sport Supply Group Inc. (Nasdaq:RBI).

General Steel Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:GSI), Kronos Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq:KRO) and Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq:AMED) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Victory Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq:VRY), Thompson Creek Metals Co Inc. (Nasdaq:TC), Meridian Bioscience Inc. (Nasdaq:VIVO), Perry Ellis International Inc. (Nasdaq:PERY), America Service Group Inc. (Nasdaq:ASGR) and TeleCommunication Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:TSYS).

Stocks are expected to open lower today on worries that the government's stimulus won't be the quick fix investors had hoped for to cure the ailing economy.

President Obama is scheduled to sign the $787 billion stimulus bill into law today, and is set to to detail a plan on Wednesday to help stem mortgage foreclosures. By the way that stocks are selling off ahead of the opening, it seems investors have already priced the Obama news into the market and are looking for steadier direction. The Dow average futures fell 1.83% in pre-market, while the S&P's 500 index futures tumbled 2.09% and Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 2.36%.

Also in the news this morning is a proposal being hammered out between General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM) and Chrysler LLC to submit to the Obama administration by Tuesday to illustrate the two battered automakers can return to profit. The proposal aims to cut jobs and pare brands, among other things, in hopes of securing billions of dollars in additional federal aid that the companies say they will pay back. General Motors is asking for another $4 billion on top of the $9 billion it has already received, while Chrysler wants another $3 billion on top of the already borrowed $4 billion.

The markets closed out a losing week on Friday, where Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's stimulus comments on Tuesday and the legislative voting on the bank bailout plan did little to squelch negative investor sentiment. On Friday the Dow closed at 7,850.41, its lowest close since Nov. 20, when the index settled at . . .

Small-cap stocks turned in their best performance of the New Year today, as investors decided that a dreary picture of the current economic environment would simply make it that much easier for incoming President-elect Obama to push through a big fiscal stimulus package. Some of today’s small-cap gainers are Michael Baker Corporation (NYSE:BKR), Repros Therapeutics (Nasdaq:RPRX) and China Sky One Medical (Nasdaq:CSKI).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Advancers are leading decliners on the Russell 2000 by more than three to one.
• Worst performers: food retailers, brewers, chemical companies, finance firms, biotechs and footwear firms.  
• Homebuilder, energy and retailer stocks were solid performers so far today, and surprisingly, airline stocks were doing well despite a rise to five-week highs in crude oil prices.  
• Small-cap stocks remained higher into midday trading.  

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Worst performers: food retailers, brewers, chemical companies, finance firms, biotechs and footwear firms.  
• Homebuilder, energy and retailer stocks were solid performers so far today, and surprisingly, airline stocks were doing well despite a rise to five-week highs in crude oil prices.  
• Small-cap stocks remained higher into midday trading.  
• Advancers are leading decliners on the Russell 2000 by 1,402 to 372. 
 

Small Cap Gainers:

• New 52-wk highs: Michael Baker Corporation, Repros Therapeutics, China Sky One Medical, Transmeta Corporation and Amerisafe, Inc. (See NYSE:BKR, Nasdaq:RPRX, Nasdaq:CSKI, Nasdaq:TMTA, Nasdaq:AMSF)  
• Home-nursing company Amedisys Inc. is up 16.4% to $46.93 after issuing FY09 guidance above concensus. (See Nasdaq:AMED)  

Small Cap Losers:

• LSI Industries is down 14% to $6.03 after lowering FY09 earnings and sales guidance below consensus. (See Nasdaq:LYTS)  
• VASCO Data Security International Inc. is 12% lower at $9.10 in pre-market trading after issuing downward guidance for FY2008. (See Nasdaq:VDSI) 
• Vignette Corporation is down 8.8% to $8.24 after issuing preliminary Q4 2008 results late Monday. (See Nasdaq:VIGN) 

Small-cap stocks remained higher into midday trading, surviving a choppy response to economic data this morning that served up better-than-expected numbers on services sector activity, but slumping factory orders and sinking pending home sales. Some of today’s small-cap gainers are Michael Baker Corporation (NYSE:BKR), Repros Therapeutics (Nasdaq:RPRX) and China Sky One Medical (Nasdaq:CSKI).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Worst performers: food retailers, brewers, chemical companies, finance firms, biotechs and footwear firms.  
• Homebuilder, energy and retailer stocks were solid performers so far today, and surprisingly, airline stocks were doing well despite a rise to five-week highs in crude oil prices.  
• Small-cap stocks remained higher into midday trading.  
• Advancers are leading decliners on the Russell 2000 by 1,402 to 372. 
 

Small Cap Gainers:

• New 52-wk highs: Michael Baker Corporation, Repros Therapeutics, China Sky One Medical, Transmeta Corporation and Amerisafe, Inc. (See NYSE:BKR, Nasdaq:RPRX, Nasdaq:CSKI, Nasdaq:TMTA, Nasdaq:AMSF)  
• Home-nursing company Amedisys Inc. is up 16.4% to $46.93 after issuing FY09 guidance above concensus. (See Nasdaq:AMED)  

Small Cap Losers:

• LSI Industries is down 14% to $6.03 after lowering FY09 earnings and sales guidance below consensus. (See Nasdaq:LYTS)  
• VASCO Data Security International Inc. is 12% lower at $9.10 in pre-market trading after issuing downward guidance for FY2008. (See Nasdaq:VDSI) 
• Vignette Corporation is down 8.8% to $8.24 after issuing preliminary Q4 2008 results late Monday. (See Nasdaq:VIGN)  

Small-cap stocks pulled higher this morning and remained in positive ground after a mixed batch of economic reports buffeted the market. A firm tone in energy stocks, momentum from overseas gains and optimism about upcoming stimulus plans provided a lift. Some of today’s small-cap gainers are Michael Baker Corporation (NYSE:BKR), Repros Therapeutics (Nasdaq:RPRX) and China Sky One Medical (Nasdaq:CSKI).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Advancers are leading decliners on the Russell 2000 by 1,402 to 372.  
• Looking at the chart picture for small-caps, the market remains in an upward consolidation mode.  
• Pending home sales were also sour, sinking 4.0% versus the consensus for a decline of 1.0%.  
• Factory orders tumbled 4.6%, much worse than the projection for a decline of 2.5%.  
• The ISM Non-Manufacturing Survey came in at 40.6, which was better than the forecast of 37.0 and a nice bounce off record lows from the previous reading.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• New 52-wk highs: Michael Baker Corporation, Repros Therapeutics, China Sky One Medical, Transmeta Corporation and Amerisafe, Inc. (See NYSE:BKR, Nasdaq:RPRX, Nasdaq:CSKI, Nasdaq:TMTA, Nasdaq:AMSF)  
• Home-nursing company Amedisys Inc. is up 16.4% to $46.93 after issuing FY09 guidance above concensus. (See Nasdaq:AMED)  

Small Cap Losers:

• LSI Industries is down 14% to $6.03 after lowering FY09 earnings and sales guidance below consensus. (See Nasdaq:LYTS)  
• VASCO Data Security International Inc. is 12% lower at $9.10 in pre-market trading after issuing downward guidance for FY2008. (See Nasdaq:VDSI) 
• Vignette Corporation is down 8.8% to $8.24 after issuing preliminary Q4 2008 results late Monday. (See Nasdaq:VIGN)  

Hiland Partners LP (Nasdaq:HLND), Atlas America Inc (Nasdaq:ATLS) and Apollo Investment Corp (Nasdaq:AINV) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Amedisys Inc (Nasdaq:AMED), Tesco Corp (Nasdaq:TESO), National Western Life Insurance Co (Nasdaq:NWLI), Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd (Nasdaq:GNK), Regency Energy Partners LP (Nasdaq:RGNC) and Brady Corp (Nasdaq:BRC).

In a sick stock market, health-care companies often will outperform those in other sectors. For the past year, Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq:AMED) has proven the right medicine to chase away at least some investor blues.

Shares of the Baton Rouge, La.-based provider of home-health-care services have risen about 47% in the past year, and of the analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, eight of 13 have Amedisys at either “strong buy” or “buy,” with five at “hold.”

After bottoming out Oct. 9 at $43.51, Amedisys rebounded along with the overall market on Oct. 13, climbing 15% to $51.48. Amedisys closed Monday at $53.86.

With some 80 million baby boomers approaching senior citizen status, companies such as Amedisys expect to see booming demand for their services in the coming decades. The “silver tsunami” could push Medicare beneficiariesto 79 million by 2030 from 39 million in 2000. Last year, Amedisys derived 89% of its revenue from Medicare. The typical Amedisys home-health patient is Medicare-eligible and 80 to 84 years old, with many afflicted by several serious maladies.

Founded by chairman and CEO William Borne in 1982, as of Dec. 31 Amedisys had 325 home-health agencies, 29 hospice agencies and managed a half-dozen others  — all Medicare certified — in 30 states.

For 2007, revenue climbed 29% to $698 million, with net income of $13.1 million, a 70% improvement over 2006. During 2007, Amedisys completed . . .

Amedisys provides at-home health services to Medicare beneficiaries recovering from surgery and/or are living with a disability or illness.

Amedisys provides at-home health services to Medicare beneficiaries recovering from surgery and/or are living with a disability or illness.

Health care spending is rising at the fastest rate in U.S. history. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, U.S. health care spending reached $2 trillion in 2005, or $6,700 per person, and is expected to reach $4 trillion in 2015, representing 20% of GDP. Employer health insurance premiums increased 7.7% last year - twice the rate of inflation. Annual premiums for an employer health plan covering a family of four currently average around $11,500. Employment-based health insurance premiums have risen 87% since 2000, compared to cumulative inflation of 18% and wage growth of 20%. Experts agree the current health care system is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive administrative expense, inflated prices and poor management.

Hospital care costs are expected to exceed $1.2 trillion by 2016, versus 2006 costs estimated at $651.8 billion. Growth in hospital spending was 6.6% last year. The fastest-growing health care segment is home health care, which is estimated to have represented 12.5% of total spending, or $53.4 billion in 2006. Demand for home-based care services is rising in response to payer incentives, which favor home-based care over hospitalization, patient preferences and technology advances that allow many chronic conditions to be treated at home. Demand for home health care is expected to grow faster than the overall market because of an aging U.S. population and an increasing prevalence of chronic and co-morbid conditions treatable at home. 

The home health market is fragmented, consisting of some 8,500 providers. Most are local or regional independently-owned agencies, visiting nurse associations or hospital-affiliated agencies. Medicare is the largest home health payer, spending $16.4 billion on home health care services last year. Spending is forecast to increase to $27.3 billion by 2010, according to Medicare actuaries.

Two small-cap companies positioned to benefit from health care trends favoring managed care and home-based services are Matria Healthcare Inc. (Nasdaq: MATR) and Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED).