Tag - Atac

Park-Ohio Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq:PKOH), Keynote Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:KEYN) and ATC Technology Corp. (Nasdaq:ATAC) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: WellCare Health Plans Inc. (Nasdaq:WCG), Stratasys Inc. (Nasdaq:SSYS), Arctic Cat Inc. (Nasdaq:ACAT), ViroPharma Inc. (Nasdaq:VPHM), Wintrust Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:WTFC) and Given Imaging Ltd. (Nasdaq:GIVN).

Encore Capital Group Inc. (Nasdaq:ECPG), SAVVIS Inc. (Nasdaq:SVVS) and ATC Technology Corp. (Nasdaq:ATAC) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Complete Production Services Inc. (Nasdaq:CPX), Medifast Inc. (Nasdaq:MED), Tecumseh Products Co. (Nasdaq:TECUA), W Holding Co Inc. (Nasdaq:WHI), B&G Foods Inc. (Nasdaq:BGS) and Phase Forward Inc. (Nasdaq:PFWD).

Methanex Corp. (Nasdaq:MEOH), Mercantile Bancorp  (Nasdaq:MBR) and Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq:LVB) are among the new 52-week lows in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: ATC Technology Corp. (Nasdaq:ATAC), MainSource Financial Group Inc. (Nasdaq:MSFG), First Busey Corp. (Nasdaq:BUSE), Ashland Inc. (Nasdaq:ASH), MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. (Nasdaq:MOFG) and Abington Bancorp Inc (Nasdaq:ABBC).

Small-cap stocks started out the final week of this year’s trading on a somber note, as familiar worries about the economy, spending and the credit crisis sparked selling from a holiday-reduced pool of investors. A decline in financial, retail and homebuilder shares was more than enough to cancel out gains for commodity stocks, especially since much of the rise in commodities was fueled by safe-haven and risk bid flows—and not by improved fundamentals. Today's small-cap percentage gainers are Linn Energy LLC (Nasdaq:LINE), Northwest Pipe Co. (Nasdaq:NWPX), and BPZ Resources (NYSE:BPZ).

Other Market Watch highlights included:

•    Yields on six-month bills were going for about 5% back in August 2007; today’s high yield was 0.25%.  
•    The Treasury auctioned off $27 billion in six-month bills Monday, and the result was the lowest yield in history on auctions that date back to the 1930s.  
•    Much of the rise in commodities was fueled by safe-haven and risk bid flows—and not by improved fundamentals.  
•    A decline in financial, retail and homebuilder shares was more than enough to cancel out gains for commodity stocks.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Linn Energy LLC gapped higher and was showing a gain of 19% after a bullish article in Barron’s. See (Nasdaq:LINE).
• Northwest Pipe Co., which makes welded steel pipes, was up 13.2% to $37.65. See (Nasdaq:NWPX).  
• Flow-measurement product maker Badger Meter up 11% to $33.64. See (NYSE:BMI)
• BPZ Resources, formerly known as BPZ Energy, up 10.5% to $5.39 after announcing increases in oil reserves at the Corvina Field. See (NYSE:BPZ)  


Small Cap Losers:

• Among today's other 52-wk lows: Skilled Healthcare Group, Minerals Technologies Inc. and Dionex Corp. See (NYSE:SKH, NYSE:MTX, and Nasdaq:DNEX)
• Real estate investment trust Macerich Company down 15% to $17.23. See (NYSE:MAC).   
• Riverbed Technology, Inc. down 13% to $9.93 after Wedbush Morgan downgrade to "Hold" from "Buy" See(Nasdaq:RVBD)  
• ATC Technology Corp., a vehicle remanufacturing and logistics company, hit a new year-low of $12.37. See (Nasdaq:ATAC) 

Hampton Roads Bankshares Inc. (Nasdaq:HMPR), ATC Technology Corp. (Nasdaq:ATAC) and Central Valley Community Bancorp (Nasdaq:CVCY) are among the new 52-week lows in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Encore Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq:EBTX), DG FastChannel Inc. (Nasdaq:DGIT), Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:ALDN), Northrim BanCorp Inc. (Nasdaq:NRIM), Medtox Scientific Inc. (Nasdaq:MTOX) and Quidel Corp. (Nasdaq:QDEL).

Ocean Power Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:OPTT), Cabela's Inc. (Nasdaq:CAB) and Global Sources Ltd. (Nasdaq:GSOL) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Consolidated Water Co Ltd (Nasdaq:CWCO), Cougar Biotechnology Inc (Nasdaq:CGRB), Methode Electronics Inc (Nasdaq:MEI), Cascade Bancorp (Nasdaq:CACB), ATC Technology Corp (Nasdaq:ATAC) and Agree Realty Corp (Nasdaq:ADC).

Small-cap stocks extended the morning slide into midday action, with losses in financial, homebuilder, technology and retail stocks more than offsetting gains in energy and mining shares. Today's small-cap percentage gainers are Linn Energy LLC (Nasdaq:LINE), Northwest Pipe Co. (Nasdaq:NWPX), and Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI).

Other Market Watch highlights included:

• Although today’s slide in small caps looks ugly from a performance standpoint, it really does very little to alter a relatively tame, sideways chart structure.  
• Technology shares failed to gain traction, even though tech stocks were decent performers overnight in Asia on a burst of M&A activity.  
• Ongoing concerns about the economy and credit crunch weighed on financial and bank stocks, with small banks and financial firms dominating the list of percentage losers.  
• Losses in financial, homebuilder, technology and retail stocks were more than offsetting gains in energy and mining shares. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Linn Energy LLC gapped higher and was showing a gain of 19% after a bullish article in Barron’s. See (Nasdaq:LINE).
• Northwest Pipe Co., which makes welded steel pipes, was up 13.2% to $37.65. See (Nasdaq:NWPX).  
• Flow-measurement product maker Badger Meter up 11% to $33.64. See (NYSE:BMI)
• BPZ Resources, formerly known as BPZ Energy, up 10.5% to $5.39 after announcing increases in oil reserves at the Corvina Field. See (NYSE:BPZ)  

Small Cap Losers:

• Among today's other 52-wk lows: Skilled Healthcare Group, Minerals Technologies Inc. and Dionex Corp. See (NYSE:SKH, NYSE:MTX, and Nasdaq:DNEX)
• Real estate investment trust Macerich Company down 15% to $17.23. See (NYSE:MAC).   
• Riverbed Technology, Inc. down 13% to $9.93 after Wedbush Morgan downgrade to "Hold" from "Buy" See(Nasdaq:RVBD)  
• ATC Technology Corp., a vehicle remanufacturing and logistics company, hit a new year-low of $12.37. See (Nasdaq:ATAC) 

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) posted a big rise following news of a surprising increase in U.S. retail sales in January. The small-cap index gained 16.45 points, or 2.33%, to 721.93, its third consecutive increase. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) advanced 178.83 points, or 1.45%, to 12,552.24.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has dropped 5.76%, while the Dow is missing 5.37% and the S&P 500 has fallen 6.89%.

Stocks small and large opened with a jump on news that retail sales rose 0.3% to $382.9 billion in January, according to the U.S. Commerce Department reported. The results beat economists’ forecast of a 0.2% decline and represent an improvement over December’s 0.4% drop.

Sales excluding autos also increased 0.3%, more than the projected 0.2%. Sales excluding gasoline rose just 0.1%.

The data put investors in a bullish mood, easing fears that a pullback in consumption that will send the economy into recession. Consumer spending is about 70% of U.S. gross domestic product.

But Arun Raha, vice president of Economic Research and Consulting for the North American operations of reinsurance company Swiss Re, cautions against reading too much into the data.

“While this was definitely better than another decline, it is not enough to ease fears that the economy remains weak, and that consumer spending is softening,” Raha said in a phone interview.

The numbers show that much of the gains were due to higher sales of cars and gasoline, while sales of many other goods declined.

A separate report by the Commerce Department showed that business inventories climbed by a greater-than-expected 0.6% in December, while business sales fell 0.5%.

That’s a sign of a weakening economy.

“The risk of recession in the 12 months remains elevated at around 55%,” Raha said.

The bulls nevertheless went on a rampage today, gaining strength as the session went on and making the Russell 2000 the biggest winner among the major U.S. indices.

Here are the day’s biggest percentage gainers and losers, along with top volume leaders, among companies with a market cap between $100 million and $750 million:

Aftermarket Technology Corp. (Nasdaq: ATAC) CEO Don Johnson said during a midday conference call that the provider of outsourced engineering solutions expects additional business contracts during the remainder of the year.

Before the opening, Aftermarket Technology raised its fiscal 2007 earnings guidance to a range of $1.75 to $1.80 per share, from a previous range of $1.55 to $1.70 per share. The new guidance is the second time the company has raised earnings projections this year.

CFO Todd Peters said drivers of the raised guidance include the successful launch and ramp-up of new business wins, meeting target cost levels for product and market developments and continued strong order volume in the firm’s logistics segment.

Johnson said the raised guidance shows a positive business direction.

“This improvement is evidence that our efforts to drive growth, revenue and earnings by executing on the fundamentals and by balancing our short and long-term investments continue to pay off for the company,” Johnson said.

Aftermarket Technology’s logistics segment has opportunities that exceed $146 million in high tech, broadband, automotive and wireless segments, Johnson said. The firm’s logistics business has $57 million in annual new business signed, he said, and most of the business is in the high tech market.

For the company’s vehicle remanufacturing segment, dubbed Drivetrain, Johnson said growth opportunities exceed $158 million. The company has $1 million in annual new business signed, he said.

He also said Aftermarket and Honda Motor Co. (NYSE: HMC) agreed on a customer payment program during the third quarter.

“We have come to an agreement to ramp up the program over the next few quarters,” the chief executive said.

In midday trading, ATAC shares are up 9.35%, or $2.88, at $33.67. Over the last 52 weeks, shares have ranged from $17.51 to $34.66.