Tag - Cwtr

Westwood One Inc (Nasdaq:WWON), Coldwater Creek Inc (Nasdaq:CWTR), Divx Inc (Nasdaq:DIVX) and Nacco Industries (Nasdaq:NC) are among the biggest percentage Gainers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.
 
Also included among the results:  Belm Microproducts Inc (Nasdaq:BELM), Pacer International Inc (Nasdaq:PACR), China Security & Surveillance Technology Inc (Nasdaq:CSR), Taker Two Interactive Software (Nasdaq:TTWO) and Zumiez Inc (Nasdaq:ZUMZ).

Geron Corp. (Nasdaq:GERN), Amicus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:FOLD) and Epoch Holding Corp. (Nasdaq:EPHC) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: IncrediMail Ltd. (Nasdaq:MAIL), Heritage Crystal Clean Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI), LSI Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:LYTS), Coldwater Creek Inc. (Nasdaq:CWTR), O'Charley's Inc. (Nasdaq:CHUX) and XenoPort Inc. (Nasdaq:XNPT).

Small-cap stocks extended the morning rally into midday action, boosted by gains in commodity and financial stocks and some relief that the end was in sight for the political uncertainty surrounding elections in the United States. Today’s small-cap gainers are Safe Bulkers Inc. (NYSE:SB), Carrizo Oil and Gas Inc. (Nasdaq:CRZO) and Silver Standard Resources Inc. (Nasdaq:SSRI).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Big commodity gainers today are gold, copper and corn,
• Commodity stocks in general were lifted today by a sizable drop in the U.S. dollar, which tumbled some 2.8% against the euro, making goods priced in dollars more attractive.
•  The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund was up 6% and crude oil prices shot 8% higher on reports that Saudi Arabia slashed output.  
• Commodity shares were on a roll today, with agriculture products, metal and mining stacks, coal and gold all seeing sizable gains.  
• Although the market initially pulled back on the dreary factory orders report, the rally quickly resumed and stretched out through mid-session.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• Safe Bulkers Inc. continued to be a hot stock as the marine transporter jumped 31% after being one of the biggest small-cap movers on Monday. See (NYSE:SB).  
• Carrizo Oil and Gas Inc. rallied 22% on news of a joint venture to pursue growth in Marcellus Shale. See (Nasdaq:CRZO).  
• Silver Standard Resources Inc. jumped 21% along with the resurgence in commodities. See (Nasdaq:SSRI).  
• Bruker Corp. is up 16% after reporting Q3 results on Monday. See (Nasdaq:BRKR).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Animal Health International Inc. gapped lower and tumbled 57% on unusually heavy volume amid earnings news. See (Nasdaq:ANII).  
• Kenexa Corp. down 28% as the employment search firm reported earnings, CEO says that the “business environment deteriorated” toward end of quarter with difficult economic climate. See (Nasdaq:KNXA).  
• Herbalife tops with Q3 EPS but misses with sales and guides below Street; shares down 16% in pre-market. See (NYSE:HLF).  
• Coldwater Creek falls 6% in after hours. Expects Q3 loss, pulls Q4 guidance. See (Nasdaq:CWTR).

Small-cap stocks pushed higher on the opening, but gains were short of expectations built on pre-market futures activity. Support was tied to further declines in lending rates and advances in overseas equities, but the focus today was clearly on the elections underway in the United States. Today’s small-cap gainers are Safe Bulkers Inc. (NYSE:SB), Bruker Corp. (Nasdaq:BRKR) and ReneSola (Nasdaq:SOLA).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• With a little more than 70% of the S&P 500 reporting results so far, profits have been down about 10%, which is slightly below expectations.
• Bank stocks were strong performers in Europe thanks to the lower lending rates, and U.S. banks were also in rally mode this morning.   Nov 04, 2008 10:07am
• Libor rates are now down more than 2% from the peak seen in the credit crisis when banks were so mistrustful that they weren’t even lending to each other.  
• On the inter-bank lending front, three-month Libor rates tumbled to a five-month low and are now below the levels in place before the stock market collapse in September.  
• The factory orders report came out at minus 2.5%, which was below the forecast for a decline of 1.5%. Market noticeably trimmed gains afterward.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• Safe Bulkers Inc. continued to be a hot stock as the marine transporter jumped 31% after being one of the biggest small-cap movers on Monday. See (NYSE:SB).  
• Bruker Corp. is up 16% after reporting Q3 results on Monday. See (Nasdaq:BRKR).  
• ReneSola updates production capacity plans, shares trading 8.5% higher on unusual volume. See (Nasdaq:SOLA).  
• Simcere Pharmaceutical Group up 10% on light volume. See (NYSE:SCR).

Small Cap Losers:

• Kenexa Corp. down 28% as the employment search firm reported earnings, CEO says that the “business environment deteriorated” toward end of quarter with difficult economic climate. See (Nasdaq:KNXA).
• Herbalife tops with Q3 EPS but misses with sales and guides below Street; shares down 16% in pre-market. See (NYSE:HLF).  
• EDF unit completes Eagle Energy Partners acquisition; shares of Energy Partners careen 15%. See (NYSE:EPL).
• Coldwater Creek falls 6% in after hours. Expects Q3 loss, pulls Q4 guidance. See (Nasdaq:CWTR).  

Women’s apparel retailer Coldwater Creek Inc. (Nasdaq:CWTR) is up more than 16% today after announcing after the close Monday it was lifting its second-quarter and full-year outlooks. For the 2008 fiscal second quarter, Coldwater raised its sales guidance to a range of $235 million to $240 million, up from previous estimates of $215 million to $239 million. Earnings per share are expected to be between break even and $0.02, compared with prior estimates of a net loss of $0.09 to $0.03 a share.

For the full year, the Sandpoint, Idaho-based company said it expects sales of $1,105 million to $1,151 million, up from previous estimates of $1,085 million to $1,150 million.

“We continue to focus on the aspects of the business within our control and remain committed to returning the company to sustainable and profitable growth and ensuring that our product and experience exceeds the Coldwater Creek customer's expectations,” said Daniel Griesemer, president and CEO, in a statement.

In today's trading, shares of Coldwater are at $5.74, up $0.80 from Monday's close.

Edge Petroleum Corp (Nasdaq:EPEX), CSG Systems International Inc (Nasdaq:CSGS) and Coldwater Creek Inc (Nasdaq:CWTR) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: FCStone Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCSX), Dycom Industries Inc (Nasdaq:DY), United Community Banks Inc (Nasdaq:UCBI), City Bank (Nasdaq:CTBK), Ardea Biosciences Inc (Nasdaq:RDEA) and Apex Silver Mines Ltd (Nasdaq:SIL).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Small-cap stocks pushed higher on the opening, lifted by another slide in crude oil prices overnight, and by a pleasant upward surprise on durable goods data ahead of the opening. At 9:52 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 0.72, or 0.11%, at 735.11.

Crude oil prices have now tumbled more than 5% off last week’s record highs, and were pressured overnight by news that Saudi Arabia would increase production and that Asian demand could begin to ebb because of high price levels. In general, the commodity story was under pressure early today, with gold sinking about 2% and grains prices expected to tumble this morning.

There was some thought that traders might be unwinding some of the long crude oil/short dollar trades that have been so popular in recent months. The greenback was on a bid this morning, climbing 0.3% against the euro, and about 0.7% versus the yen. In general, a strong dollar at this stage of the economic cycle is seen as supportive to equities, reflecting investment flow demand and softening food and energy prices, which would bolster consumer purchasing power.

Back to the durable goods report, the headline figure came in down 0.5%, which was better than the forecast for a slide of 1%, but the real surprise was on the ex-transportation figure, which was up 2.5%, well clear of the median expectation for a gain of 0.5%. The MBA Mortgage Application survey also came out this morning, and reflected slack demand, with the index down 4.6% and the purchase index off 17.4%. This is a volatile data base and appeared to be overshadowed by the durables surprise. The economic data push for today is now out of the way; later . . .

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) is sinking into negative territory, posting losses steeper than those of the other major U.S. indices. At 2:13 p.m. ET, the small-cap index was down 4.95 points, or 0.71%, to 687.44. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had declined 22.88 points, or 0.19%, to 12,279.58.

For no apparent reason, small caps slipped below the flat line after 12 p.m. ET, and briefly attempted to recover before settling on a steeply downward trajectory at about 1:30 p.m. ET.

Shares of companies offering school services are the worst performing industry group, followed by retailers.

Among the losers is Charles Town, W.Va.-based American Public Education, Inc. (Nasdaq:APEI), which provides online postsecondary education to . . .

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the other major U.S. indices are posting significant declines less than an hour before the close. At 3:15 p.m. ET, the small-cap index was down 16.67 points, or 2.44%, to 667.07. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had retreated 178.29 points, or 1.45%, to 12,076.70.

The bears are running the show on news that residential mortgage lender Thornburg Mortgage Inc. (NYSE: TMA) and investment company Carlyle Capital Corp. Ltd., which has made residential mortgage-backed securities, have failed to meet margins calls.

A “margin call” is when banks call in their loans to investors, who are in turn forced to sell off assets to raise cash, leading to a reduction in the price of those assets and more margin calls and losses.

The subprime mortgage sector started to implode after U.S. home prices began declining in the second half of 2006.

Shares of Coldwater Creek Inc. (Nasdaq: CWTR) are lower today following the women’s retailer’s release after Wednesday’s close that it slipped to a fourth-quarter loss and issued 2008 guidance below analysts’ expectations.

The small-cap retailer attributed its fourth-quarter results to a decline in comparable retail traffic as well as a lower average price per transaction due to clearance sales.

For the three months ended Feb. 2, 2008, the Sandpoint, Idaho-based company posted a net loss of $17 million, or $0.19 per share, compared with net profit of $15.9 million, or $0.17 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2007.

Net sales for the quarter declined to $345.5 million from $366.6 million in the 2007 quarter, while comparable store sales declined 19.2% in the fourth quarter from the same quarter last year. 

For fiscal 2008, Coldwater Creek guided below the consensus on Wall Street. The company is forecasting sales in the range of $1.05 billion to $1.13 billion and a bottom-line ranging from break-even to a net loss of $0.20 per share. Fourteen analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were on average projecting sales of $1.29 billion, while 15 analysts polled by Thomson Financial were on average estimating earnings of $0.12 per share. 

For the first quarter, the small cap expects a net loss in the range of $0.14 to $0.17 per share and sales of $233 million to $246 million. The company’s forecasts compare with the Thomson mean estimates of 10 analysts of a net loss of $0.04 per share on sales of $295.01 million.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) futures are lower and the small-cap index will open with a decline.

Stocks are set for a bearish opening following news this morning that Carlyle Capital Corp. Ltd, which invests in fixed income asset classes, including residential mortgage-backed securities, has failed to meet margin calls on its $21.7 billion portfolio.

The Russell 2000 had a tame session Wednesday, gaining 2.76, or 0.41%, ending at 683.74. Price action the last several sessions has been sloppy after yet another double top on daily charts back on Feb. 27. Look for support today at 677 and 670. There is minor support below there at 666 and 660, but a decisive breach of 670 opens the door to test the recent low down at 650. On the upside, resistance comes in at 692, then at 701 and 712.

This morning's weekly claims report at 8:30 a.m. ET might attract a little more interest than this report usually would garner, just because we’re facing the big unemployment release Friday.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) has held on to its gains despite more bad economic news. At 3:15 p.m. ET, the small-cap index had advanced 6.54 points, or 0.93%, to 708.88. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) was up 93.62 points, or 0.76%, to 12,430.84.

Small-cap stocks are posting a modest rise as a rebound that began halfway through the session is apparently undeterred by news of a bearish economic forecast by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

At 2 p.m. ET, the central bank released the minutes from its regular policy meeting held on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30. The Fed lowered its estimate for economic growth for 2008 and added that it expects a rise in inflation and unemployment.

The jobless rate is projected at between 5.2% and 5.3%, up from the current level of 5%.

Here are the current biggest percentage gainers and losers among companies with a market cap between $100 million and $750 million:


• China Precision Steel, Inc. (CPSL), up 28%.
• China Natural Resources Inc. (CHNR), up 19%
• The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (GBX), up 20% on news that the maker of railroad freight car equipment might merge with American Railcar Industries Inc. (ARII).


• Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. (DTG), down 36% on news of a lowered 2007 earnings guidance.
• Coldwater Creek Inc. (CWTR), down 17% on news of an analyst downgrade.
• BankUnited Financial Corp. (BKUNA), down 18%.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) futures are pointing down sharply and the small-cap index will likely open lower.

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), the largest American bank by assets, weighed down stocks after reporting its first quarterly loss in a decade.  The New York City-based bank swung to a fourth-quarter loss of $9.83 billion, or $1.99 per share, compared with a profit of $5.13 billion, or $1.03 per share, a year earlier.  The firm was forced to book pretax write-downs and credit costs of approximately $18.1 billion due to subprime mortgage woes.

In other negative news, the Commerce Department said sales at U.S. retailers fell 0.4% in December, which was more than economists were expecting. Purchases excluding automobiles also declined 0.4%, which again was greater than economists expected.

Also weighing down futures is the Labor Department’s announcement that producer prices fell 0.1% during December. Core producer prices, excluding food and energy, grew 0.2%, which was in line with economists’ expectations.

Biggest percentage gainers:

• Manatron Inc. (MANA), up 32.3%.
• Lifecore Biomedical Inc. (LCBM), up 30.5%.
• Vignette Corp. (VIGN), up 10%.

Biggest percentage losers:

• Hibbett Sports Inc. (HIBB), down 22.3%.
• Coldwater Creek Inc. (CWTR), down 15.3%.
• Arts Way Mfg Inc. (ARTW), down 12.2%.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and Dow lost big today as news of disappointing earnings and residual credit fears scared investors. The small-cap index suffered the biggest loss of the major U.S. indices, falling 26.24 points, or 3.18%, to 798.79. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) retreated for the fifth time this week, letting go 366.94 points, or 2.54%, to 13,522.02.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has increased 1.44%, while the Dow has added 8.34%.

The Russell 2000 futures were flat before the start of trading but the index opened in negative territory on news that Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia Corp. (Nasdaq: WB), the fourth largest U.S. bank, reported a 10% decline in its third-quarter profit due to difficult credit market conditions.

The bank also said that that it recorded a provision for credit losses of $408 million, about four times the level during the same three months of 2006.

The news came as an unpleasant reminder that the turmoil in the subprime mortgage sector, which peaked during summer months, is still relevant and capable of spreading shockwaves throughout the financial sector.

The subprime mortgage sector started bleeding earlier this year after U.S. housing prices went into reverse in the second half of 2006. The ongoing housing recession has been identified by observers as the biggest risk to the economy.

A rollercoaster ride of trading today ended with the Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) gaining ground while the Dow fell after news of a temporary rise in the price of oil. The small-cap index added 1.54 points, or 0.19%, to 824.89. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) shed 20.40 points, or 0.15%, to 13,892.54.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has increased 4.76%, while the Dow has added 9.11%.

Stocks began on a bullish note following news of better-than-expected third-quarter earnings from tech sector heavyweights Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) and United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), but quickly shed those gains halfway through the trading session as the price of oil briefly rose to an intraday high above $88 a barrel.

Investors got jittery around noon ET, after the Turkish parliament overwhelmingly approved a military attack into northern Iraq in order to fight Kurdish rebels, causing the price of oil to clear $88 a barrel before moderating down to $87.40. A cross-border spat could disrupt Iraq’s oil supplies.

Nevertheless, small caps managed to sneak into positive territory just before the close, while the Dow languished in the red.

Meanwhile, U.S. housing starts fell to the lowest annualized pace in 14 years in September. The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that housing starts fell to 1.191 million, missing economists’ projections of 1.285 million. The level in August was an upwardly revised 1.327 million of privately owned housing units.

The stagnation in the housing sector seems to have no end in sight, as building permits, an indicator of future construction plans, also fell.

The bulls ran the show today as the Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) posted solid gains on news of strong September U.S. retail sales. The small-cap index added 6.19 points, or 0.74%, to 841.17. The Dow advanced 77.96 points, or 0.56%, to 14,093.08.

The bears were hibernating today as investors reacted to news that retail sales for September increased 0.6% to $380.2 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau before the opening. That surprised economists, who were expecting a rise of 0.2%.

Retail sales excluding motor vehicles and parts also outpaced analysts’ projections, rising 0.4% instead of the expected 0.3%.

The numbers suggest that the American consumer remains resilient in the face of the ongoing housing slump.

However, Kurt Karl, head of Economic Research and Consulting for the North American operations of reinsurance company Swiss Re, cautioned against an overly optimistic interpretation of the data.

“Total retail sales were strong, but excluding autos, they were up 0.4—compensating for last month’s decline of 0.4%,” Karl said in an e-mail.  “Compared to a year ago, retail sales after-inflation are close to 2%, which is weak, but not disastrous.”

Karl explained that the weakness stems from stagnant sales of furniture and building materials, which have been affected by the problems in the housing sector.

In other economic news, a measure of consumer sentiment for October unexpectedly fell, indicating that consumers are cautious about their future spending.

Coldwater Creek Inc. (Nasdaq: CWTR) shares are taking a heavy pounding after women’s apparel retailer forecast a third-quarter loss. For the third quarter, the Sandpoint, Idaho-based firm projects a loss in the range of $0.11 to $0.13 per share on sales in between $260 million and $265 million. For the fourth quarter, the company expects break-even net income and revenue in the range of $360 million to $365 million.

Wachovia downgraded Coldwater Creek’s stock to “market perform” from “outperform,” due to Coldwater Creek’s announcement.

The company, which focuses on women aged 35 and older, expects third-quarter and fourth-quarter inventory to decrease per square foot. The firm said it’s seen falling foot traffic in the third quarter.

In afternoon trading, CWTR shares are down 27.97%, or $3.04, at $7.83. Over the last 52 weeks, shares have ranged from $7.72 to $31.25.

Coldwater Creek Inc. (Nasdaq: CWTR), City Telecom (H.K.) Ltd. (Nasdaq: CTEL) and Feldman Mall Properties, Inc. (NYSE: FMP) are among the biggest percentage losers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage losers:

April 4(SmallCapInvestor.com) – These are among the most actively traded small cap companies in pre-market trading this morning: Pacer International, Inc. (Nasdaq: PACR) ; IDM Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq: IDMI) ; Royal Gold, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGLD) ; Coldwater Creek Inc. (Nasdaq: CWTR) ; Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: HAYZ) ; EXFO Electrical-Optical Engineering Inc. (Nasdaq: EXFO) .