Tag - Efsc

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) has turned around and is posting healthy gains. At 2:03 p.m. ET, the small-cap index had added 4.94 points, or 0.72%, to 691.01. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 37.12 points, or 0.30%, to 12,339.18.

Small-cap stocks have once again reversed course, this time bouncing off their session lows and trending higher. The index moved into positive territory at about 12:30 p.m. ET.

The rebound may be due to investors reacting to news before the opening that regional banks posted first-quarter results that exceeded expectations.

Among the winners is small-cap Enterprise Financial Services Corp. (Nasdaq:EFSC), the parent company of Enterprise Bank & Trust of St. Louis, Mo. Enterprise Financial announced . . .

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) has trimmed some of its earlier losses but is still deep in negative territory.

At 11:51 a.m. ET, the small-cap index was down 10.86 points, or 1.64%, to 652.04. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had retreated 59.51 points, or 0.50%, to 11,891.58.

Stocks small and large have pared some of their earlier losses but are still down on news that JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) has purchased Bear Stearns (NYSE:BSC) for just $2 per share, according to an announcement on Sunday.

In an effort to keep other investment banks from going bankrupt, which is what would have happened to Bear Stearns, the U.S. Federal Reserve gave JPMorgan $30 billion in special financing to complete the deal. That’s a risky and desperate move because if something goes wrong, it will be the Fed — not JPMorgan — that will absorb the losses.

The U.S. Central Bank also lowered its discount rate, the rate at which it lends funds to commercial banks, to 3.25% from 3.50%, on Sunday.

New York & Company, Inc. (NYSE: NWY), Flamel Technologies S.A. (Nasdaq: FLML) and Protherics PLC (Nasdaq: PTIL) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $500 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage gainers:

Gigabeam Corp. (Nasdaq: GGBM), Fremont General Corp. (NYSE: FMT) and Enterprise Financial Services Corp. (Nasdaq: EFSC) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $500 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage gainers: