Tag - Exm

Health Fitness Corp. (Nasdaq:FIT), O'Charley's Inc. (Nasdaq:CHUX) and United Online Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Medifast Inc. (Nasdaq:MED), TBS International Ltd. (Nasdaq:TBSI), Kendle International Inc. (Nasdaq:KNDL), OM Group Inc. (Nasdaq:OMG), RehabCare Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:RHB) and Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM).

Stocks moved in a seesaw pattern today as they opened high and then slid during the opening hours only to sharply pick up before noon eastern time.

Shares on the Dow closed up 28 points to end the day at 8,359. The Nasdaq finished up 7 points to close at 1,800 and the S&P 500 was up almost 5 points to close at 906.

The Russell 2000, an index of the 2,000 most influential small-cap stocks as determined by Russell Investments, closed the day's trading session at 496, up 3 points.

Small-cap volume leaders today include beleaguered finance firm CIT Group (NYSE:CIT) trading 165 million shares, followed by American International Group (NYSE:AIG), and previous SmallCapInvestor PRO recommendation DryShips (Nasdaq:DRYS). (Find out more here)

Price gainers in the small-cap space were lead by Nevsun Resources (AMEX:NSU) up 32% following news that it had received all approvals for debt facilities totaling $235 million to begin mining copper and gold in Eritrea. The Vancouver-based mining firm expects to be able to repay the entire debt within two and one-half years.

Other small-cap gainers include Noven Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:NOVN) up 22% on news that Japan-based Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical plans to increase its U.S. presence in purchasing the company for $16.50 a share; Excel Maritime Carriers (NYSE:EXM) up 21%; and CIT Group (NYSE:CIT) up 20%.

*****The day after the home run derby was held during baseball's All-Star festivities, it's probably appropriate that Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) hit it one out of the park.

I'm referring to Goldman's 2nd Quarter earnings blowout. Goldman beat revenue and earnings estimates by better than 30%. Clearly, just like the sluggers in the homerun derby, Goldman had softball pitches thrown right down the center of the plate to hit.

Don't forget that even the bears' best friend, bank analyst Meredith Whitney, turned bullish on Goldman yesterday. It would appear that she could see the writing on the wall - analyst estimates were simply too low.

But why? How could analysts miss Goldman's quarter by such a wide margin? Could it be that they are deliberately low-balling estimates to keep the rally going?

*****Goldman Sachs is up in the early going, but not as much as you might expect. That suggests that the blowout numbers aren't a surprise at all. It was already priced in during Monday's 10% rally.

This type of behavior from analysts puts individual investors in a difficult position. I suspect that buyers above $150 will be showing a loss in the near future. Once again, we are being suckered. And that's business as usual for Wall Street.

*****If you focus on the gain in the Producer Price Index (PPI) from this morning, you're probably thinking that inflation is on its way after prices rose 1.8% in June.

But if you focus on retail sales, you probably see the 0.6% rise in retail sales as a sign of recovery.

So which is it: inflation or recovery? The answer is: both. Inflation is an inevitable by-product of economic expansion.

Now, obviously, the U.S. economy is still playing catch-up. And there's an outside possibility that the economy will grow this quarter. But the most important thing to realize is that both the retail sales number and the PPI number are almost directly related to government actions.

If you exclude auto and gasoline sales, retail sales actually fell for a fourth straight month. Auto sales have been helped by government incentives to trade in a gas guzzling clunker for a new, more efficient vehicle.

The PPI was affected by another government incentive program - the yield on Treasury bills. As the Treasury sells more and more bonds, it has to offer a higher yield to entice buyers. This, along with the sheer amount off Treasuries that are being sold, is driving the value of the U.S. dollar down. That, in turn, is driving oil and gas prices higher. Without food and energy, the PPI only rose 0.5%.

*****Government actions are currently filling in for an actual economy. That's how it is in our new "Managed America." Most expect the heavy hand of government to be temporary, and that Managed America can end sooner than later. We'll see…

I expect the conditions of Managed America - high unemployment, sluggish growth, more regulations, higher taxes, and inflation to last years instead of months. And I've outlined my expectations for investing under these conditions in my new Special Issue of Top Stock Insights. The article is titled Managed America: The New Economic Reality. It will be released tomorrow. You can sign up for Top Stock Insights and get my blueprint for profiting in Managed America when you click here. You'll also be on the list to receive my Predictions 2009 Issue update for the remainder of this year.

Hi-Tech Pharmacal Inc. (Nasdaq:HITK), Noven Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:NOVN) and Interactive Intelligence Inc. (Nasdaq:ININ) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: USEC Inc. (Nasdaq:USU), Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM), American Dairy Inc. (Nasdaq:ADY), Fuqi International Inc. (Nasdaq:FUQI), Xyratex Ltd. (Nasdaq:XRTX) and Blue Nile Inc.. (Nasdaq:NILE).

QC Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:QCCO), Consolidated Water Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:CWCO) and SYNNEX Corp. (Nasdaq:SNX) are among the most actively traded companies in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Vitran Corp Inc. (Nasdaq:VTNC), Young Innovations Inc. (Nasdaq:YDNT), DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS), GT Solar International Inc. (Nasdaq:SOLR), Plantronics Inc. (Nasdaq:PLT) and Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM).

RadiSys Corp. (Nasdaq:RSYS), Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLE) and Travelzoo Inc. (Nasdaq:TZOO) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: MWI Veterinary Supply Inc. (Nasdaq:MWIV), Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM), Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd. (Nasdaq:GNK), Middleburg Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:MBRG), Thomas & Betts Corp. (Nasdaq:TNB) and TBS International Ltd. (Nasdaq:TBSI).

Small-cap stocks extended the morning slide into midday trading, with financial, tech and homebuilder shares overpowering gains in energy and commodity names. Analyst downgrades for key companies in the financial and technology arenas played a role in magnifying worries about consumer spending and the never-ending credit crisis. Some of today’s small-cap gainers are Wachovia Securities (NYSE:MTN), Excel Maritime Carriers (NYSE:EXM) and Teck Cominco (Nasdaq:TCK).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Crude oil prices were up some $3/barrel into the open, pushing back above the key $50 level ahead of an OPEC meeting later this week.  
• Energy markets were on firm footing this morning, which should provide a lift to energy-related stocks.  
• European shares were basically flat heading into the U.S. open, but Asian markets were in rally mode overnight.  
• Hopes for a quick package to keep U.S. carmakers away from bankruptcy played a big role in overnight gains in Asian trading. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Wachovia Securities upgrades Vail Resorts to "outperform;" shares pop 15%. See (NYSE:MTN).  
• Excel Maritime Carriers up 13% on heavier-than-average volume. See (NYSE:EXM). 
• Teck Cominco up 12% after reporting it will suspend operations at its Pend Oreille zinc mine. See (NYSE:TCK).  
• Sims Metal Management climbs 8% after the small cap signed a 20-year deal with New York City to process the city's recyclables, with a 20-year renewal clause. See (NYSE:SMS).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Developers Diversified Realty says asset deal not closed, will not close in December as it had previously hoped. Shares tumble 15%. See (NYSE:DDR).  
• Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc. announces termination of merger with Huntsman Corp.; shares of HUN collapse 43%. See (NYSE:HUN).
• Real-estate developer Forest City Enterprises is down 12% after saying it will halt new projects, focus on reducing debt and managing existing real-estate portfolio. See (Nasdaq:FCE.A).  
• Fitch downgrades M/I Homes' IDR to 'B'; outlook negative. Shares of MHO are trading over 11% lower. See (NYSE:MHO).  

Small-cap stocks opened higher, bolstered by hope that a rescue package for embattled U.S. automakers is finally within reach. Still, Republican lawmakers have been threatening some type of filibuster, so tension about the proposed $15 billion bailout remains high. Worries about fresh corporate profit warnings could take some starch out of buying enthusiasm, but an early bounce in commodities should provide support to stocks with commodity themes.  Some of today’s small-cap gainers are DryShips (Nasdaq:DRYS), Excel Maritime (NYSE:EXM) and Eagle Bulk Shipping (Nasdaq:EGLE).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:
•    Crude oil prices were on the rebound this morning, climbing about $2 a barrel amid talk of OPEC production cuts.  
•    The wholesale inventory report came out at minus 1.1%, which was quite a bit worse than the forecast for a drop of 0.1%.  
•    Republican lawmakers have been threatening some type of filibuster, so tension about the proposed $15 billion bailout remains high.  
•    Today watch to see how miners react to news that Rio Tinto (3rd-largest mining co.) will slash 13% of its workforce, reduce capital spending.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Drybulk shippers are rallying again today with DryShips Inc. up 21%, Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. up 17% and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. up 15%. See (Nasdaq:DRYS), (NYSE:EXM) and (Nasdaq:EGLE).  
• South African paper maker Sappi Ltd. jumped 16% with the overall commodities rise and as South African shares in general were in rally mode this morning. See (NYSE:SPP).  
• Arc Sight Inc. rallied 13% as the security solutions provider got an earnings-related lift. See (Nasdaq:ARST).  
• West Coast Bancorp to open new branch in Dundee, Oregon on Jan. 5; shares up 4% in after hours. See (Nasdaq:WCBO).

Small Cap Losers:

• ADC Telecommunications Inc. tumbled 15% after releasing quarterly results. See (Nasdaq:ADCT).  
• Arena down 12% in pre-market after insomnia drug candidate fails in study. See (Nasdaq:ARNA).  
• Metalico files shelf registration, shares down 2% in after hours. See (NYSE:MEA).

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) reversed course Tuesday, unable to sustain upward momentum from Monday’s surge as weakness in financial and homebuilder stocks and numbing results from the Treasury four-week bill auction overwhelmed support from energy and a surprising upside midday spurt on tech stocks. Some of today’s small-cap gainers are DryShips (Nasdaq:DRYS), Excel Maritime Carriers (NYSE:EXM) and Eagle Bulk Shipping (Nasdaq:EGLE).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• For the year, the Dow is now down 34%, while the S&P 500 is down 39%.
• The pending home sales report showed a decline of 0.7% in October. 
• Earlier this morning, the Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index was down 0.8% for the week on a year-over-year basis.
• Today’s pullback in the stock market comes as a logical “breather” following an impressive two-day run that lifted equities to four-week highs.
• Top performers so far today: aluminum, steel, coal, oil and gas drillers, semiconductors, life insurers and automotive retailers.
• Poorest performers today: real estate investment trusts, air freight couriers, food retail firms and railroads.
• Even though physical commodity prices were soft today, commodity stocks retained a supportive bent for the overall equity market.
• Crude oil prices tumbled $1.64 a barrel, or 3.7% to $42.07, but energy stocks were actually up some 1% into the close.

Small Cap Gainers:

• On the upside of things, dry bulk carriers remained a hot ticket, with Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (NYSE:EXM) up 38%, Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLE) up 37%, DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS) up 36% and Safe Bulkers Inc. (NYSE:SB) climbing 22%.
• Exco Resources Inc. (NYSE:XCO) jumped 28% as the oil and natural gas company announced results on the completion of a Louisiana well.
• KMG Chemicals (Nasdaq:KMGB) up 22% after reporting Q1 results . . .

Small-cap stocks were hovering near steady levels into midday trading, drafting off a surprising show of strength in the technology arena and another solid performance from energy and commodity stocks, which helped offset weakness in financial shares. Some of today’s small-cap gainers are DryShips (Nasdaq:DRYS), Excel Maritime (NYSE:EXM) and Eagle Bulk Shipping (Nasdaq:EGLE).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Poorest performers so far today: real estate investment trusts, air freight couriers, food retail firms and railroads.  
• Physical commodity markets turned up from a morning slide, bolstered by a pullback in the U.S. dollar.  
• Top performers so far today: aluminum, steel, coal, oil and gas drillers, semiconductors, life insurers and automotive retailers.  
• Small-cap stocks were hovering near steady levels into midday trading, drafting off a surprising show of strength in the technology arena. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Ocean shippers have been a recurring source of strength this week: Dryships is up 45%, Excel Maritime up 41%, Eagle Bulk up 40% and Genco up 27%. See (Nasdaq:DRYS), (NYSE:EXM), (Nasdaq:EGLE) and (NYSE:GNK).  
• Exco Resources Inc. jumped 40% as the oil and natural gas company announced results on the completion of a Louisiana well. See (NYSE:XCO).  
• International Assets reports Q4 results; shares pop 23%. See (Nasdaq:IAAC).
• KMG Chemicals up 22% after reporting Q1 results with 145% increase in revenues, reaffirming FY 2009 guidance. See (Nasdaq:KMGB).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Pep Boys falls 23% after company posts unexpected Q3 loss. See (NYSE:PBY).  
• Buckeye Technologies lowers guidance, cuts production in Florida. Shares tumble 22%. See (NYSE:BKI).  
• Universal Stainless & Alloy Products slumped 15% as some steel companies saw a correction off the big rally Monday. See (Nasdaq:USAP).
• Baird downgrades diversified industrial manufacturer Actuant Corp. to "neutral" from "outperform," halves its price target on the stock. Shares fall over 14%. See (NYSE:ATU).  

Small-cap stocks were hovering near steady levels into midday trading, drafting off a surprising show of strength in the technology arena and another solid performance from energy and commodity stocks, which helped offset weakness in financial shares. At 12:31 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 0.79, or 0.16%, at 482.17, easily outperforming the large-cap Dow and S&P 500, both of which were in negative territory.

Coming into today’s action, technology stocks were supposed to be a sore spot for investors after Japan’s Sony announced massive layoffs and Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE:TXN) projected soft forward sales. However, investors once again showed a desire to cast aside bad news as part of a bottoming process that has already been priced into stock market declines this year. Instead of being a weak point, techs were leading the rally today, with the tech-laden Nasdaq 100 Index up 0.8% at mid-session.

Commodity stocks also were a bright spot for small caps so far today. Looking at S&P sector activity, the top performers included aluminum, steel, coal, oil and gas drillers (as well as semiconductors, life insurers and automotive retailers).

Crude oil prices actually slipped slightly into the red following a gloomy report on energy demand, but it didn’t take too much starch out of energy stocks, which were up some 2.7% at midday, among the better overall groups. Physical commodity markets turned up from a morning slide, bolstered by a pullback in the U.S. dollar, which went from a strong rise against the euro to a modest decline by midday.

Despite the resilient tone so far today for small caps, there are some noticeable points of weakness. Among S&P sectors, the poorest performers are real . . .

DryShips Inc (Nasdaq:DRYS), Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd (Nasdaq:EXM) and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc (Nasdaq:EGLE) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd (Nasdaq:GNK), Safe Bulkers Inc (Nasdaq:SB), KMG Chemicals Inc (Nasdaq:KMGB), ATP Oil & Gas Corporation (Nasdaq:ATPG), Hi-Tech Pharmacal Inc (Nasdaq:HITK) and TBS International Ltd (Nasdaq:TBSI).

Monday started off with a bang as President-elect Obama’s stimulus plans and auto bailout talk helped buoy the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) to a closing above 4%. Some of today’s small-cap gainers are DryShips (Nasdaq:DRYS), Excel Maritime Carriers (NYSE:EXM) and Titan International (NYSE:TWI).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Russell is now down 37% for 2008, while the Dow is off 33% and the S&P 500 is down 38%.
• Obama said he hopes to create more than 2.5M jobs by 2011 while launching the biggest infrastructure project in the U.S. since the 1950s.
• Commodities in general were back on the rally track today after being dismissed for the last few months amid the global slowdown.
• Corn shot up 6%, soybeans were up 4%, sugar and coffee rallied 6%, silver was up 6%, and platinum and palladium were up 7%.
• Crude oil joined in on the commodities surge, climbing 7.1%, or $2.90 a barrel.
• Oil, metal and cement stocks saw dramatic gains in several emerging market locales today.
• Commodities were bolstered by a decline in the U.S. dollar against the euro, with the greenback off more than 230 basis points, or 1.8%.

Small Cap Gainers:

• DryShips Inc. rode the wave of commodity-themed bargain hunting, closing up 51%. See (Nasdaq:DRYS).
• Within the ocean vessel theme, Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. jumped 40% and is another stock that has seen the bottom fall out of their boat since mid-August, but is trying to mount a recovery now. See (NYSE:EXM).
• Titan International Inc. rose 37% as the tire maker for off-road . . .

Small-cap stocks started out the week with a bang, breakout out of last week’s range in dramatic fashion amid hope that a massive public works proposal by President-elect Obama will ignite a business spending and economic recovery. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) jumped 20.29, or 4.40%, to 481.38, the highest daily close Nov. 13. The Russell is now down 37% for 2008, while the Dow is off 33% and the S&P 500 is down 38%.

Obama said this weekend he hopes to create more than 2.5 million jobs by 2011 while launching the biggest infrastructure project in the United States since the 1950s. As news of the Obama plan spread this weekend, it triggered a rally in stock markets overseas and then when U.S. markets opened for trading basically anything even loosely tied to construction, engineering, steel, or commodity resources became a hot item. These types of companies had been hammered in recent weeks, making the combination of attractive valuation and massive infrastructure projects an enticing outlet for investors.

Commodities in general were back on the rally track today after being dismissed for the last few months amid the global slowdown. Corn shot up 6%, soybeans were up 4%, sugar and coffee rallied 6%, silver was up 6%, platinum and palladium up 7% and the Commodity Research Bureau Index of 19 physical markets shot up 4% after making multi-year lows last week. Crude oil joined in on the commodities surge, climbing 7.1%, or $2.90 a barrel. The rally in crude oil prices was not only tied to the general rise in commodities, but was also spurred by talk of OPEC production cuts. Energy stocks rose 5.4% on the day.

Commodities were bolstered by a decline in the U.S. dollar against the euro, with the greenback off more than 230 basis points, or 1.8%, which makes commodities that are priced in dollar terms more attractive to buyers around the world. Emerging markets were clearly a big beneficiary of today’s moves, with Brazil’s stock market climbing nearly 8% and Mexico’s equities up almost 5%. Both of those countries . . .

Small-cap stocks extended the morning free fall, with financial, retail and commodity sectors all taking a beating as investors recoiled from a batch of brutal manufacturing data from around the world and fretted about the true eventual returns from this holiday spending season. Today's small-cap gainers are Premiere Global Services (NYSE:PGI), Emrise Corp. (NYSE:ERI) and VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY).

Today's Market Watch highlights included:

• Retail stocks were down today, with the S&P Retail Index at -5.7% despite early press reports that Black Friday was a success.  
• The Commodity Research Bureau Index of 19 physical markets was down 3.2% at midday.  
• The dollar was firm against the euro, which further played into the collapse in commodity markets.  
• Crude oil prices were down some 8% so far today, with U.S. crude benchmark values slipping through the $50 support line.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Shares of Premiere Global Services are up 30% after Oppenheimer & Co. upgraded the company to "outperform" from "perform." See (NYSE:PGI).  
• Emrise Corp. up 12% after receiving $1 million in new orders for in-flight entertainment products. See (NYSE:ERI).  
• VAALCO Energy up 11% on heavy volume. See (NYSE:EGY).  
• Nektar Therapeutics up about 10% on lower-than-average volume. See (Nasdaq:NKTR).

Small Cap Losers:

• China Valves Technology Inc. collapsed 79% on the China manufacturing woes, but it should be noted that this stock rarely trades much anyhow and was down on less than 1,000 shares trading today. See (Nasdaq:CVVT).  
• Russian steelmakers Mechel, TMK request a total of $3 billion in state loans to refinance their foreign debt. MTL is down 28.5%. See (NYSE:MTL).
• Excel Maritime Carriers dives 27% today following a downgrade last week from Cantor Fitzgerald to "sell" from "hold." See (NYSE:EXM).
• Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. tumbled 23% as the offshore drilling platform specialist was caught in the undertow of the slide in energy values. See (Nasdaq:GIFI).  
• Talbot's falls another 22% today following a widened Q3 net loss, conference call last week. See (NYSE:TLB).  

Small-cap stocks extended the morning free fall, with financial, retail and commodity sectors all taking a beating as investors recoiled from a batch of brutal manufacturing data from around the world and fretted about the true eventual returns from this holiday spending season. At 12:27 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 30.90, or 6.53%, at 442.24.

New manufacturing orders plunged in China, which is the world’s fourth-largest economy and a key source of labor for goods then exported to trading partners throughout the planet. That somber tone on manufacturing was only deepened when the ISM Manufacturing Survey for the United States came out this morning at 36.2, which missed the 38.0 forecast and was the worst reading in 26 years. Just to emphasize the point of how bad things are, the employment sub-index on the ISM report was the worst in 17 years, the new orders sub-index was the worst in 28 years and the priced paid sub-index was the worst in 59 years.

Financial stocks and energy shares were among the hardest hit stock market components through mid-session trading, with the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund and the Energy SPDR both off about 7%. Looking at individual broad market sectors, there are none above 1% gains right now, and 10 sectors with losses greater than 10%. The biggest declines were seen for industrial REITS, oil equipment, investment banks, coal, specialized finance, oil and gas drillers and consumer finance.

Crude oil prices were down some 8% so far today, with U.S. crude benchmark values slipping through the $50 support line. The dollar was firm against the euro, which further played into the collapse in commodity markets; the Commodity Research Bureau Index of 19 physical markets was down 3.2% at midday.

Retail stocks were also taking a hit today, with the S&P Retail Index down about 5.7% despite early press reports that the Black Friday kickoff of the holiday shopping season saw a rise in sales and traffic. The fact that the market was sinking fast today makes some of those upbeat reports on Black Friday business seem quite suspect, but perhaps investors are simply ramping down expectations for the entire season. Today is known as “Cyber Monday” when consumers supposedly dash to online shopping sites to scoop up bargains in time for the postman to deliver before Christmas, so details on how today’s online shopping is moving along could have an impact on afternoon . . .

Fortress Investment Group LLC (Nasdaq:FIG), Century Aluminum Co. (Nasdaq:CENX) and Jones Apparel Group Inc. (Nasdaq:JNY) are among the biggest percentage losers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLE), Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd. (Nasdaq:GNK), Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM), Interoil Corp. (Nasdaq:IOC), Ardea Biosciences Inc. (Nasdaq:RDEA) and Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (Nasdaq:ANW).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

North American Energy Partners Inc. (Nasdaq:NOA), Calumet Specialty Products Partners LP (Nasdaq:CLMT) and EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. (Nasdaq:EZCH) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: American Superconductor Corp. (Nasdaq:AMSC), Jinpan International Ltd. (Nasdaq:JST), Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM), Safe Bulkers Inc. (Nasdaq:SB), Otelco Inc. (Nasdaq:OTT) and General Cable Corp. (Nasdaq:BGC).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

First Defiance Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:FDEF), TBS International Ltd. (Nasdaq:TBSI) and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLE) are among the new 52-week lows in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Sunrise Senior Living Inc. (Nasdaq:SRZ), Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:SCHN), Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM), Omega Navigation Enterprises Inc. (Nasdaq:ONAV), Compton Petroleum Corp. (Nasdaq:CMZ) and Paragon Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq:PRGN).

Here are the new 52-week lows among small caps:

Small-cap stocks edged lower Friday, pulled down by the logjam in Washington as lawmakers were at loggerheads longer than expected putting together a rescue plan for the embattled financial arena. Still, a rally in the final hour of trading pared losses for small caps, and lifted the Dow into a solid gain. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 0.94, or 0.13% at 704.80 and is now down 7.9% for the year. Meanwhile, the Dow was up 1.10% Friday and is now off 15.9% for 2008; the S&P 500 was up 0.34% Friday and had slipped 17.3% so far this year.

The largest bank failure in history became official overnight as Washington Mutual Inc. (NYSE:WM) was seized by regulators and sold for $1.9 billion to JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM). JPM shares rallied nicely on the news, gaining some 10% on the day. Normally, one would expect the largest bank failure in history to dominate the news landscape, but WaMu’s failure wasn’t all that much of a surprise, and stock in the company was already trading well below $2 coming into the session.

As for Washington’s $700-billion-dollar bailout of Wall Street, the “Paulson Plan” ran into more resistance than expected, especially from the Republican party. Although uncertainty about the final plan kept investors on edge, there seems little doubt that something will still be worked out fairly quickly — probably over the weekend.

The story within stocks for much of the day centered on the tech arena, with tech stocks taking a beating until the final hour of the session. Even the late rally still found the tech-laden Nasdaq 100 slipping 0.92% for the day. Within the tech front, key stocks like Research in Motion Ltd. (Nasdaq:RIMM) were taking a pounding; RIMM shares were off some 27% as the makers of the Blackberry warned that profits would miss the forecast. Also within techs, Apple Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL) was off about 2.8%. There has been a hope building that passage of a financial rescue plan . . .

Transition Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:TTHI), Perfumania Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:PERF) and Valley Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:VYFC) are among the new 52-week lows in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM), Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:NM), TBS International Ltd. (Nasdaq:TBSI), Orthofix International NV (Nasdaq:OFIX), Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLE) and Tree.com Inc. (Nasdaq:TREE).

Here are the new 52-week lows among small caps:

<strong>Perfumania Holdings Inc.</strong> (Nasdaq<a href="/ticker/perf">:PERF</a>),<strong> FirstFed Financial Corp.</strong> (Nasdaq:<a href="/ticker/fed">FED</a>) and <strong>Orthofix International NV</strong> (Nasdaq:<a href="/ticker/ofix">OFIX</a>) are among the biggest percentage losers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.<br /> <br /> Also included among the results:<strong> Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc.</strong> (Nasdaq:<a href="/ticker/svnt">SVNT</a>), <strong>Echelon Corp</strong>. (Nasdaq:<a href="/ticker/elon">ELON</a>), <strong>Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. </strong>(Nasdaq:<a href="/ticker/exm">EXM</a>), <strong>Frontier Financial Corp.</strong> (Nasdaq:<a href="/ticker/ftbk">FTBK</a>), <strong>Consolidated Water Co Ltd. </strong>(Nasdaq:<a href="/ticker/cwco">CWCO</a>) and <strong>American Reprographics Co. </strong>(Nasdaq:<a href="/ticker/arp">ARP</a>).<br /> <br /> Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Rubicon Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:RBCN), Dreman/Claymore Dividend & Income Fund (Nasdaq:DCS) and Stream Global Services Inc. (Nasdaq:OOO) are among the new 52-week lows in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (Nasdaq:EXM), Quest Energy Partners L P (Nasdaq:QELP), Parallel Petroleum Corp. (Nasdaq:PLLL), Colfax Corp. (Nasdaq:CFX), China Digital TV Holding Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:STV) and Minefinders Corporation Ltd. (Nasdaq:MFN).

Here are the new 52-week lows among small caps:

Pozen Inc. (Nasdaq:POZN), CPI Corp. (NYSE:CPY) and Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (NYSE:EXM) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

EnerNOC, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENOC), America Service Group Inc. (Nasdaq:ASGR) and CV Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CVTX) are also among the top small-cap percentage gainers.

Here are Wednesday's biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the other major U.S. indices are posting gains on upbeat news from major corporate players.
 
At 10:34 a.m. ET, the small-cap index had added 4.89 points, or 0.72%, to 685.46. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) was up 121.98 points, or 1.07%, to 12,289.19.

Small-cap stocks opened in the green on news that General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) reported a fourth-quarter profit from continuing operations of $6.82 billion, or $0.68 per share, compared with $5.95 billion, or $0.58 per share, a year earlier. The result matches analysts’ expectations.

The earnings increase was largely due to strong demand for the Fairfield, Conn.-based company’s heavy equipment products.

Also contributing good news is International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), which reported fourth-quarter earnings and issued a 2008 guidance above Wall Street’s projections.

In economic news, the Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index rose to a level of 80.5 in January from December’s 75.5. That came as a surprise to economists, who were expecting the measure to post a small decline. The index tracks consumers’ willingness to spend money.

Cypress Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYPB) shares almost doubled in after-hours trading after it and Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) announced positive results on a Phase 3 study for milnacipran in treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome. Cypress Bioscience, headquartered in San Diego, Calif., and Forest Laboratories have only reviewed so far initial top-line results; additional analyses on the results will be completed in the coming weeks. Subject to a favorable review of the full study results and based in part on communication with the FDA, the companies would plan to submit a New Drug Application for milnacipran around the end of 2007. Cypress Bioscience
was quoted at $16.85, up $8.40, or 99.41%.

Minneapolis, Minn.-based Wilsons The Leather Experts Inc. (Nasdaq: WLSN) reported a net loss for the first quarter ended May 5 of $0.54 per share, compared with an average analyst estimate calling for a loss of $0.34. In the same quarter a year ago, Wilsons The Leather Experts lost $0.17 per share. Quarterly revenues, at $57.6 million, were below both year-ago at $74.7 million and expectations for $65.02 million. Shares of Wilsons, a specialty retailer of leather accessories and apparel, was virtually unchanged in after-hours trading at about $1.19.

Giga-tronics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GIGA) was lower in after-hours trading after the company said net sales in the fourth quarter ended March 31 were $5.2 million, down 9% from the same quarter a year ago. The San Ramon, Calif.-based company reported a net loss of $0.10 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $0.02 in the year-ago period. Giga-tronics, which shows no analyst coverage, produces microwave components for defense electronics and wireless telecommunications. Shares were 12% lower in after-hours trading at $1.80.

Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd (NYSE: EXM) reported earnings per share for the first quarter ended March 31 of $0.61, below the average analyst estimate of  $0.64 and up from $0.37 in the first quarter of 2006. The company, headquartered in Athens, Greece, said revenues for the quarter were $36.0 million, beating analysts' expectations for $35 million and up from $29.5 million for the same quarter in 2006. Excel Maritime--an owner of dry bulk carriers and transportation service provider for dry bulk cargoes--also announced it would distribute a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per common share, starting with the first quarter. In after-hours trading, shares were down $0.17, or less than 1%, at $25.29.