Tag - Hlf

Zion Oil and Gas Inc. (Nasdaq:ZN), HEICO Corp. (Nasdaq:HEI) and Herbalife Ltd. (Nasdaq:HLF) are among the biggest percentage losers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Ameris Bancorp (Nasdaq:ABCB), West Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:WTBA), Forest City Enterprises (Nasdaq:FCE.A), Daktronics Inc. (Nasdaq:DAKT), First Clover Leaf Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:FCLF) and Rockwood Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:ROC).

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).  

At first glance, eDiets.com Inc. (Nasdaq: DIET), an $88 million online diet and healthy lifestyle company, appears superbly positioned to capitalize on the trend of trying to lose weight using innovative diet programs in the digital age.
 
After all, there’s no shortage of potential customers: roughly two-thirds of Americans are overweight (30% of U.S. adults, or some 60 million people, are categorized as obese). At any given time, about a third of the U.S. population—over 70 million individuals—are on diets of one form or another.
 
The company has aggressively pursued Internet advertising and other traffic-generating methodologies, such as Web-based publications and video programs. Among its offerings: a dozen eNewsletters, an online magazine, Glee, which has articles by health, fitness and nutrition experts, and a library of videos featuring healthy food recipes. The company has also begun a push to pursue corporate licensing opportunities with its content and technology.
 
One thorn in the company's side is the fact that competition from large players with substantial marketing firepower like weight management company Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE: WTW), NutriSystem Inc. (Nasdaq: NTRI) and Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) is intensifying as these companies find more innovative ways to add to increase their revenues.