Tag - Idcc

Technology was the driving force behind a rise in both small and mid-cap stocks on Tuesday.

The Standard & Poor's small-cap technology index rose 3 percent. Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts are impressed with the balance sheets of small-cap technology stocks, noting that they should outshine their large cap brethren.

The Russell 2000 Small Cap Index and the Standard & Poor's Small Cap 600 both gained 2.3 percent in value on Tuesday. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Stock Market gained a similar 2.2 percent, while two other major U.S. stock indexes also held their ground - both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard & Poor's 500 closed 1.6 percent higher.

Rosetta Stone Inc. (Nasdaq:RST), InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC) and Ascent Solar Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:ASTI) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: RINO International Corp. (Nasdaq:RINO), CNinsure Inc. (Nasdaq:CISG), China Bio Energy Holding Group Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:CBEH), SmartHeat Inc. (Nasdaq:HEAT), Jinpan International Ltd. (Nasdaq:JST) and China Fire & Security Group Inc. (Nasdaq:CFSG).

InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC), Biocryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:BCRX) and Fuqi International Inc. (Nasdaq:FUQI) are among the most actively traded companies in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Century Aluminum Co. (Nasdaq:CENX), UAL Corp. (Nasdaq:UAUA), Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (Nasdaq:ENER), Kirklands Inc. (Nasdaq:KIRK), Crocs Inc. (Nasdaq:CROX) and ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:ACAD).

Stocks are continuing their descent Monday afternoon on news that GM CEO Rick Wagoner has been asked to step down by the Obama administration.

At 1:33 pm ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) is down 12.97, or 3.02%, at 416.03, while the Dow is down 3.34% at 7,516.60 and the S&P 500 is down 3.4% at 788.18.

This morning the White House rejected turnaround plans from GM (NYSE:GM) and Chrysler. In response to the rejected proposals, the Obama administration pushed out GM's Wagoner and directed Chrysler to move quickly to forge a partnership with Fiat if it expects to receive additional government assistance. Wagoner was replaced with GM COO Fritz Henderson.

Small-cap Providence Service Corp. (Nasdaq:PRSC) is up over 30% this afternoon after the company guided earnings above estimates. Also climbing higher today is small-cap retailer Shoe Carnival, Inc. (Nasdaq:SCVL), rising 15% on higher-than-average volume, and InterDigital, Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC), up 16% after cutting 100 jobs and announcing a business realignment.

******I didn’t know former General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner was so popular. The morning headlines in the financial press make it sound as though stocks are selling off because Wagoner and other auto industry executives failed to put forth strong enough turnaround plans to guarantee more government loans.

Never mind that the S&P 500 rallied 167 points, or 25%, over the last two weeks. Ignore the possibility that one of the sharpest rallies in stock market history might have some investors taking profits.

Now, that’s not to say that the hard line taken by the Obama administration toward the automakers isn’t affecting the stock market. It is. But just as the market rallied on news starting March 9, the bad news from the automakers is a catalyst for selling. News tends to catalyze investors’ predispositions.

*****The suggestion by the Obama administration that Wagoner step aside if GM is to get any more government money is certainly interesting. I’m sure that there will be many pundits criticizing the President for this move. After all, do we believe that President Obama knows more about making cars than a Detroit CEO?

Even though Wagoner pinned his company’s future on the Hummer . . .

Fuel Systems Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq:FSYS), ArcSight Inc. (Nasdaq:ARST) and Insulet Corp. (Nasdaq:PODD) are among the most actively traded companies in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Netlogic Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq:NETL), InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC), American Public Education Inc. (Nasdaq:APEI), Zions Bancorp (Nasdaq:ZION), Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (Nasdaq:ENER) and Bucyrus International Inc. (Nasdaq:BUCY).

Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF), Bare Escentuals Inc. (Nasdaq:BARE) and DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS) are among the most actively traded companies in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC), VisionChina Media Inc. (Nasdaq:VISN), Pan American Silver Corp. (Nasdaq:PAAS), Crosstex Energy L.P (Nasdaq:XTEX) and thinkorswim Group Inc. (Nasdaq:SWIM).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Kenexa Corp. (Nasdaq:KNXA), InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC) and US Global Investors Inc. (Nasdaq:GROW) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Eagle Rock Energy Partners L.P (Nasdaq:EROC), Sunrise Senior Living Inc. (Nasdaq:SRZ), Internet Initiative Japan Depository Receipt (Nasdaq:IIJI), WNS Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq:WNS), MAP Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:MAPP) and MAXXAM Inc. (Nasdaq:MXM).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Small-cap stocks pushed higher Tuesday, bolstered by a sharp pullback in crude oil prices that allowed a little breathing room toward inflation fears and the consumer spending picture. In addition, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the central bank could extend the emergency lending window to strapped financial institutions, which took a little heat off the credit crunch — at least momentarily. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM), gained 24.46, or 3.72%, to 682.72, generating the largest one-day gain since March 18 and the third largest one-day percentage rally of the year.

Small-cap stocks were noticeably stronger than their large-cap brethren, which were dragged down by significant losses on key oil stocks such as Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), which was down 0.7% heading toward the close, Chevron (NYSE:CVX), off 1% and oil services stock Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE:SLB), which shed 3.7%.

Before the stock market open earlier today, Bernanke’s comments erased solid overnight losses in stock index futures, and helped alleviate mounting worldwide concern about the health of the banking system. Before the Bernanke rescue, European shares were sinking, paced by a slide to five-year lows in bank stocks, and elsewhere around the world global stock index products slipped into bear market territory.

Even though the tone improved with today’s recovery in equities, the market is still clearly in a tenuous position fretting about high energy costs amid sluggish . . .

Small-cap stocks are rising in afternoon trading, as crude oil dropped to about $136 a barrel and the U.S. dollar gained on both the euro and the yen. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke further fueled bullish sentiments by suggesting the central bank could extend emergency lending to financial firms in a morning speech.

At 2:38 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 9.38, or 1.42%, at 667.64, while the Dow was up 52.67, or 0.47%, at 11,284.63.

“Today, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the U.S. central bank may keep an emergency lending facility for big Wall Street firms open past the critical year end turn as the Fed hopes to restore financial market stability,” Andy Busch, global foreign exchange strategist for BMO Capital Markets, wrote in an email. “Given the panic Monday in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, I think this will help cool some of the hype/panic of another looming financial market meltdown.”

Broad market sectors on the rise this afternoon include airlines, restaurant services, groceries, railroads, major drug companies, trucking transportation and life insurance. Sectors experiencing a sell-off include coal, metal mining, oil and gas operations, iron and steel, construction and agricultural machinery, hotels and motels, gold and silver and chemical manufacturing.

Small-cap companies making news this afternoon include natural gas and oil company Royale Energy Inc. (Nasdaq:ROYL), which is down 14% in afternoon trading as a result of crude oil prices dropping from last week's record-highs. InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC) is falling more than 23% this afternoon after the company announced the start of a hearing in the U.S. International Trade Commission against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. InterDigital, a King of Prussia, Pa.-based wireless technology designer and distributor, alleges that Samsung engaged in unfair trade . . .

InterDigital Inc (Nasdaq:IDCC), Pyramid Oil Co (Nasdaq:PDO) and OfficeMax Inc (Nasdaq:OMX) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Royale Energy Inc (Nasdaq:ROYL), Asset Acceptance Capital Corp (Nasdaq:AACC), James River Coal Co (Nasdaq:JRCC), AgFeed Industries Inc (Nasdaq:FEED), Mexco Energy Corp (Nasdaq:MXC) and Heritage Financial Group (Nasdaq:HBOS).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

InterDigital Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC) is falling more than 22% today after the company announced the start of a hearing in the U.S. International Trade Commission against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. InterDigital, a King of Prussia, Pa.-based wireless technology designer and distributor, alleges that Samsung engaged in unfair trade practices through its sales of handsets and components, which violate five InterDigital patents. InterDigital said in a statement today that the committee has so far recommended a non-binding finding that Samsung did not violate fair trade practices. But, the hearing is set to end on July 15 with the target date for a final committee determination set for March 25, 2009.