Tag - Lfus

Littelfuse Inc (Nasdaq:LFUS), Par Technology Corp (Nasdaq:PTC) and MedQuist Inc (Nasdaq:MEDQ) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Cadiz Inc (Nasdaq:CDZI), John Bean Technologies Corp (Nasdaq:JBT), CAI International Inc (Nasdaq:CAP), Methode Electronics Inc (Nasdaq:MEI), Female Health Co (Nasdaq:FHCO) and Lannett Co Inc (Nasdaq:LCI).

Small-cap stocks slipped Wednesday, as an early lift on better-than-feared economic data and firm tech stocks was overshadowed in the afternoon by worries about banks, fretting over delays in the Obama stimulus program and slumping retail stocks. Some of today’s small-cap gainers were Allos Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:ALTH), Tremisis Energy Acquisition Corp. (NYSE:TGY) and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.  (Nasdaq:EGLE).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Insurance firms, packaged foods companies, entertainment firms, breweries and tobacco stocks were on the slide.  
• Looking at sector activity so far, metals and mining stocks were doing well, as were semiconductors, forest products and investment banks.  
• Ahead of the opening today, the ADP Employment survey pegged a decline in non-farm payrolls of 522,000.  
• The ISM Non-Manufacturing Report came in at 42.9, which was better than the consensus forecast of 39.1 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Allos Therapeutics Inc. rose 4.8% on brisk turnover following news Tuesday afternoon that the company plans to submit a new drug application to the FDA in the next few months. See (Nasdaq:ALTH).  
• Tremisis Energy Acquisition Corp. was up just 0.8% at midday, but generating quite a spike in volume while approaching the highest point since mid-September. See (NYSE:TGY).  
• Bulk shippers wehe percentage mover boards today; Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. was up nearly 15%, Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd. was up 11%. See (Nasdaq:EGLE) and (NYSE:GNK).

Small Cap Losers:

• Sports Properties Acquisition Corp. was off 0.3% on heavy volume. See (NYSE:HMR).  
• Littlefuse Inc. gapped lower and was off 13% as the industrial component maker took an earnings-related hit. See (Nasdaq:LFUS).  
• Computer network company Jack Henry & Associates posts 4% Q2 decline, sending shares down 10% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:JKHY). 

Small-cap stocks rallied into mid-session trading, lifted by a better reading on the country’s sprawling services sector than feared. Additional support was tied to a private employment survey that also was above the worst end of projections, providing some investor calm ahead of Friday’s big monthly Labor Department release on employment.  Some of today’s small-cap gainers were Allos Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:ALTH), Tremisis Energy Acquisition Corp. (NYSE:TGY) and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.  (Nasdaq:EGLE).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Insurance firms, packaged foods companies, entertainment firms, breweries and tobacco stocks were on the slide.  
• Looking at sector activity so far, metals and mining stocks were doing well, as were semiconductors, forest products and investment banks.  
• Ahead of the opening today, the ADP Employment survey pegged a decline in non-farm payrolls of 522,000.  
• The ISM Non-Manufacturing Report came in at 42.9, which was better than the consensus forecast of 39.1 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Allos Therapeutics Inc. rose 4.8% on brisk turnover following news Tuesday afternoon that the company plans to submit a new drug application to the FDA in the next few months. See (Nasdaq:ALTH).  
• Tremisis Energy Acquisition Corp. was up just 0.8% at midday, but generating quite a spike in volume while approaching the highest point since mid-September. See (NYSE:TGY).  
• Bulk shippers wehe percentage mover boards today; Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. was up nearly 15%, Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd. was up 11%. See (Nasdaq:EGLE) and (NYSE:GNK).

Small Cap Losers:

• Sports Properties Acquisition Corp. was off 0.3% on heavy volume. See (NYSE:HMR).  
• Littlefuse Inc. gapped lower and was off 13% as the industrial component maker took an earnings-related hit. See (Nasdaq:LFUS).  
• Computer network company Jack Henry & Associates posts 4% Q2 decline, sending shares down 10% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:JKHY). 

Small-cap stocks hovered near steady levels in early trading, with pressure from weak corporate profit news countered by bargain hunting, overseas gains and a private employment report that wasn’t as bad as feared. Some of today’s small-cap gainers were RadiSys Corp. (Nasdaq:RSYS), Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLE) and Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd.  (NYSE:GNK).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• In overnight trading, commodity and mining stocks were on the defensive, possibly reflecting a nice rally in the U.S. dollar, which was up 1.4% against the euro this morning.  
• Crude oil prices were up modestly into the stock market open, pulled higher by talk of further production cuts out of OPEC.  
• Tech stocks, electronics makers and auto stocks were among the better performers in Asian trading overnight
• In overseas trading, European shares pushed higher despite disappointing December retail sales.

Small Cap Gainers:

• RadiSys Corp. gapped higher and jumped 23% as the communications networking firm got an earnings boost. See (Nasdaq:RSYS).  
• Bulk shippers were the percentage mover boards today; Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. was up nearly 15%, Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd. was up 11%. See (Nasdaq:EGLE) and (NYSE:GNK). 
• Riverbed Technology Q4 profit beats Street; shares rise over 14% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:RVBD).
• Illumina Q4 results beats Street, strong Q1, 2009 view. Shares climb 13% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:ILMN).  

Small Cap Losers:

• Small-cap chip designer Rambus Inc. fell some 20% in extended trading Tuesday on news that a judge postponed a patent trial dispute. See (Nasdaq:RMBS).
• Littlefuse Inc. gapped lower and was off 13% as the industrial component maker took an earnings-related hit. See (Nasdaq:LFUS).  
• Computer network company Jack Henry & Associates posts 4% Q2 decline, sending shares down 10% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:JKHY).  

Small-cap stocks hovered near steady levels in early trading, with pressure from weak corporate profit news countered by bargain hunting, overseas gains and a private employment report that wasn’t as bad as feared. At 9:52 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 0.26, or 0.06% at 452.64.

The ADP Employment Survey reflected a loss of 522,000 jobs from non-farm payrolls and projected the Labor Department report Friday would show a decline in jobs of 525,000, which was slightly above the median forecast of 500,000. That said, the market took the ADP figures in stride, with a “it could have been much worse” mentality in play. It’s worth noting that the ADP report was veering way offline for many months before they shifted methodology last month and got back on a tighter track with the Labor Department survey.

In overseas trading, European shares pushed higher despite disappointing December retail sales. The gains were a little dynamic in Asia, where Chinese shares climbed 2.7% as the government started to release funds for stimulus programs and Indonesia cut interest rates. Tech stocks, electronics makers and auto stocks were among the better performers in Asian trading overnight.

Here in the United States, much of the individual corporate profit news was gloomy this morning, including disappointments from The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS), Costco Wholesale Corp. (Nasdaq:COST) and Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX). Shortly . . .

Polypore International Inc. (Nasdaq:PPO), Iris International Inc. (Nasdaq:IRIS) and Sauer Danfoss Inc. (Nasdaq:SHS) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: OSI Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIS), Natus Medical Inc. (Nasdaq:BABY), RGC Resources Inc. (Nasdaq:RGCO), VNUS Medical Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:VNUS), Littelfuse Inc. (Nasdaq:LFUS) and Protective Life Corp. (Nasdaq:PL).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Small caps have plunged late afternoon after the bailout bill failed to pass in the House overshadowing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s brokered deal for Citigroup (NYSE:C) to purchase Wachovia’s (NYSE:WB) banking operations.

At 2:07 p.m. ET the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 5%, or 36, to 668. 

The House of Representatives failed to pass the $700 bailout bill, shocking markets and sending the S&P to its lowest level since 1997. After the bill failed, a motion was made for reconsideration of the bill; however attempts to revive it failed. Uncertainty looms around what comes next.

"Right now the market is extremely disappointed,” Andy Busch, global foreign exchange strategist of BMO Capital Markets, said. “It’s a huge embarrassment to both the Democratic and Republican leadership in the U.S. House. This bill shouldn’t have been brought to the floor if they couldn’t have passed it in its current form. I firmly believe that this was the gun to everyone’s head that they needed to see what was out there for the people who voted against it. I believe they will bring back this bill in another form and vote on it again. It’s dead for now…but I think it’s pretty clear they want to get something done because of the disastrous affect it’s had.”

In an attempt to battle the burgeoning credit crisis globally, the Federal Reserve along with the central banks of other countries said they will work together to inject cash into the global financial system to provide relief for debilitated banks. The U.S. central bank has also received authority to pay interest on reserves held by the Fed.

“This should encourage banks to leave funds at the bank while they receive 2%,” Busch said in an email. “This will allow the Fed to expand its balance sheet without forcing Fed Funds to zero. This means they can potentially pump up the liquidity by massive amounts to assist with the credit crunch.”

In the latest chapter of the credit crisis, Citigroup will act as Wachovia’s white knight under the direction of the FDIC and acquire its banking operations. Under the terms of the deal, Citigroup will assume $42 billion in losses and provide the FDIC with $12 billion in preferred stock and warrants, while the FDIC will absorb the remaining losses. The deal also contains a provision that protects Wachovia debtholders. To finance the deal, Citigroup said it will offer $10 billion in stock and cut its quarterly dividend by half to $0.16 per share. The sale follows the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank’s . . .

Littlefuse Inc. (Nasdaq:LFUS) fell by 9% this morning after lowering its third-quarter guidance.
 
The Des Plaines, Ill.-based circuit protection products manufacturer announced before the bell today that it now expects to report earnings per share of $0.30 to $0.35 on revenue of $140 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30.
 
Previously, the firm had estimated revenue of $145 million to $150 million.
 
Analysts polled by Thomson First Call on average were expecting Littlefuse to report earnings of $0.44 on revenue of $147.13 million for the third quarter.
 
The company said automotive sales dropped off “sharply” in the quarter.
 
By late morning, the stock is at $30.89, down $3.02 from Friday’s close. Shares have ranged from $26.90 to $39.21 in the past year.
 
For detailed price information and news stories on Littlefuse, click LFUS.

Littlefuse, Inc. (Nasdaq:LFUS) is in the process of laying the groundwork for big things to come.

The company manufactures and sells circuit protection and related devices to a global base of customers in the electrical and automotive industries. At a market cap of $788 million, the Illinois-based company has been in business since 1927.

The company’s founder Edward Sundt invented the first small, fast-acting protective fuse that was used to prevent sensitive test meters from burning out. Since then, the company has done everything from developing mission-critical components for NASA to making fuses for General Motors (NYSE:GM). Today some of its major customers include Cisco Systems (Nasdaq:CSCO), General Electric (NYSE:GE), Ford (NYSE:F) and Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU).

The company operates in three major segments: electronics, automotive and electrical. The electronics segment presently accounts for a little more than 60% of the company’s total sales. The automotive business makes up just under 30% of Littlefuse’s sales, with the electrical segment coming up with the remainder. The company’s sales are well-diversified from a geographical standpoint. Sales to Asia comprise 38% of the company’s portfolio with the Americas and Europe accounting for 37% and 25%, respectively.

The company is coming off a first quarter in which adjusted diluted EPS rose by 28.6% on a 1.4% increase in sales versus the year-ago quarter. On a year-over-year basis, automotive and electrical sales increased 8% and 5%, respectively, while electronics sales fell 1%. Other positive developments that transpired during the quarter were the repurchase of $6.6 million worth of Littlefuse shares, the acquisition of a company that supplies high-current ground fault protection devices and a spike in the company’s book-to-bill ratio for electronics.

Analysts are looking for Littlefuse to finish 2008 with EPS of $1.85 on $569 million in revenues. These numbers would represent 12.8% and 6.1% respective increases over the company’s 2007 results. Analysts are then expecting EPS to grow by another 31.4% in 2009 on a 6.2% rise in sales versus expected 2008 results.

As of Tuesday, the company’s stock price was up 10.41% so far this year. This appreciation compares favorably to the S&P 500, which is down 7.4% year-to-date. Despite this market-beating performance, one analyst still believes that . . .

Littelfuse Inc. (Nasdaq:LFUS)
Des Plaines, Ill.
http://www.littelfuse.com
 
52-week low / high: $26.90 / $44.99
Shares Outstanding: 22.67 million
Market Capitalization: $765 million

Littelfuse Inc.’s (Nasdaq:LFUS) fuse may have blown, but the lights that have been turned off are beginning to flicker as the company restructures to streamline fixed costs and take advantage of emerging end markets.

The manufacturer of circuit protection and electrical fuses for electronic, automotive and electrical markets in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific is in the process of implementing major cost reductions. It will be shifting its manufacturing facilities to lower-cost regions such as China, Mexico and the Philippines from Europe and the United States. This bodes well for the company in that it will be better able to leverage fixed costs for its fuel plants located in lower-cost countries that are closer to customer facilities.

Although there is still maintenance on the cost side to be finished before this little company really radiates, Littelfuse is showing signs of growth on the revenues and earnings side of the equation as it targets emerging markets and benefits from currency repatriation from the Euro zone.

For the fourth quarter ended Dec. 29, 2007, which is typically a slower quarter seasonally, earnings clocked in above management’s guidance range of $0.33 to $0.37 per share. Earnings per share spiked 81% to $0.38 from $0.21 in the fourth quarter of 2006. Margins ticked up 30 basis points to 32.2% (excluding an impairment charge) compared with 31.9% in the fourth quarter last year.

Sales in each of Littelfuse’s segments increased across the board. The electrical segment led the way with a 14% sales increase, while automotive and electronics sales grew 9% and 3%, respectively.

The electronic segment saw inventory levels stabilize and return to normal levels in the fourth quarter, as growth in flat panel TV and notebook PC end markets helped buoy sales. The company also obtained design wins from Nokia Siemens and a China infrastructure company in the quarter. This segment should spur strong growth for the company going forward as it benefits from a growing position in Asia.

The company’s automotive business is also performing well, as it makes progress on its strategy to expand in Asia, ramp up new products and grow its off-road truck and bus segment, which achieved double-digit growth in 2007. The company also added several channels in Europe, America and Asia.

For the year, ended Dec. 29, 2007, earnings surged 54% to $1.64 per share from $1.06 per share in 2006. Regionally, sales in Europe and Asia increased 6% and 3%, respectively; however, sales in the Americas declined 5%.

Favorable currency repatriation from the Euro Zone also helped bolster the company’s results and should continue to going forward.

This year will be a transitional one as the company finishes its restructuring. But once Littelfuse wraps up its restructuring efforts, look for this little company to light up as permanently streamlined costs converge with growing sales and earnings to create major sparks.

Note: Littelfuse Inc. (Nasdaq:LFUS) is on the “Watch List” of Rising Star Stocks, a subscription investment newsletter from Business Financial Publishing, which also publishes SmallCapInvestor.com. As a Watch List company, Littelfuse displays many characteristics found in successful stock winners, and is being closely monitored for possible inclusion in the Rising Star Stocks portfolio at a later date.