Tag - Mth

Orbital Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq:ORB), Hampton Roads Bankshares Inc. (Nasdaq:HMPR) and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:HA) are among the biggest percentage losers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: DineEquity Inc. (Nasdaq:DIN), Manitowoc Co Inc. (Nasdaq:MTW), CenterState Banks Inc. (Nasdaq:CSFL), Tenneco Inc. (Nasdaq:TEN), Phase Forward Inc. (Nasdaq:PFWD) and Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH).

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (Nasdaq:LGF), Zion Oil and Gas Inc. (Nasdaq:ZN) and Daktronics Inc. (Nasdaq:DAKT) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Stewardship Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:SSFN), Hooker Furniture Corp. (Nasdaq:HOFT), MasTec Inc. (Nasdaq:MTZ), Kadant Inc. (Nasdaq:KAI), Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH) and Syms Corp. (Nasdaq:SYMS).

Virtual Radiologic Corp. (Nasdaq:VRAD), Heartland Financial USA Inc. (Nasdaq:HTLF) and Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Destination Maternity Corp. (Nasdaq:DEST), Parexel International Corporation (Nasdaq:PRXL), Hexcel Corp. (Nasdaq:HXL), ev3 Inc. (Nasdaq:EVVV), Quaker Chemical Corp. (Nasdaq:KWR) and Intevac Inc. (Nasdaq:IVAC).

American Greetings Corp. (Nasdaq:AM), Central Pacific Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:CPF) and Chart Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:GTLS) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Tennant Co. (Nasdaq:TNC), Trex Co Inc. (Nasdaq:TWP), PDL BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq:PDLI), Epoch Holding Corp. (Nasdaq:EPHC), Elbit Imaging Ltd. (Nasdaq:EMITF) and Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH).

Small-cap stocks remained in negative territory into midday action, but rallied well off the morning lows as bargain hunters swooped in, hoping that this latest foray toward the range lows offered buying opportunity once again. Gains for airline, biotech, mining and IT stocks helped ease some of the losses endured in bank, financial, homebuilder and insurance shares. At 12:25 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 3, or 0.67%, at 444.94, after hitting an intraday low at 438.12.

The market fell hard early this morning, with the Dow sinking to the lowest point since the November lows were forged, while small caps appeared poised to test the January range lows. The market just didn’t believe a “too good to be true” retail sales report, which left another dreary reading on the employment picture as the only place to hang one’s trading cap. For those keeping score, the retail sales report was pegged up 1.0%, versus a forecast for a slide of 0.7%, while the weekly unemployment claims report came in at 623,000, slightly above the 610,000 projection. In the background of today’s news, investors continue to fret about the bank bail out plan and whether or not the stimulus bill will have too deep of a lag time to rescue the stock market in the near term.

Biotech stocks were among the top performers so far today, with the AMEX Biotechnology Index up 1.2%. In addition, the AMEX Airline Index was clinging to positive ground, up 0.2% as crude oil prices remained weak.

Speaking of “black gold” — crude prices fell below $35 a barrel this morning as worries about soft demand amid the U.S. recession continue to smack down buyers that are seduced by talk of OPEC production cuts. The dip in crude oil prices likely weighed on energy shares, which were off about 1% into mid-session.

Despite pockets of strength today, key “theme” groups, like banks and homebuilders were carrying the torch for the bears. The ISE Homebuilder Index was . . .

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) fell hard today, as investors worried that a new plan to rescue a teetering banking system might be “too little, too late” to stave off a deepening recession or unclog credit lines. Some of today’s small-cap gainers were California First National Bancorp (Nasdaq:CFNB), Williams Controls (Nasdaq:WMCO) and SuccessFactors (Nasdaq:SFSF).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• U.S. stocks were seen opening lower, pulled down by losses overseas as the market waits for updates on the fiscal stimulus vote and on the bank bailout details.
• Copper prices and shares of copper miners were on the defensive overnight, a caution sign as copper is considered a key economic indicator.
• The wholesale inventories report came in at minus 1.4%, which was a bigger drop than forecast. 
• Small-cap stocks plunged as investors engaged in a “buy-the-rumor, sell-the-fact” response to the official rollout of the bank bailout plan
• Bernanke said that financial markets were frozen over about the economy and hinted that there was a risk for stagflation if the banking system is not fixed.
• With investors fleeing stocks today and scrambling for safe-haven outlets, money clearly moved into Treasury products.
• Crude oil futures in New York eventually closed down 5.5%, or $2.21, to $37.35 a barrel and energy stocks sank some 4.5% on the day.
• Given the focus on bank rescue news today, bank stocks were the worst performers today, with the KBW Banking Index tumbling 13%.
• Almost all of S&P sector groups were in the negative today. Even gold, . . .

Small-cap stocks collapsed Tuesday as investors worried that a new plan to rescue a teetering banking system might be “too little, too late” to stave off a deepening recession or unclog credit lines. Even a one-two punch of a new bank plan coupled with Senate approval for a massive $838 billion stimulus bill wasn’t enough to bring cheer to worried investors. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 22.17, or 4.74%, at 445.77, giving back most of last week’s hard-fought gain in breakneck fashion, while generating the second-largest one-day decline of 2009. For the year, the Russell is now off 10.7%, while the Dow is down 10.1% and the S&P 500 8.4%.

Going into today’s trading the market was clearly focused on a bevy of events coming out of Washington, including the Treasury Department’s official unveiling of the bank rescue project; the Senate vote on the stimulus package and testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke before the House Financial Services Committee. Apparently, it was three strikes and the market was out for today’s big events, but clearly the dominant force was the initial selling wave triggered after the bank plan was formally announced by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Was it simply a case of “buy-the-rumor, sell-the-fact” selling from investors who had previously bid up bank stocks ahead of the news, or was there a deep-seated disappointment about the plan? “I think there was a little of both, but the biggest thing is that investors are worried that the current problems are just too big to fix quickly by having taxpayers absorb the risk from banks on their toxic holdings,” one veteran trader told smallcapinvestor.com.

As for the Senate’s long-awaited okay on the stimulus program there will still be a process in which the Senate’s bill and a House version signed two weeks ago will be meshed out together before a final bill is presented to President Obama to be signed into law. For the most part, investors have viewed the stimulus package as more of a long-term recovery tool than an immediate panacea for the economy . . .

Small-cap stocks pushed higher Tuesday, shaking off losses in the banking and financial sector amid gains for homebuilders, drug and energy shares. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed up 3.28, or 0.73%, at 452.90, but lagged gains in the Dow and S&P 500, which takes some of the edge off the advance. For the year, the Russell is down 9.3%, while the Dow is off 7.9% and the S&P 500 is down 7.1%.

The market started off on a defensive note and continued to chop around on both sides of positive ground until the bulls gained traction in the afternoon. About 30 minutes into the session an upbeat reading on pending home sales and an announcement by the Federal Reserve that they would extend various credit windows helped underpin the market.

For the record, pending home sales came in plus 6.3%, well above the forecast for a flat reading. The upside release helped spark a rise in homebuilder stocks with the ISE Homebuilders Index climbing 8.3%. Several key companies in the homebuilder universe fall within small-cap guidelines, including Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE:MTH), which jumped 17% on the day. Small-cap builders KB Home (NYSE:KBH) rose 10%, while Centex Corp. (NYSE:CTX) was up 10%.

The other piece of economic data in play today came from various sales reports out of automobile companies. As expected, vehicle sales fell off a cliff again in January, with General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM) collapsing 49%, Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) down some 40%, while Toyota Motor Corp. (now the world’s largest automaker) saw a sales drop of 34% and Nissan tumbled 30%. Despite the sober news on sales, Ford shares actually finished higher on the day (up about 4%), while General Motors was down 3%.

Energy shares outpaced the overall market rise today, helped along by a modest 1.7% advance in crude oil futures, which gained $0.70 a barrel to $40.78. Crude prices were underpinned by talk of additional production cuts out of OPEC and some . . .

Small-cap stocks drifted lower into mid-session, unable to keep pace with mild gains in large-cap indices as smaller banks and financial firms were a drag on the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM). Some of today’s small-cap gainers were PharmaNet Development Group Inc. (Nasdaq:PDGI), Allied Healthcare International Inc. (Nasdaq:AHCI) and KB Home (NYSE:KBH).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Poor performers were regional banks, diverse financial services firms, consumer finance companies, diversified banks, casinos and REITs.   Feb 03, 2009 1:11pm
• Personal products companies, steel stocks, coal firms and general merchandise stores were all doing well today.   Feb 03, 2009 1:10pm
• Motorcycle manufacturers were a top performer today, but the large automakers were in retreat mode as they release sales numbers today.   Feb 03, 2009 1:10pm
• Bank stocks were a major drag on the market, with the KBW Banking Index off about 4.1%. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• PharmaNet Development Group Inc. soared 244% on news the firm will be acquired by JLL Partners Inc. for $5 a share. See (Nasdaq:PDGI).  
• Allied Healthcare International Inc. was up 21% on heavy turnover amid an earnings-related boost. See (Nasdaq:AHCI).  
• Small-cap homebuilder KB Home was up 6.8%, while Meritage Homes Corp. was up 10.9%. See (NYSE:KBH) and (NYSE:MTH)

Small Cap Losers:

• Complete Production Services slips to loss in Q4; shares tumble over 16%. See (NYSE:CPX).  
• Colonial Properties shares sink 12% on Q4 report. See (NYSE:CLP).  
• Warner Music Group Corp. was off 6.4% on active volume; the only apparent news was a PR release last night that the firm would enter a global distribution deal with Destiny Media. See (NYSE:WMG). 

Small-cap stocks drifted lower into mid-session, unable to keep pace with mild gains in large-cap indices as smaller banks and financial firms were a drag on the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM). At 12:17 p.m. ET, the Russell was down 0.60, or 0.13%, at 449.02.

Losses were limited by a surprisingly stout rise in pending home sales, which were up 6.3%, compared with market expectations for a flat number. Homebuilder stocks seemed to get a lift from the number, with the ISE Homebuilder Index rising 5.2%. Small-cap homebuilder KB Home (NYSE:KBH) was up 6.8%, while Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE:MTH) was up 10.9%.

The Federal Reserve also announced plans to keep programs on commercial paper operations running for a longer time frame, which was a supportive element for the market. Despite those two upbeat news items, bank stocks were a major drag on the market, with the KBW Banking Index off about 4.1%.

Earnings were a mixed bag today, but expectations are so low on the profit front, that any sign of mild upside surprises is embraced by investors. Drug maker Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) beat the estimate and was a big supportive element for the Dow index. Drug stocks in general were outpacing the overall market, with the AMEX Pharmaceuticals Index up 1.6%.

Looking at sector activity, motorcycle manufacturers were a top performer today, but the large automakers were in retreat mode as they release sales numbers today. General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM) was down 6.1%, while Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) was down 3.1%. Personal products companies, steel stocks, coal firms and general merchandise stores were all doing well today. On the downside, the . . .

Small-cap stocks turned higher in choppy trade into midday, with pressure from soft energy and financial shares countered by gains in retail and technology stocks. At 12:39 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 2.96, or 0.67%, at 446.48.

Treasury markets continued to rise through mid-session trading, which may have siphoned some money away from equities. The yield on benchmark 10-year notes, which moves inverse to price, was down 2.6% as demand was solid for credit instruments.

Energy stocks were among the worst performers so far today, with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund off 2% as crude oil prices edged lower amid concern about demand from not just the United States, but also major energy customers around the world.

Looking at S&P groups so far today, the best performers were health care, food distributors, systems software firms, department stores, Internet retail, Internet software services, semiconductor companies and homebuilders. After a rough go in recent days, the ISE Homebuilder Index was up about 1.4% at midday with small-cap homebuilder Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE:MTH) up 5.8%.

Small-cap retailers making positive noise today included Inter Parfums Inc. (Nasdaq:IPAR), as the cosmetics firm was up 7.4% after a rocky few days of trading surrounding earnings results from late January.

Some negative sentiment continues to be attached to concerns that progress on the “bad bank” concept appears to have stalled and also by worries that passage of a big stimulus package could take longer than originally expected.

Individual small caps making a move today include Blyth Inc. (NYSE:BTH), which jumped 29% on unusually heavy volume, recovering nicely from news lows set late last week after the home fragrance and home décor firm announced a reverse stock split. Volt Information Science Inc. (NYSE:VOL) rose 21% recovering from a wild up and down session Friday in conjunction with earnings news. Preformed Line Products Co. (Nasdaq:PLPC) was up 18% without any apparent fresh news, as the network line maintenance company mounted a big bounce off move lows forged last . . .

Small-cap stocks took a hit Thursday, snapping a string of four consecutive winning sessions with a resounding downside spiral as dreary economic data and lousy corporate profit reports triggered a wave of selling. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) tumbled 19.78, or 4.18%, to 453.24, and is now down 9.2% for the year. The Dow is now down 7.1% for 2009, while the S&P 500 is off 6.4%.

Just one day after generating the second-biggest rally of the year, the Russell slumped to the third worst daily decline, reminiscent of the roller coaster ride surrounding the Obama inauguration, which saw the best and worst days of 2009 in back-to-back fashion. It has become a familiar and uncomfortable trendless volatility as the market waffles between bargain hunting and renewed dread about the worst economic recession since the Great Depression 70 years ago.

Today’s big event was a trio of economic reports that stood to remind us all that even though data might be a “lagging” indicator for stocks, when the numbers get numbingly awful, the confidence to shrug them off starts to wane. This morning saw weekly unemployment claims rise to 588,000, which was slightly above the forecast. But it wasn’t the weekly figure that was troubling, it was the number of Americans forced to file for continuing unemployment benefits because they can’t find a job. That number swelled to 4.77 million, the highest number on record. There are now more people than ever before forced to draw unemployment insurance, and we’re supposedly not yet at the worst of the jobs situation.

“In addition to staggering layoff announcements in January across a wide spectrum of firms, the actual number of folks filing for unemployment insurance climbed 3,000 during the week ended Jan. 24. Continuing claims, which lag initial claims by one week, advanced to 4.776 million and the insured unemployment rate increased to 3.6%, which is a cycle high from 3.4% in the prior week. The January employment report is likely to show a grimmer picture of the labor market compared with the December data,” Asha Bangalore, economist with Northern Trust, said in an email. 

And while the weekly claims report alone was an uncomfortable piece of data, there was no relief to be found in the monthly durable goods report or the latest reading on new home sales. Durable goods orders declined for the fifth consecutive . . .

Small-cap stocks extended the morning slide into midday trading, as a fresh run of economic data this morning suggested that the economic recession is darkening. Selling interest was heightened by a bevy of awful corporate profit reports, shuffling the previous four days of rallies into the background. Some of today’s small-cap gainers were POZEN (Nasdaq:POZN), OSI Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIS) and Sepracor (Nasdaq:SEPR).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The chart picture took a sudden turn for the worse today, unable to sustain Wednesday’s breakout through the recent trading range highs.  
• Energy shares fell 2.4% as the crude oil market saw the weak economic data and fretted anew about demand destruction in a global recession.  
• Gold shares were mildly higher, but just barely, with the Gold and Silver Index rising about 2%.  
• As you might expect given dreadful home sales numbers & historically high unemployment rolls, homebuilder stocks were getting bruised today.   J
• This morning’s weekly claims report showed that more Americans are now drawing unemployment insurance than at any point in history.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• POZEN informed by FDA that endoscopic gastric ulcer incidence continues to be an acceptable primary endpoint; shares climb 17% in pre-market. See (Nasdaq:POZN). 
• OSI Systems Inc. rose 16% as the electronics system designer received an earnings lift. See (Nasdaq:OSIS).  
• Sepracor rises 10% in pre-market to cut workforce despite rise in profit. See (Nasdaq:SEPR)

Small Cap Losers:

• Online futures and options broker optionsXpress Holdings Inc. fell 14% after reporting earnings. See (Nasdaq:OXPS).
• SurModics Inc. gapped lower and shed nearly 20% as the medical products company took an earnings related hit. See (Nasdaq:SRDX).  
• Inter Parfums Inc. tumbled 23%, wiping out solid recent gains in the process. See (Nasdaq:IPAR).  
• The ISE Homebuilders Index is down 5.7%; small-cap builders Centex Corp. off 5% and Meritage Homes Corp. down 12%. See (NYSE:CTX) and (NYSE:MTH). 

 

Small-cap stocks extended the morning slide into midday trading, as a fresh run of economic data this morning suggested that the economic recession is darkening. Selling interest was heightened by a bevy of awful corporate profit reports, shuffling the previous four days of rallies into the background. At 12:22 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 11.89, or 2.51%, at 461.13.

This morning’s weekly claims report showed that more Americans are now drawing unemployment insurance than at any point in history. Everyone is expecting the jobs picture to get worse, but with companies announcing layoffs on a daily basis and with other economic data looking equally gloomy, investors are struggling to cast aside the weak reports right now.

In other economic releases today, orders for durable goods fell more than expected and have now been down for five consecutive months. New home sales tumbled to the lowest rate since the data series began 41 years, sinking 14.7% to an annual rate of 331,000, which was shockingly below the forecast of 400,000.

As you might expect given dreadful home sales numbers and historically high unemployment rolls, homebuilder stocks were getting bruised today, with the ISE Homebuilders Index down 5.7% and small-cap builders Centex Corp. (NYSE:CTX) off 5% and Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE:MTH) down 12%.

Looking at sector activity today, the market was swamped with selling breadth. Gold shares were mildly higher, but just barely, with the Gold and Silver Index rising about 2%. Energy shares fell 2.4% as the crude oil market saw the weak . . .

Small-cap stocks remained lower into mid-session, pulled down by losses in commodity, financial and technology stocks amid ongoing worries about corporate profits in one of the deepest economic recessions since the Great Depression.  Some of today’s small-cap gainers are A-Power (Nasdaq:APWR), Aladdin Knowledge Systems (Nasdaq:ALDN) and Mindray (NYSE:MR).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Corn futures crashed 7%, touching limit down losses and the Gold and Silver Index slumped more than 5%, reflecting losses for mining and metals shares.  
• Commodities were hit especially hard today, with crude oil prices tumbling 7% on worries about the global demand picture.  
• Overseas markets were lower coming into today’s session, which likely weighed on the market as well. 
• The dollar was firm against the euro this morning, which could also weigh on other commodity markets and stocks with close ties to physical markets. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• GE joins with A-Power on wind turbine gearbox equipment; shares of A-Power rise 21%. See (Nasdaq:APWR)
• Aladdin Knowledge Systems agrees to buyout at 20% premium; shares rise 14%. See (Nasdaq:ALDN).  
• Mindray announces preliminary 2008 operating results; shares pop 14%. See (NYSE:MR).
• The Cooper Companies is up 8% today after declaring a half-year cash dividend last week. See (NYSE:COO).

Small Cap Losers:

• Small-cap gold stock Detour Gold Corp. is down 21%. See (Nasdaq:DRGDF). 
• Small-cap coal company Patriot Coal Corp. fell 17.3% as commodities slumped across the board today. See (NYSE:PCX).
• Small-cap eatery Morton’s Restaurant Group Inc. is down 7.8% as restaurant stocks get clobbered. See (NYSE:MRT).  
• Homebuilder shares were taking a hit today, with small-cap builders Centex Corp. down 7.7%; KB Home off 6.2% and Meritage Homes Corp. down 10.5%. See (NYSE:CTX), (NYSE:KBH) and (NYSE:MTH).  

Small-cap stocks remained lower into mid-session, pulled down by losses in commodity, financial and technology stocks amid ongoing worries about corporate profits in one of the deepest economic recessions since the Great Depression. At 12:43 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 5.11, or 1.06%, at 476.18.

Commodities were hit especially hard today, with crude oil prices tumbling 7% on worries about the global demand picture. Elsewhere in commodities, corn futures crashed 7%, touching limit down losses and the Gold and Silver Index slumped more than 5%, reflecting losses for mining and metals shares. Small-cap coal company Patriot Coal Corp. (NYSE:PCX) fell 17.3%. In addition to the general decline in energy and commodities, PCX announced late Friday that they would close their Jupiter mining complex. Small-cap gold stock Detour Gold Corp. (OBB:DRGDF) was down 21%.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said that the U.S. economy was going through a “difficult” economic period, which isn’t exactly a fresh revelation, but which did appear to spook investors and extend the morning pullback in equities. Credit markets were higher, which pulled some money flow away from stocks.

Homebuilder shares were taking a hit today, with small-cap builders Centex Corp. (NYSE:CTX) down 7.7%; KB Home (NYSE:KBH) off 6.2% and Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE:MTH) down 10.5%.

Looking at the financial arena, bank stocks were getting drubbed, with the KBW Banking Index off 3.6% and Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C), down more than 10% amid analyst talk that the bank may still need more capital even after . . .

Small-cap stocks turned in their best performance of the New Year today, as investors decided that a dreary picture of the current economic environment would simply make it that much easier for incoming President-elect Obama to push through a big fiscal stimulus package. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed up 9.68, or 1.92% at 514.71, the highest daily finish since November 4. For the first three days of trading in 2009, the Russell is up 3.1%, while the Dow is up 2.7% and the S&P 500 is up 3.5%.

In what promises to be a very busy week on the economic data front, the market skipped merrily through several gloomy reports today, with services sector activity, pending home sales and factory orders all consistent with an economy mired deep in recession. Even when a report beats the forecast, as was the case with today’s ISM Non-Manufacturing report on services sector activity, it’s still a low number historically. For the record, the ISM report came in at 40.6, well above the consensus projection of 37.0 and a nice turn of events considering the ISM’s tally on manufacturing Friday reflected a 28-year low.

Elsewhere on the data front, factory orders came in down 4.6%, which was quite a bit ...

Small-cap stocks started out the first full week of 2009’s trading in choppy, bifurcated fashion, with support from energy and homebuilding stocks countered by selling in banking, financial, gold, telecom and drug shares. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 0.82, or 0.16% at 505.03, and is now up 1.1% for the New Year, compared with a gain of 2.0% for the Dow and 2.7% for the S&P 500.

The day looked to start out with a bullish bias amid gains in overseas trading tied to optimism over incoming President-elect Obama’s stimulus plans. Officials said this weekend that the measures could include $310 billion in tax cuts, an idea that was embraced by overseas investors – especially in those companies with strong sales to U.S. customers. However, the market has already had a few “Obamanomics” rallies in recent weeks and didn’t seem inclined to run with this latest information.

Telecom and banking shares were both bruised by analyst downgrades in the respective sectors. Dow component JP Morgan Chase and Co. (NYSE:JPM) was one ...

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:CCO), WHX Corp. (Nasdaq:WXCO) and Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:SVNT) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH), Volt Information Sciences Inc. (Nasdaq:VOL), Retalix Ltd. (Nasdaq:RTLX), Bottomline Technologies  Inc. (Nasdaq:EPAY), John Bean Technologies Corp (Nasdaq:JBT) and Saia Inc. (Nasdaq:SAIA).

Small-cap stocks stormed higher Tuesday, extending a morning rally when investors got word that the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to the lowest level in history and hinted that they wouldn’t hesitate to utilize other tactics to help jolt the moribund economy out of one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) rose 30.28, or 6.69%, to 482.35, the highest daily close since Nov. 13. For the year, the Russell is still down 37%, while the Dow is off 33% and the S&P 500 is down 38%.

The FOMC stunned the market by slashing rates by 75 to 100 basis points, well beyond the 50-bp cut that was expected. Policy makers also made no bones about their mission right now: save the economy, worry about prices later. In fact, the Fed’s own statement said they would “employ all available tools to promote the resumption of sustainable economic growth and to preserve price stability.” With prices sinking as evidenced by today’s CPI report, the clear goal is economic growth. Now that the Fed is basically handing out money free of charge to those with access to the Fed window, the next order of business would appear to be attacking long-term interest rates, either through direct purchases or other means. The action was bold and stock market investors liked the approach.

It will be interesting to see if the heightened focus on long-term rates will provide a spark to the moribund housing market. Housing starts numbers released this morning tumbled to the lowest rate in history and slumped 18.9% on a seasonally adjusted rate. Despite the gloomy picture of the housing market, homebuilder shares took off today, attracting bottom-fishers on hopes that a light at the end of the tunnel . . .

Small-cap stocks started out Thursday’s trading session in the red, but quickly bounded back into positive territory showing similar resilience to “bad” news that was seen during Wednesday’s rise. So far today, investors were juggling a raft of disappointing profit reports against the bullish scenario from a fresh batch of rate cuts around the world. At 10:03 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 7.20, or 1.59%, at 460.96.

Several big companies announced plans to reduce workforce numbers this morning, reinforcing the concept that the jobs picture will get uglier before it gets better -- a numbing thought ahead of Friday’s big monthly employment release. There was a bevy of companies that either missed the profit forecast this morning, or lowered the outlook, but the one that seemed to spark the biggest response in pre-market trading was E I du Pont de Nemours and Co. (NYSE:DD), as chemical manufacturer DuPont said it now expects to lose money this quarter versus a previous projection for a profit. In addition, DuPont said it would cut 2,500 jobs. AT&T (NYSE:T) said it would slash some 12,000 jobs.

Economic data on weekly unemployment claims came in better than feared, but the expectations were so terrible that the upside surprise on claims didn’t have much kick. After all, the headline figure still came in above 500,000, which is a big number historically. What’s more, the number of Americans extending unemployment insurance because they can’t find a job rose to the highest point in 26 years. Simply put, firms are laying off employees and they can’t find work. The factory orders report this morning came in at minus 5.1%, which was worse than the forecast for a drop of 3.8% and which was the biggest decline in more than eight years.

In overnight action, central bankers around the world were busy slashing interest rates to help bolster sagging economic activity. The European Central Bank sliced 100 basis points off their benchmark rate, bringing it down to 2%. Meanwhile, . . .

ATP Oil & Gas Corporation (Nasdaq:ATPG), Tesco Corp. (Nasdaq:TESO) and Orient Express Hotels Ltd. (Nasdaq:OEH) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH), SeaChange International Inc. (Nasdaq:SEAC), iPCS Inc. (Nasdaq:IPCS), Hill International Inc. (Nasdaq:HIL), Key Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:KTEC) and Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF).

Lennar Corp. (Nasdaq:LEN), Citi Trends Inc. (Nasdaq:CTRN) and Life Time Fitness Inc. (Nasdaq:LTM) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Hadera Paper Ltd. (Nasdaq:AIP), Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH), United Community Bancorp (Nasdaq:UCBA), American Woodmark Corp. (Nasdaq:AMWD), Student Loan Corp (Nasdaq:STU) and National Research Corp. (Nasdaq:NRCI).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. (Nasdaq:CTB), Zones Inc. (Nasdaq:ZONS) and FirstFed Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:FED) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAG), Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH), Macquarie Infrastructure Co LLC (Nasdaq:MIC), Stage Stores Inc. (Nasdaq:SSI), Magal Security Systems (Nasdaq:MAGS) and PHH Corp. (Nasdaq:PHH).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Minefinders Corp Ltd. (Nasdaq:MFN), Tessera Technologies (Nasdaq:TSRA) and Hercules Offshore Inc. (Nasdaq:HERO) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: SAVVIS Inc. (Nasdaq:SVVS), Allis-Chalmers Energy Inc. (Nasdaq:ALY), Arris Group Inc. (Nasdaq:ARRS), Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH), BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:BBX) and Boyd Gaming Corp. (Nasdaq:BYD).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Even though the market is still hammered for the year, today’s rally was a significant rise for the stock market, small caps included. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) rallied 7.6% for the second-largest one-day gain of the year. Today’s small-cap gainers are Dineequity (Nasdaq:DIN), Synutra International (Nasdaq:SYUT) and Quest Energy Partners (Nasdaq:QELP).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Conference Board reported today that consumer confidence plunged to 41-year lows. With two-thirds of the U.S. economy driven by consumer spending, a retrenched mood into peak holiday season purchasing activity is a troubling sign.
• Some of the renewed faith in the market on Tuesday could very well be tied to optimism ahead of the Federal Reserve’s announcement on interest rates Wednesday afternoon. 
• Inter-bank rates slipped again overnight for the twelfth straight trading day, which many hope is a sign that things are getting better in the ongoing credit crisis.
• The only areas of pronounced weakness today were household appliances, building products, health care facilities and homebuilders.
• Energy stocks were a clear source of strength for the stock market today, with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund jumping some 9%. 
• Despite the rise in energy shares, crude oil prices were skittish to join the buying party and closed down about $0.50 a barrel. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Dineequity Inc. soared some 81% and has now charged some 192% off the lows from Monday. See (NYSE:DIN). 
• Synutra International, Inc. closed up 51% on light volume. See (Nasdaq:SYUT). 
• Quest Energy Partners declares cash distribution for Q3 2008. Stock price closed up 27.5%. See (Nasdaq:QELP). 
• Shares of ARM Holdings closed up 29% after the tech company reported . . .

Parexel International Corporation (Nasdaq:PRXL), Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH) and Rent-A-Center Inc. (Nasdaq:RCII) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Cynosure Inc. (Nasdaq:CYNO), Ceradyne Inc. (Nasdaq:CRDN), LSB Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:LXU), Convergys Corp. (Nasdaq:CVG), Kendle International Inc. (Nasdaq:KNDL) and American Ecology Corp. (Nasdaq:ECOL).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Small-cap stocks turned lower by mid-morning, unable to sustain the opening drive higher against bearish headwinds stirred by glum consumer confidence readings. At 12:35 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 3.35, or 0.75%, at 445.05 as the market slipped to fresh five-year-plus lows once again today.

As we’ve seen in recent weeks, small caps were bruised relative to large-cap products, with the Dow and S&P 500 still in positive territory despite the stunning downturn on consumer confidence readings. The Conference Board’s monthly consumer confidence index tumbled to the lowest level since the survey began back in 1967, sinking to 38.0, well below the forecast of 52.

The dive in confidence was enough to stem an early buying tide in small caps and investors continue to move along with a “bigger is better” mentality on equity investments. Still, the dive in confidence clearly had an impact on large caps as well, which were well off the morning highs.

On the opening, a push higher in Asia and Europe overnight sparked enthusiasm for equities, a sentiment furthered along by a dip in inter-bank lending rates and a firm tone for technology and energy shares. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund was up nearly 5% at mid-session, providing a significant upside element for large caps that spilled into small caps on a much smaller degree.

It was interesting to see that the Russell stalled this morning just shy of logical short-term resistance at 462 instead of jumping above that point on the open. If the market can mount an afternoon rally through 462, then the next resistance points of note are at 474 and 481. On the downside, persistent price action below 450 is truly troubling and there are no noteworthy support points until the Russell gets . . .

Gehl Co. (Nasdaq:GEHL), Nevada Chemicals Inc.(Nasdaq:NCEM) and Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH) are among the new 52-week highs in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: America's Car-Mart Inc. (Nasdaq:CRMT), United Financial Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:UBNK), Amrep Corp. (Nasdaq:AXR), AMERISAFE Inc. (Nasdaq:AMSF), Suffolk Bankcorp (Nasdaq:SUBK) and Hanger Orthopedic Group Inc. (Nasdaq:HGR).

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

Gehl Co. (Nasdaq:GEHL), Nevada Chemicals Inc. (Nasdaq:NCEM) and Champion Enterprises Inc. (Nasdaq:CHB) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: PHH Corp. (Nasdaq:PHH), Drew Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:DW), Anworth Mortgage Asset Corp. (Nasdaq:ANH), SI Financial Group Inc. (Nasdaq:SIFI), Meritage Homes Corp. (Nasdaq:MTH) and Heritage Oaks Bancorp (Nasdaq:HEOP).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Homebuilder Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH) is up 18% today after posting a narrower-than-expected loss after Monday’s close. For the quarter ended June 30, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company’s net loss was $23.4 million, or $0.79 per share, compared with a net loss of $56.6 million, or $2.16 per share, for the same quarter a year ago. Revenue dropped to $373.9 million from $567.7 million in the prior year.

Shares are at $17.84 at 2:51 p.m. ET, up $2.72 from Monday’s close. During the past year, the stock has ranged from $7.04 to $24.49. Trading volume today has soared to more than 1 million shares.

ILOG ADR (Nasdaq:ILOG), Headwaters Inc (Nasdaq:HW) and Gevity HR Inc (Nasdaq:GVHR) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Pzena Investment Management Inc (Nasdaq:PZN), UAL Corp (Nasdaq:UAUA), Modine Manufacturing Co (Nasdaq:MOD), ArvinMeritor Inc (Nasdaq:ARM), Meritage Homes Corp (Nasdaq:MTH) and Stepan Co (Nasdaq:SCL).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) is posting strong gains on news that March inflation came in below expectations.

At 11:35 a.m. ET, the small-cap index was up 15.51 points, or 2.24%, to 707.57. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had advanced 181.49 points, or 1.47%, to 12,543.96.

Small-cap stocks opened in the green and have been heading higher on news before the start of trading that consumer prices rose 0.3% in March, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Economists were expecting to see an increase of 0.4% after staying flat in February.

Core prices, which exclude the costs of food and energy, added 0.2%, as expected. The numbers indicate that the U.S. Federal Reserve can continue lowering its target interest rate without fearing a rise in inflation. The Fed kicks off a two-day meeting on April 29.

Bullish investors are apparently disregarding news of a report from the U.S. Census Bureau before the opening that housing starts fell 11.9% in March to a seasonally . . .

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) has recovered from its morning losses and is back to its starting position. At 1:13 p.m. ET, the small-cap index had shed 0.42 points, or 0.06%, to 701.69. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) was up 8.96 points, or 0.07%, to 12,431.82.

For no readily apparent reason, small-cap stocks rose above the flat line at about 12:30 p.m. after spending the morning in the red. The index was in the green for only a few minutes before again slipping into negative territory and then bobbing up and down.

Companies providing construction services are among the top performing industry groups. Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE:BZH), a small-cap builder of single-family homes, is seeing its stock add more than 10%.

Similarly, shares of Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE:MTH) are also higher.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) gained despite news of government reports and minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve that showed economic problems. The small-cap index added 7.68 points, or 1.09%, to 710.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) advanced 90.04 points, or 0.73%, to 12,427.26.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has declined 7.31%, while the Dow is down 6.31% and the S&P 500 has shed 7.38%.

Small-cap stocks moved up for the second consecutive session but began the day in negative territory following news that the consumer price index added 0.4% in January, above the expected 0.3%.

The U.S. Labor Department also reported that core consumer prices, which exclude the costs of food and energy, increased 0.3%, above the projected 0.2%.

Core prices have added 2.5% on a year-over-year basis, which is beyond the U.S. Federal Reserve’s preferred range of between 1% and 2%. Worse, annual consumer prices growth has accelerated from 2.4% in December 2007.

The rise in inflation makes it more difficult for the U.S. Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy by cutting its target federal funds rate, the rate at which commercial banks make overnight loans to each other.

Here are the current biggest percentage gainers and losers among companies with a market cap between $100 million and $750 million:

Biggest percentage gainers:

• Quadra Realty Trust, Inc. (QRR), up 33% on news that it might be acquired by Hypo Real Estate Holdings AG.
• Meritage Homes Corp. (MTH), up 19% despite news of a fourth-quarter net loss.
• IndyMac Bancorp, Inc. (IMB), up 16%.

Biggest percentage losers:

• Municipal Mortgage & Equity, LLC (MMA), down 45% on news it has cut its dividend.
• LECG Corp. (XPRT), down 33% on news preliminary fourth-quarter results are below the company’s previous guidance.
• ICU Medical, Inc. (ICUI), down 17% on news of a decline in fourth-quarter profit.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) opened in negative territory as credit jitters continue to weigh down the financial sector.

At 10:26 a.m. ET, the small-cap index was down 6.54 points, or 0.86%, to 753.43. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had lost 36.25 points, or 0.27%, to 13,278.32.

The futures were pointing down and stocks predictably opened with a drop on news that JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) downgraded Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC), Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) to “sell” from “market perform.”

All three New York-based financial services companies had invested in securities backed by subprime mortgages and have been negatively affected by the slump in the U.S. housing sector.

Financial stocks have been taking a beating over the past months, and today JPMorgan lowered its estimates for the sector’s fiscal fourth quarter and 2008.

Phazar Corp. (Nasdaq: ANTP), NovaStar Financial Inc. (NYSE: NFI) and Sterling Banks, Inc. (Nasdaq: STBK) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $500 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage gainers: