Tag - Mwrk

Hot Topic, Inc. (Nasdaq:HOTT), Republic Airways Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:RJET) and Mothers Work Inc. (Nasdaq:MWRK) are among the biggest percentage losers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.           

Also included among the results: Met-Pro Corp. (Nasdaq:MPR), PowerSecure International Inc. (Nasdaq:POWR), Gateway Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:GBTS), Transcat Inc. (Nasdaq:TRNS), Integral System Inc. (Nasdaq:ISYS) and Innovative Solutions and Support Inc. (Nasdaq:ISSC).     

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:  

Mothers Work Inc. (Nasdaq:MWRK) announced Tuesday it would implement a strategic restructuring plan that will streamline merchandise brands and store nameplates to reduce costs. The Philadelphia-based maternity clothing retailer operates stores under the nameplates: Motherhood Maternity, Mimi Maternity, A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity. As part of the restructuring plan, Mimi Maternity’s merchandise will be re-branded under the A Pea in the Pod brand. The company will also rename its 48 single-brand Mimi Maternity stores to A Pea in the Pod. The company said it expects to realize about $5 million in annual expense savings from these moves.

On Tuesday, the company also reaffirmed its fiscal third-quarter earnings per share guidance and its full fiscal-year guidance estimates. Mother Works Inc. trading was mostly flat Tuesday, up to $10.25, an $0.18 increase over Monday’s close.

LCA Vision Inc (Nasdaq:LCAV), City Bank (Nasdaq:CTBK) and Targanta Therapeutics Corp (Nasdaq:TARG) are among the new 52-week lows in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Blue Phoenix Solutions (Nasdaq:BPHX), Mothers Work Inc (Nasdaq:MWRK), Atlantic Coast Federal Corp (Nasdaq:ACFC), Accuride Corp (Nasdaq:ACW), Penford Corp (Nasdaq:PENX) and Provident Financial Holdings Inc (Nasdaq:PROV).

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

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) is declining on news that the strain from the subprime meltdown has spread.

At 12:04 p.m. ET, the small-cap index had retreated 10.53 points, or 1.54%, to 673.21. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) was off 133.10 points, or 1.09%, to 12,121.89.

Stocks small and large are in the red following news that residential mortgage lender Thornburg Mortgage Inc. (NYSE: TMA) has failed to meet a margin call of about $28 million. Similarly, investment company Carlyle Capital Corp. Ltd. announced before the start of trading that it has also failed to meet a margin call and has received a notice of default from one of the banks that helps finance its portfolio of mortgage securities.

A “margin call” is when banks call in their loans to investors, who are in turn forced to sell off assets to raise cash, leading to a reduction in the price of those assets and more margin calls and losses.

In other news, U.S. retailers generally beat low same-store expectations in February. Leading the way was Wal Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the world’s largest retailer, which reported a 2.6% increase in same-store sales.

Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co. (Nasdaq: LEND), National Security Group (Nasdaq: NSEC) and Servotronics, Inc. (AMEX: SVT) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $500 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage gainers:

Maternity apparel retailer Mothers Work Inc. (Nasdaq: MWRK) announced this morning that it is lowering its fiscal 2007 adjusted profit outlook based on reduced sales and gross margin expectations.

For fiscal year 2007, which ends Sept. 30, the Philadelphia, P.A.-based company said it expects net income of between $0.56 and $0.81 per share. Adjusted earnings are estimated to be in the range of $1.49 to $1.74 per share, down from a prior forecast for adjusted net income of between $2.32 and $2.85 per share.

Full-year revenue is expected between $584 million and $589 million on a same-store sales decline between 3.5% and 4.5%, partially offset by anticipated increased sales from marketing partnerships and leased department and licensed relationships.

Three analysts polled by Thomson Financial expect earnings per share of $1.73 for the fiscal 2007 year on revenues of $584.2 million.

Shares of Mothers Work edged down 0.49%, or $0.12, to $25.38 in pre-market trading.

Computer hardware maker SBE, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBEI) is giving back some of Wednesday’s considerable gains.

Maternity clothing retailer Mothers Work, Inc. (Nasdaq: MWRK) said same-store June sales fell 5.4% from the year-ago period. Mothers Work recorded net sales of $46.9 million for the period, from $49.6 million in 2006.

Flow International Corp. (Nasdaq: FLOW) reported an 18% plunge in fourth-quarter revenue compared with 2006.

Citing negative trends, specialty store chain Gottschalks Inc. (NYSE: GOT) forecast a second-quarter loss and lowered its fiscal-year earnings guidance.

These are the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $500 million:

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) are rising fast following news of higher June sales at U.S. retailers. At 11:49 a.m. ET the Russell 2000 was up 8.81 points, or 1.05%, to 848.78. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 160.38 points, or 1.18%, to 13,738.25, beyond the June 4th record close of 13,676.32.

Shares of The Spectranetics Corp. (Nasdaq: SPNC) are rising on news the maker of medical devices has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for one of its catheters. Regulators have approved the TURBO elite laser catheters, which are used for the treatment of problems arteries within the leg, the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based company said before the start of trading. A catheter is a thin and flexible tube inserted into a body cavity in order to allow for the insertion of fluids or instruments. Spectranetics’s shares are up $0.41, or 3%, to $12.43.

Shares of Inphonic Inc. (Nasdaq: INPC) took a beating on news that DeutscheBank downgraded the stock on poor subscriber growth. This news was on the heels of missed analyst estimates.

Shares of Cost Plus Inc. (Nasdaq:CPWM) fell to a 52-week low on Friday, after a UBS analyst cut his price target on the stock to $7 from $10.

Scrap metal recycler and lead fabricator Metalico Inc. (AMEX: MEA) announced that institutional investors will buy $36.7 million of its common stock in a private placement. In association with the private placement, Metalico will also issue 5.2 million shares of common stock at $7 per share.

These are the biggest percentage losers in Friday’s trading among companies with market capitalizations under $500 million:

(Adds analyst comments in paragraph 6)

Shares of Mothers Work, Inc. (Nasdaq: MWRK) are sagging on news the Philadelphia, Pa.-based retailer of maternity apparel saw its May same-store sales decline 3.6%.

Comparable store sales (sales at store open more than one year) fell 3.6% in May, compared with an increase of 5.5% in the same month of 2006, the company announced before the opening bell. That resulted in a 4% decline in net sales to $54.1 million, compared with $56.3 million during May of 2006.