Tag - Oxps

Align Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:ALGN), SonicWALL Inc. (Nasdaq:SNWL) and Healthways Inc. (Nasdaq:HWAY) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: China Sunergy Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:CSUN), CNinsure Inc. (Nasdaq:CISG), Exelixis Inc. (Nasdaq:EXEL), Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (Nasdaq:ENER), optionsXpress Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:OXPS) and Interactive Brokers Group Inc. (Nasdaq:IBKR).

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) tumbled 4.18%, 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%. Some of today’s small-cap gainers were Innovative Solutions & Support (Nasdaq:ISSC), Pozen Inc. (Nasdaq:POZN) and OSI Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:OSIS).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The weekly claims report came in at 588,000, which was slightly above the projection of 580,000.
• The number of Americans filing for continued benefits rose to 4.77 million, the highest on record.
• Durable goods orders fell for the fifth consecutive month, with the headline figure off about 2.5%, slightly below the projection for a slide of 2%.
• In Europe, confidence tumbled to the lowest level in 24 years and the German unemployment rate rose more than expected.
• Just one day after generating the second-biggest rally of the year, the Russell slumped to the third worst daily decline.
• The gloomy economic reports overshadowed corporate profit reports, but those were primarily downbeat today anyhow.
• Today was simply a seller’s market. Stocks were down, Treasury markets were down, crude oil was down, commodities were down.
• Crude oil prices closed down 1.7%, losing $0.72 a barrel, to $41.44 and energy stocks lost about 3%.
• Looking ahead to Friday’s session, the market will have another buffet of economic reports to digest, the biggest of which should be the GDP report ahead of the opening.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Innovative Solutions & Support issues Q2 2009 guidance above analysts' estimates; shares closed up 19%. See (Nasdaq:ISSC).
• Pozen Inc. informed by FDA that endoscopic gastric ulcer incidence . . .

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 . . .

Oshkosh Corp. (Nasdaq:OSK), DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS) and Selective Insurance Group Inc. (Nasdaq:SIGI) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down nearly 3% on Tuesday and is now down 31% for the year. For the first time in many months, the Dow has actually pulled virtually even with the Russell for 2008, while the S&P 500 is off 35%. Today’s small-cap gainers are Riverview Bancorp (Nasdaq:RVSB), Jakks Pacific (Nasdaq:JAKK) and optionsXpress (Nasdaq:OXPS).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The worst performing broad market sectors were metals and mining stocks, steel, gold, integrated oil and gas firms and coal shares.
• If Monday’s big rally was primarily about energy, then the main theme in motion today was about the economy and whether or not global slowing would continue to get in the way of the stock market.
• From a global standpoint, a recession in the United States and a sharp downturn around the world will hurt demand for commodity goods, a theme that played out today.
• Highlighting the bruised demand is copper, which today crumbled to the lowest point since Dec. 2005 and is now 50% from the spring highs.
• Crude oil futures plunged some 4% and quickly took some of the shine off Monday’s energy-led rally.
• This tug-of-war between valuation and the economy is always in play for the stock market, but Tuesday was center stage as investors decided whether stocks are cheap enough to warrant the risk.
• While earnings were a big part of today’s action, it seemed like the market overlooked many of the results to focus in on worries in the . . .

Riverview Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:RVSB), JDA Software Group Inc. (Nasdaq:JDAS) and Culp Inc. (Nasdaq:CFI) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Oceanfreight Inc. (Nasdaq:OCNF), optionsXpress Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:OXPS), Adams Resources & Energy Inc. (Nasdaq:AE), Quest Energy Partners L P (Nasdaq:QELP), Aristotle Corp. (Nasdaq:ARTL) and Interval Leisure Group Inc. (Nasdaq:IILG).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Small-cap stocks gave back a sizable chunk of Monday’s big rally early on today, pressured by concerns that corporate profits are already sloppy and will be further strained by a weak economy going forward. Today’s small-cap gainers are Hexcel (NYSE:HXL), Jakks Pacific (Nasdaq:JAKK) and Drybulk (NYSE:OCNF).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Pharma could be one of the better-performing sectors to watch today, and has seen a few strong performers in the small-cap arena in recent days as well.  
• Commodities in general were likely to be on the defensive as the U.S. dollar was soaring against the euro, climbing 1.25%.  
• The lift small caps enjoyed Monday from the energy sector appeared on the wane today, with crude oil prices slipping on concerns about demand
• With no economic reports on tap today, the market will focus on the wave of quarterly earnings coming in.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• Hexcel reported third-quarter profit that surged 91% on sales for defense programs and wind turbine blades. See (NYSE:HXL).  
• Jakks Pacific reports 14% increase in Q3 bottom-line on tax benefit and higher sales, reaffirmed full-year guidance. See (Nasdaq:JAKK).  
• OptionsXpress posts Q3 net income that beat the Street, but edged down from a year-ago.  See (Nasdaq:OXPS).  
• JDA Software Group posts third-quarter results that handily beat the Street. See (Nasdaq:JDAS).  
• Drybulk shipper OceanFreight declares $0.77 dividend for Q3, shares jump 21%. See (Nasdaq:OCNF).

Small Cap Losers:

• Highveld Steel & Vanadium Corporation Ltd. is down 15% to fresh move lows. See (Nasdaq:HSVLY).  
• Avigen plunges 70% after intermediate trial for treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis failed. See (Nasdaq:AVGN).
• Net Servicos de Comunicacao saw the top-line increase on lower subscription rates, operating costs jumped 26%, SG&A increased 37%. (Nasdaq:NETC).  
• ENGlobal expects to report Q3 results below the consensus on Wall Street. See (NYSE:ENG).
• Twin Disc said fiscal Q1 earnings plunged due to lower volumes, unfavorable product mix and higher material costs. See (Nasdaq:TWIN).