Tag - Shmr

World Heart Corp. (Nasdaq:WHRT), Anika Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:ANIK) and Standex International Corp. (Nasdaq:SXI) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Regis Corp. (Nasdaq:RGS), Southern National Bancorp Of Virginia Inc. (Nasdaq:SONA), Exide Technologies (Nasdaq:XIDE), Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (Nasdaq:SHMR) and Saga Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:SGA).

China TransInfo Technology Corp (Nasdaq:CTFO), ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc (Nasdaq:ACAD) and CNinsure Inc (Nasdaq:CISG) are among the new 52-week highs in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: AEP Industries Inc (Nasdaq:AEPI), SmartHeat Inc (Nasdaq:HEAT), Innodata Isogen Inc (Nasdaq:INOD), Credit Acceptance Corp (Nasdaq:CACC), Shamir Optical Industry Ltd (Nasdaq:SHMR) and First of Long Island Corp (Nasdaq:FLIC).

Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (Nasdaq:SHMR), ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:ACAD) and Union Bankshares Inc. (Nasdaq:UNB) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: China Yuchai International Ltd. (Nasdaq:CYD), CNinsure Inc. (Nasdaq:CISG), China TransInfo Technology Corp. (Nasdaq:CTFO), Brookfield Homes Corp (Nasdaq:BHS), Elron Electronic Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq:ELRN) and China Marine Food Group Ltd. (Nasdaq:CMFO).

Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:SVNT), WSP Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq:WH) and M & F Worldwide Corp. (Nasdaq:MFW) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (Nasdaq:SHMR), Meta Financial Group Inc. (Nasdaq:CASH), Pain Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:PTIE), Atlas Pipeline Holdings L P (Nasdaq:AHD), Cowen Group Inc. (Nasdaq:COWN) and NxStage Medical Inc. (Nasdaq:NXTM).

Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. (Nasdaq:GPRE), Hiland Partners LP (Nasdaq:HLND) and Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (Nasdaq:SHMR) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Greene County Bancorp (Nasdaq:GCBC), NATCO Group Inc. (Nasdaq:NTG), Amtech Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:ASYS), CommVault Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:CVLT), Patni Computer Systems ADR (Nasdaq:PTI) and H&E Equipment Services Inc. (Nasdaq:HEES).

Shares of Shamir Optical Industry (Nasdaq:SHMR) have literally seen better days. But Shamir is now starting to flex its optic muscles, turning in first-half 2008 results that suggest an end to the string of lows scratched out this year.

To paraphrase outlaw Butch Cassidy, Shamir's got vision while the rest of the world's wearing bifocals. Shamir makes and designs progressive eyeglass lenses, which combine several strengths in a single lens for a gradual transition from near to intermediate to distant vision.

Progressive lenses are relatively expensive and are not covered by insurance as readily as single vision or bifocals, making them a discretionary purchase. And so Shamir's stock price has struggled because of economic worries, particularly in the United States.

Still, Shamir last month confirmed its outlook for revenue growth of 10% to 16% in 2008, based on exchange rates as of December and excluding results of its Mexican operation. In the second quarter through June, Shamir earned $0.16 per share, up 30% from the year-ago period. Revenues rose 25% to $37 million.

Sales were strong everywhere: in Europe, up 16% over year-ago to $20 million; in United States up 20% to $7 million and the rest of the world up 71% to $9 million. Shamir's strategy to drive growth organically and with acquisitions will prove beneficial in the long run, wrote analyst Keay Nakae at Collins Stewart. Nakae has a target of $10.

The second-quarter results helped boost shares to Tuesday's close at $6.80, up from the all-time low on July 14 at $5.83. Shamir, of Kibbutz Shamir, Upper Galilee, Israel, went public on Nasdaq in March 2005 and on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange . . .

China Sunergy Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:CSUN), TurboChef Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:OVEN) and Royale Energy Inc. (Nasdaq:ROYL) are among the most actively traded companies in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.           

Also included among the results: National Coal Corp. (Nasdaq:NCOC), Ascent Solar Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:ASTI), DrdGold (Nasdaq:DROOY), Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (Nasdaq:SHMR), Novatel Wireless Inc. (Nasdaq:NVTL) and China Direct Inc. (Nasdaq:CDS).      

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:       

Shares of Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (Nasdaq: SHMR) got a pop this morning after the provider of products and technology to the progressive ophthalmic lens market reported first-quarter results this morning that beat the consensus on Wall Street. Revenues grew 29% quarter-over-quarter, while earnings grew 25%. The company attributed the robust results to improved efficiencies and investments made in its sales and marketing departments.

Shamir also said that it is increasing its estimated revenue growth for the fiscal year.

Shares gained 15%, or $1.09, to $8.27 in pre-market trading. For detailed price information and recent news stories about Shamir Optical, click SHMR.

Shares of Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (Nasdaq: SHMR) are looking good following news before the start of trading of a rise in third-quarter net income and revenue.

The Israeli maker of optical lenses and molds announced that profit for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was $2.3 million, or $0.14 per share, an increase of 75.4% compared with a net income of $1.3 million during the third-quarter of 2006. Analyst estimates were not available.

Revenues rose 28.5% to $30.9 million from $24.1 million a year earlier.

“Our results for the third quarter reflect the growing demand for Shamir’s products and services,” said president and CEO Giora Ben-Ze’ev in a statement. “Our revenue growth was well spread over most of our operations, especially in our European subsidiaries.”

Shamir has production and distribution centers in Germany, Portugal, Spain, England, Turkey, France and Italy, as well as in California and South Africa.

“We continued to see the expansion of our customer base particularly in the United Kingdom and France, where both operations executed according to plan,” explained Ben-Ze’ev.

Based on the solid third quarter, Ben-Ze’ev said that he now expects revenue growth of between 16% to 20% for the year. That means that the company will book 2007 revenue between $112.87 million and $116.76 million, compared with $97.3 million in revenue for 2006.

The previous forecast called for revenue growth of between 12% and 20%.

At 11:52 a.m. ET, shares of Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (SHMR) had advanced $0.31, or 4%, to $9.03. The 52-week high of $13 was reached on Aug. 9, while the 52-week low of $7.40 was set on Jan. 11.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) futures are slightly higher and the index may open in positive territory.

The bulls are reacting to news that Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) has received a $7.5 billion injection from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The cash will allow the largest U.S. bank to better deal with losses accumulated through bets on securities backed by subprime mortgages.

On Monday, New York-based Citigroup dragged down financial stocks after announcing that it’s embarking on cost-cutting that may result in the firing of up to 45,000 of its over 300,000 employees.

Investors will have their eyes focused on an index of consumer confidence for the month of November, which is scheduled to be released at 10 a.m. ET. Economists are expecting to see a decline.

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

Biggest percentage gainers:

• Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (SHMR), up 10% on news of a rise in third-quarter profit.
• Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VNDA), up 7% on news the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the New Drug Application for one of its drugs.
• BigBand Networks Inc. (BBND), up 6% on news more companies are deploying its services.

Biggest percentage losers:

• IRIS International Inc. (IRIS), down 6% on news it will offer up to $125 million in a mix of stock and debt.
• China Fire & Security Group, Inc. (CFSG) down 2%.
• CDC Corp. (CHINA) down 2%.

RTW, Inc. (Nasdaq: RTWI), Optium Corp. (Nasdaq: OPTM) and Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq: SNIC) are among the biggest percentage losers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $500 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage losers:

Irvine, Calif.-based ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISTA) reported is is selling up to $100 million in common and preferred stock.

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

Shares of Israel’s Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. (Nasdaq: SHMR) briefly reached their 52-week high on news the manufacturer of progressive lenses and molds reported quarterly numbers that surpassed Wall Street’s expectations.

The net income for the quarter ended March 31 was $2.3 million, or $0.14 per share, an increase of 11.4% compared with net income of $2.1 million for the comparable period in 2006, the company reported before the opening bell.

Shares of T.A.T. Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: TATTF), the Gedera, Israel-based manufacturer of heat transfer and accessory equipment for airplanes, shot up nearly 17% following the announcement at the start of Tuesday trading of a 53% increase in revenue from a year earlier for the first quarter ended Mach 31. The company, incorporated in 1985, reported a 106% first quarter profit increase to $2.6 million.

Shares of Nashua Corp. (Nasdaq: NSHA), the Nashua, N.H.-based paper manufacturer, are up over 10% following announcement at the start of Tuesday trading the company plans to buy back 1.9 million shares at $10.50 a share. If the company goes through with its intentions, it will repurchase about 30% of its outstanding shares. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and LaSalle Bank Corp. are financing the buyback, according to the press release. Nashua shares are trading near the 52-week high of $10.

Shares of Shamir Optical Industry, Ltd. (Nasdaq: SHMR), the Upper Galilee, Israel-based optical lens manufacturer, are up over 12% following announcement that the company’s first quarter revenues ended March 31 were well above analysts’ expectations. The company reported strong revenue growth in the United States and reaffirmed its 2007 revenue guidance, according to a press release.

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