Tag - Teo

VeriFone Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:PAY), Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:EIHI) and Secure America Acquisition Units (Nasdaq:HLD.U) are among the biggest percentage losers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:PGC), Telecom Argentina ADR (Nasdaq:TEO), Eagle Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:EGBN), RHI Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq:RHIE), Green Bankshares Inc. (Nasdaq:GRNB) and Firstbank Corp. (Nasdaq:FBMI).

Small caps dove 5.43% on Wednesday, marking the second-lowest close in five years (both of those closes have taken place within the last three weeks). Today’s small-cap gainers are Carter’s Inc. (NYSE:CRI), Vascular (Nasdaq:VASC) and BGH GP Holdings (NYSE:BGH).

Other Market Watch highlights today include:

• The Russell is now down 33.4% for 2008, while the Dow is off 36.36% and the S&P 500 is down 38%.
• Concerns that consumer spending and a global growth stall will pinch corporate profits even more in the months to come clearly had a negative impact on stocks.
• Commodity firms dominated the list of worst performing sectors today, paced by metal and mining shares, coal stocks, oil and gas drillers, aluminum and gold. 
• The headline news on the commodity front was clearly crude oil, which collapsed 7.5%, or more than $5 a barrel and is now back below $67 — down some 54% from the summer peak.
• Other sectors taking a body blow today included motorcycle manufacturers, restaurants, tobacco companies and internet retail stocks.
• The slide in commodities was reflected by a huge decline in the Commodity Research Bureau Index, which tumbled 4.5% to the lowest point since August 2004.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Children's apparel market Carter's Inc. raised to "buy" from "hold;" reports solid Q3 results. Shares closed up over 13%. See (NYSE:CRI).
• Vascular jumped 15% after Q3 EPS beat the Street by 57%, as the . . .

Small-cap stocks cascaded lower Wednesday as a spree of soft earnings reports and a dreary outlook as the economy veers into recession took a toll on the market. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 28.85, or 5.43% at 501.97. This was the second-lowest close in five years, and both of those closes have taken place within the last three weeks. This also marked the fifth-largest one-day decline of the year. The Russell is now down 33.4% for 2008, while the Dow is off 36.36% and the S&P 500 is down 38%. Although the Russell and Dow averted sinking to fresh closing lows for the bear market collapse, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 did set new closing lows.

Although there were isolated upside earnings surprises as the market digests a flood of key reports this week, the overriding investor sentiment right now is that the results are relatively soft and were already watered down to begin with (from an expectation standpoint). What’s more, concerns that consumer spending and a global growth stall will pinch corporate profits even more in the months to come clearly had a negative impact on stocks. Even the companies with solid profits were wary of the operating environment heading into 2009. Even McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE:MCD) — which by most accounts posted impressive results — was unable to post a positive close for the day.

Another theme that remained at play was the wipeout in commodity valuation and the impact that had on stocks with commodity themes. Commodity firms dominated the list of worst performing sectors today, paced by metal and mining shares, coal stocks, oil and gas drillers, aluminum and gold. Other sectors taking a body blow today included motorcycle manufacturers, restaurants, tobacco companies and internet retail stocks. On a depressing side note, there wasn’t even one broad S&P sector group in the plus column late this afternoon.

The slide in commodities was reflected by a huge decline in the Commodity Research Bureau Index, which tumbled 4.5% to the lowest point since August . . .

Developers Diversified Realty REIT (Nasdaq:DDR), Telecom Argentina ADR (Nasdaq:TEO) and Kindred Healthcare Inc. (Nasdaq:KND) are among the new 52-week lows in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (Nasdaq:GPI), Federal Mogul Corp. (Nasdaq:FDML), Dillard's Inc. (Nasdaq:DDS), Banco Macro SA (Nasdaq:BMA), Silver Standard Resources Inc. (Nasdaq:SSRI) and Hiveld Steel Depository Receipt (Nasdaq:HSVLY).

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

Small-cap stocks remained solidly lower into midday trading, pressured by concerns that the latest batch of quarterly earnings were painting a difficult canvass moving toward 2009. Even the bullish earnings surprises seem tainted by worries that a prolonged recession will pull down corporate profitability for some time. At 12:47 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 12.71, or 2.39%, at 518.10.

At the lows today, the Russell was testing minor trendline support drawn off the recent lows. That line also forms the bottom edge of a pennant pattern, and a breakdown through today’s lows would suggest further downside probing toward that major low. Below today’s low at 514.42, there is very little chart support until we get close to the “figure” point at 500, which stands as another important test for any bulls who want to find value at the depressed levels.

As for the latest batch of earnings today, there were red flags from nearly every sector, with pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) projecting a very cautious outlook. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) was down about 6%, warning that exploration and output would slide and airplane maker The Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) was down about 6.5% as a strike hurt profits.

The biggest declining sectors this morning came from coal, motorcycle manufacturers, metal and mining stocks, oil and gas drillers, aluminum, gold stocks and casinos. For the second day in a row, commodities were getting nailed as the prospect of global slowing takes a toll on physical markets and the companies that deal in those products. The Commodity Research Bureau Index of 19 physical markets . . .

Small-cap stocks fell hard on the opening, pressured by a run of weak guidance projections on recession fears from the flood of quarterly earnings reports and by a steep slide in equity markets around the world overnight. Today’s small-cap gainers are BGH GP Holdings (Nasdaq:BGH), Carter's Inc (Nasdaq:CRI) and Compellent Technologies (Nasdaq:CML).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The U.S. dollar continues to soar against the euro, climbing some 1.6% this morning to the highest point in about two years.  
• European and Asian equity markets were in a tailspin overnight, with Japan’s Nikkei sinking 6.8%, Singapore tumbling 5.2% to four-year lows and India shares off 4.8%.  
• A “V” shape would imply a relatively quick bounce out of the lull, while a “U” shape would imply a more prolonged slump.
• Debates are already underway in the economic analysis community about whether or not the U.S. economy will see a “V” or “U” shaped recovery out of the recession.

Small Cap Gainers:

• BGH GP Holdings up 17% after stating that it made a buyout offer for Buckeye GP’s remaining shares for $17 per share. See (NYSE:BGH). 
• Children's apparel market Carter's Inc. raised to "buy" from "hold;" reports solid Q3 results. Shares up over 15%.  See (NYSE:CRI).
• Compellent Technologies generates profit in Q3 2008. Shares up 10%. See (NYSE:CML).  
• United Airlines' parent company UAL Corp. recorded a $779 million 3Q loss on fuel Tuesday. Shares are up 12% today. See (Nasdaq:UAUA).  
• Cascade Bank posted a wider-than expected on government’s nationalization of Fannie and Freddie. See (Nasdaq:CASB). 

Small Cap Losers:

• Telecom Argentina skids 19% in the wake of Argentine government’s nationalization of pension plans. See (NYSE:TEO).  
• Hancock Holding Co. off 16% after posting lower earnings that missed the Street by 24%. See (Nasdaq:HBHC).  
• Foundation Coal Holdings Inc. is down 21% after releasing quarterly earnings. See (NYSE:FCL).  
• Kindred Healthcare slips 32% after lowering Q4 and 2008 guidance, reflecting softer hospital operating results. See (NYSE:KND).  

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 . . .

Small-cap stocks closed lower, pulled down by slumping commodity markets, a cautious tone amid peak earnings season and lagging performance in the tech sector. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 16.18, or 2.96%, at 530.65 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%. Just a few weeks ago, the annual performance spread between the Russell and Dow was in double digits on a percentage basis, so the recent collapse in the spread between small- and large-caps reflects an even more aggressive flight out of “riskier” small-cap fare from investors.

If Monday’s big rally was primarily about energy, then today’s slide had a few more tentacles in play, but the main theme in motion 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 … not just in the U.S. market, but around the globe. Perhaps the perfect poster child for that theme today was the copper market, which crumbled to the lowest point since December 2005 and is now off 50% from the spring highs. A big part of that pullback is linked to China, where GDP slipped below double digits this week for the first time in five years. And the whole bearish commodities story surely got an extra kick from a big rally in the U.S. dollar, which makes commodities priced in dollar terms more expensive — and therefore crimps demand for those products. The greenback soared more than 200 basis points, or some 2% against the euro, making not just new highs for the move but also charging to the highest point since February 2007. With the dollar on a rampage and commodities limping on demand fears, crude oil’s rally from Monday was short-lived. Crude oil futures plunged some 4% and quickly . . .

Small-cap stocks extended the morning swoon into midday trading, tugged lower by sloppy earnings and worries that the global economy was entering a deep slowdown headlined by a recession in the United States and a dive in demand from China. At 12:21 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 15.13, or 2.77%, at 531.71.

The global economic fears were stirred by a pullback in China factory output to six-year lows. Amid the economic worries, the price of copper tumbled to near three-year lows and has collapsed more than 50% since May. Why does copper matter? It is considered a key benchmark of economic growth around the world. During the big bull market run from 2002 to 2006 the price of copper went from about $0.65 a ton to more than $4 (a stunning rise in value of more than 500%). Much of that soaring demand was fueled by astounding economic growth in China, where the world’s fourth-largest economy basked in double-digit GDP for years on end. However, the latest GDP report out of China slipped to a pace below 10% for the first time in five years. In short, if copper is struggling, the global economy is struggling.

Along that line of thinking, stock markets and/or currency valuations on heavy commodity producing countries like Canada and Chile were taking a hit. In Canada, commodity stocks were sinking and pulling down the overall stock indices, while in Chile, the peso crumbled some 3%. Copper accounts for more than half the dollar value of Chilean exports. What’s it all mean to stocks here in America? So far today, stocks with commodity themes were getting hammered. The worst performing broad market sectors at midday included metals and mining stocks, steel, gold, integrated oil and gas firms and coal shares.

Small caps taking a hit today included ENGlobal Corp. (Nasdaq:ENG) as the engineering firm released preliminary earnings that were compromised by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. ENG shares were off some 32%. Telecom Argentina SA (NYSE:TEO) tumbled 28%, sinking to fresh 52-week lows. TEO stock has been steadily declining for months since peaking just above $27 last November. The stock is now . . .