Tag - Vasc

NL Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:NL), Vascular Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq:VASC) and 99 Cents Only Stores (Nasdaq:NDN) are among the new 52-week highs in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

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

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 . . .

Buckeye Gp Holdings LP (Nasdaq:BGH), Vascular Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq:VASC) and Cascade Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:CASB) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Hawaiian Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:HA), Chemed Corp. (Nasdaq:CHE), US Airways Group Inc. (Nasdaq:LCC), Avocent Corp. (Nasdaq:AVCT), CSG Systems International Inc. (Nasdaq:CSGS) and Encore Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq:EBTX).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Agria Corp (Nasdaq:GRO), Royale Energy Inc (Nasdaq:ROYL) and Vascular Solutions Inc (Nasdaq:VASC) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

OMNI Energy Services Corp (Nasdaq:OMNI), VNUS Medical Technologies Inc (Nasdaq:VNUS) and Cheniere Energy Inc (Nasdaq:LNG) are also among the biggest percentage gainers.

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Varicose veins are not only an unsightly situation that many women fret about as they age, they can also create a painful medical problem. The recent strides in treating them, though, have led to downright ugly legal battles.

Vascular Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:VASC), which makes an array of products used in vascular medicine, is one of the players helping to revolutionize treatment of varicose veins using laser technology. The potential market for this small cap is large: more than 60 million Americans have cardiovascular disease, now the leading cause of death in the United States

Vascular Solutions’ lineup falls in five categories: vein products, to treat conditions such as varicose veins; hemostasis products, to halt bleeding; extraction catheters, to remove blood clots primarily after a heart attack; specialty catheters; and access products, to manage puncture sites.

Though the Minneapolis, Minn.-based company is caught up in a slew of patent-infringement battles, it appears to be progressing toward routinely turning a profit.

Since Vascular Solutions introduced its first device in 2000, yearly revenue has climbed to $52.9 million last year from $6.2 million, and its product list now exceeds 40.

In 2007, a 22% revenue rise was matched by a 22% decline in its stock price, reflecting not only the overall stock market retrenchment but also the uncertainty from Vascular Solutions’ legal woes.

Innovation in vascular medicine is on a fast track: laser therapy has reduced varicose vein treatment to a simple outpatient procedure from surgery with a hospital stay, but the risk associated with this progress includes a legal one for device makers. It is a chicken-or-egg situation, to determine who . . .

Shares of Vascular Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq:VASC) are rising on news before the opening that the maker of medical devices has won a $4.5 million lawsuit against biomaterial technologies firm Marine Polymer Technologies, Inc. The court ruled that Marine Polymer has made false and disparaging statements regarding a product belonging to Vascular Solutions and rewarded the Minneapolis-based company monetary compensation.

At 12:12 p.m. ET, the stock had added $0.72, or 11%, to $7.02.

The stock market may have lost its legs, but VNUS Medical Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: VNUS) is just getting started. With a minimally invasive technology that reroutes deoxygenated blood to the heart for a refill, the company is putting a new twist on varicose vein treatment.

What’s got VNUS charged up is its primary product line, the VNUS Closure system for varicose veins. The system, which includes the fast-selling ClosureFAST radiofrequency catheter, treats venous reflux disease — a progressive condition caused by malfunctioning vein valves that block the blood’s paths from legs to heart.

By definition, Closure closes the diseased veins, usually in outpatient procedures that require only local anesthesia, and re-channels blood to healthy veins so it can travel on to the heart. This beats vein stripping (ouch!), the standard way to treat varicose veins, which rivals strip mining as a maximally invasive practice.

VNUS claims that 25 million Americans have venous insufficiency, and that 72% of women and 42% of men in the United States will experience varicose veins by the time they hit 60. That doesn’t take into account the international market, which VNUS is starting to minimally — but resolutely — invade. VNUS also makes medical devices for other peripheral vascular diseases, including devices for use in peripheral arterial bypass and arteriovenous graft procedures.

Investors may not like surprises, but make an exception for VNUS: its surprises have been a delight. Revenues in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 outpaced analyst expectations, gaining 54% from the year-ago period. For 2007, revenues increased 37% to $70.9 million. For 2008, the company expects 25% organic growth, with revenues at $82 million to $86 million.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) is down steeply as the major U.S. indices are swimming in a sea of red following news of weak earnings.

At 10:34 a.m. ET, the small-cap index had lost 10.38 points, or 1.26%, to 814.65. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) was off 162.09 points, or 1.17%, to 13,726.87.

With little on the economic front, news of poor earnings from major corporate players is grabbing the headlines and spooking investors.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia Corp. (Nasdaq: WB), the fourth largest U.S. bank, reported before the opening that its third-quarter profit fell 10% due to difficult credit market conditions.

Net income stumbled to $1.69 billion, or $0.89 per share, compared with $1.88 billion, or $1.17 per share, a year earlier. Wall Street was looking for earnings of $1.03 per share. Wachovia said that it recorded a provision for credit losses of $408 million, about four times the level during the same three months of 2006.

In other disappointing news, heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) announced a quarterly profit that missed analysts’ forecasts.

China Sunergy Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: CSUN), SUMMER INFANT INC (Nasdaq: SUMRU) and Gouverneur Bancorp, Inc. (AMEX: GOV) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Here are today's biggest percentage gainers: