Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• Stocks navigated choppy trading Wednesday, with the Russell 2000 closing down 1.48, or 0.4%, to 366.27. The Dow closed up 0.05% to 6,929.76, and the S&P 500 closed up 0.24% to 721.35.
• For the year, the Russell is down 26.67%, the Dow is down 21.03% and the S&P 500 is down 20.14%.
• Analysts are warning that the rally seen Tuesday and part of today willl be short-lived due to deep problems etched within the banking industry.
• Oil prices fell more than 7% today as U.S. inventories swelled with surplus crude and traders started to doubt whether OPEC would cut production further.
• Lower tax revenue and massive government spending on the bank bailout pushed the federal deficit to $765 billion in the first five months of the budget year.

Small Cap Gainers:

• YRC Worldwide stock jumped 44.5% on expectations of an improved second quarter for the company. See (Nasdaq:YRCW).
• Axsys Technologies, a manufacturer of defense surveillance and imaging systems, closed up 32.48% after the small cap put itself up for sale in an auction that drew a first round of bids earlier this week. See (Nasdaq:AXYS).
• Innodata Isogen reported a second straight year of record revenue; shares rose 21%. See (Nasdaq:INOD). 

Small Cap Losers:

• NCI Building closed down 38% after posting a Q1 net loss on Tuesday. See (NYSE:NCS).
• WSP Holdings issued FY 2009 guidance below analysts' estimates, sending shares 35% lower. See (NYSE:WH). 
• Online travel website Orbitz tumbled 26% as competitor Expedia waived flight booking fees. See (NYSE:OWW).

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed up 6.46, or 1.79%, to 367.47. The Dow closed up 2.09% to 6,866.44 and the S&P 500 closed up 2.38% to 712.87. 
• For the year, the Russell is now down 26.43%, the Dow is down 21.76% and the S&P 500 is down 21.08%.
• The Fed released a survey today that showed the U.S. economy has deteriorated in the past 2 months and that the outlook for a quick recovery is bleak.
• ADP Employer services reported this morning that private employers cut 697,000 jobs in February versus a revised 614,000 jobs lost in January. The January job cuts were originally reported at 522,000.
• Rumors that China may announce a huge stimulus bill lifted global stock markets higher overnight.
• The Obama administration released a foreclosure prevention program today that also helped buoy stocks higher.
• Oil prices climbed 9% to $45.38 after global stock markets rallied and the U.S. government reported that crude levels in storage unexpectedly shrank.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Toreador Resources Corporation climbed 25% today after completing its Black Sea assets sale. See (Nasdaq:TRGL).
• DryShips closed up 40% following an update of its sale and purchase activities released on Tuesday. See (Nasdaq:DRYS).
• ADC Telecommunications rose 29% after reporting Q1 results and . . .

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 6.79, or 1.85%, to 361.01. The Dow closed down 0.55% to 6,726.02 and the S&P 500 closed down 0.64% to 696.33.  The S&P 500 closed below 700 for the first time since 1996.
• For the year, the Russell is now down 27.72%, the Dow is down 23.36% and the S&P 500 is down 22.91%.
• Global stock markets fell further Tuesday, after news broke Monday that small-cap insurer AIG reported the biggest quarterly loss in corporate history, and HSBC Holdings slashed its dividend, revealed it needed to raise $18B from shareholders.
• Citigroup said today that in order to help the unemployed, it would start a new program to lower some mortgage payments to an average $500 for three months.
• Small-cap GM says February U.S. sales will be "exceptionally weak."
• Oil prices rose during Tuesday's trading, settling up $1.50 to end the day at $41.65. 
• This morning, Bernanke reiterated to Congress that any semblance of economic recovery hinges on the U.S. government’s ability to stabilize ailing financial markets.
• New data today revealed that the number of homebuyers purchasing existing homes fell 7.7% to a new low of 80.4 in January. Economists were predicting a January reading of 85.1.

Small Cap Gainers:

• ABM Industries announced first-quarter fiscal 2009 financial results; shares climbed 24%. See (NYSE:ABM).
• Talbots closed a $200M credit line, suspended its dividend and froze . . .

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 21.22, or 5.45%, to 367.80, while the Dow closed down 4.24% to 6,763.29 and the S&P 500 closed down 4.66% to 700.82.
• For the year, the Russell 2000 is now down 26.35%, the Dow is down 22.95 and the S&P 500 is down 22.41%.
• On the data front today, personal spending rose about 0.6% in January and incomes rose 0.4%, while construction spending fell 3.3%, or more than twice as much as analysts predicted.
• Oil prices plummeted more than 10% today, suggesting energy demand is still being hurt by the deteriorating global economy.
• The U.S. government said it would give AIG another $30 billion in loans, on top of the $150 billion it has already provided to the insurer.
• Back to AIG, the insurer clocked $61.7 billion Q4 loss.
• Global stock markets sharply slumped overnight, with the benchmarks in Britain and Japan down about 4% each.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Business service outsourcer ICT Group, Inc. closed up 64% after Aegis Limited made an acquisition proposal to ICT’s board. See (Nasdaq:ICTG).
• FGX International Holdings Limited saw a 16% uptick following a strong sales and earning release late last week. See (Nasdaq:FGXI).
• Noven Pharmaceuticals is up 11% ahead of its scheduled earnings . . .

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 3.93, or 1%, to 389.02. The S&P 500 closed down 2.36% to 735.09. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 119 points, or 1.66% at 7,062, its lowest close since May 7, 1997.
• For the year, the Russell is down 22.11%, the Dow is down 19.52% and the S&P 500 is down 18.62%.
• Citigroup reported it has reached a deal that will give the U.S. government up to a 36% stake in the embattled bank.
• U.S. government: Economy has shrunken at a faster-than-expected 6.2% pace in fourth quarter -- the worst showing in 25 years 
• Eastern Europe's struggling banks will receive $31.1 billion worth of emergency help from leading international financial institutions.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Permian Basin Realty Trust climbed 20% higher after Jim Cramer recommended the stock on "Mad Money" on Thursday night. See (NYSE:PBT). 
• Superior Industries closed up 19% after being upgraded to "neutral" today. See (NYSE:SUP).
• Aircastle rises 13% after seeing its Q4 adjusted profit increase by 31.8%. See (NYSE:AYR).

Small Cap Losers:

• Macquarie Infrastructure reported a widened Q4 loss; shares head south 37%. See (NYSE:MIC).
• Union group opposes aid to Principal Financial; shares tumble 25%. See (NYSE:PFG).
• A.M. Best downgrades ratings of FBL Financial Group, Inc., sending shares 24%. See (NYSE:FFG). 

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 8.49, or 2.11%, to 392.95. The Down closed down 1.22% to 7,182.08, while the S&P 500 tumbled 1.58% to 752.83.
• For the year, the Russell is now down 21.32%, the Dow is down 18.17% and the S&P 500 is down 16.65%. 
• President Obama's budget proposal was sent to Congress today and projects that the government's deficit for this year will jump to $1.75 trillion
• Today the Commerce Department reported that orders for big-ticket goods plunged by a bigger-than-expected 5.2% in January as global economic troubles cut into demand from U.S., global customers. The report shows that orders have fallen for six straight months.
• New-home sales numbers fell to a record low pace — 10.2% — in Jan. to 309,000. This is the worst number on record since 1963. Prior to the release, the all-time low had been set in Sept. 1981.
• In other data out this morning, the Labor Dept. said continuing jobless claims hit a new record in the second week of Feb., increasing 114,000 to 5.113M. The forecast was for 5M. 
• In overnight news, Swiss banking giant UBS AG has announced it will replace its chief executive.
• Health care stocks led the market lower Thursday after the White House mulls cutting payments to private insurance plans.
• The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said today that U.S. banks lost . . .

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 11.04, or 2.68%, to 401.44 at closing.
• The Dow fell 1.09%, and the S&P 500 was down 1.07% at closing.
• For the year, the Russell is now down 19.62%, while the Dow is down 17.15% and the S&P 500 is down 15.32%.
• New data out this morning showed January existing home sales fell by 5.3%, to an annual rate of 4.49M last month from 4.74M in December. This is the lowest level in nearly 12 years.
• The Mortgage Bankers Association released today that U.S. mortgage applications fell last week, reflecting a sharp drop in demand for refinancing as mortgage rates ticked higher.
• The Obama administration has begun making the 20 largest U.S. banks — including Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) and Citigroup (NYSE:C) — undergo "stress tests" today to see if any can weather further recessionary pressure.
• An industry association said this morning that China plans to build up a "Big 10" group of globally competitive automakers, led by General Motors partner Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp.
• A new report out says that American International Group may scrap its plan to repay a $60 billion U.S. government loan by selling businesses, according to Bloomberg. 

Small Cap Gainers:

• Radiant System shares rose 20% on a better-than-expected Q4 profit. See (Nasdaq:RADS).
• SeaBright Insurance Holdings closed up over 15% on an FBR upgrade and a Q4 EPS that beat estimates. See (NYSE:SBX).
• The Spectranetics Corporation climbed 11% and pared some major losses seen Tuesday when the small cap reported a widened Q4 loss. See . . .

Other Market Watch highlights today included:

• The Consumer Confidence Index plunged more than 12 points in February to 25, from 37.4 last month, and far below the predicted 35.5 level.
• The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index released horrid data today showing a plung of more than 18% during the quarter from the prior-year period. This is the largest drop in its 21-year history.
• The Federal Housing Finance Agency also said today that home prices dropped more than 8 percent in the quarter from a year earlier, its largest annual decline on record since 1991.
• Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke to Congress, pledged to use all available tools to lift the country out of the recession.
• Bernanke said the U.S. economy will probably keep shrinking in the first six months of the 2009, but is hopeful that the recession will end this year. 
• The Russell 2000 closed up 17.90, or 4.54%, to 412.48.
• The Dow rose more than 230 points, or 3.3%, to 7,350.94; S&P 500 closed about 4% to 773.14.
• For the year, the Russell is now down 17.41%, while the Dow has is down 16.24% and the S&P 500 is down 14.4%.

Small Cap Gainers:

• Exar Corporation signs definitive agreement to acquire Hifn, Inc. Shares of HIFN rocket 62% at closing. See (Nasdaq:HIFN).
• High Court denies FTC antitrust review of Rambus, sending shares 40% higher. See (Nasdaq:RMBS).
• United Natural Foods climbed 20% after posting higher Q2 earnings, updating FY09 forecast. See (Nasdaq:UNFI).

Small Cap Losers:

• Heartland Payment Systems guided below estimates, shares tumbled 30%. See (NYSE:HPY).
• RadioShack fell 24% today after seeing a 39% Q4 net drop on falling margins, sales. See (NYSE:RSH).
• Apparel small-cap Hanesbrands was down 7% after announcing it will review its long-term growth strategies, capital structure and the 2009 business environment. See (NYSE:HBI).