GFI Group Inc. (Nasdaq:GFIG), Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. (Nasdaq:AGM) and Media General Inc.(Nasdaq:MEG) are among the new 52-week lows in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Alto Palermo S.A. (Nasdaq:APSA), Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Inc. Oppty Fund Inc (Nasdaq:PFO), Metalico Inc. (Nasdaq:MEA), GigaMedia Ltd. (Nasdaq:GIGM), Patni Computer Systems ADR (Nasdaq:PTI) and Maguire Properties Inc. (Nasdaq:MPG).

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

Metalico Inc. (Nasdaq:MEA), GFI Group Inc. (Nasdaq:GFIG) and Media General Inc. (Nasdaq:MEG) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: MF Global Ltd. (Nasdaq:MF), Hudson Highland Group Inc. (Nasdaq:HHGP), NetScout Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:NTCT), Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. (Nasdaq:AGM), Evergreen Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:ESLR) and FortuNet Inc. (Nasdaq:FNET).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

After opening sharply lower, small caps continue to be rattled by Lehman Brothers’ weekend bankruptcy filing, Bank of America’s (NYSE:BAC) surprise acquisition of Merrill Lynch (NYSE:MER) and AIG’s unstable liquidity position. 

At 12:00 p.m. ET all indices remained in the red, though the Russell 2000 has come off its session lows. The small-cap index is down 14.12 or 1.96%, to 706.14, the Dow plunged 302.64, or 2.65%, to 11,119.35 and the tech laden Nasdaq fell 31.36, or 1.62%, to 2,224.67.

Financial jitters remain off the charts as stocks crumbled in light of the Federal Reserve’s decision to allow investment bank Lehman Brothers (NYSE:LEH) to fail. After a drawn out uphill battle against overexposure to subprime loans and a 94% plunge in share price this year, Lehman Brothers will close its doors.

“The U.S. government can’t and should not bail out every large financial institution that’s out there,” said BMO Capital’s Andy Busch. “Lehman had a lot of time to do everything in their power to show that this didn’t happen and they made the decision not to. The United States made the right decision not to be involved with that. At some point they needed to make the critical decision to do something like this … this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bottom to be formed for financial stocks, though it certainly takes us one step closer to that point. The ultimate harbinger is when housing prices end up bottoming.”

In line with Bank of America’s (NYSE:BAC) historical strategy, the financial services goliath bought strained, 94-year old Merrill Lynch for $50 billion in a surprise transaction over the weekend. The addition of Merrill gives the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank exposure to roughly every slice of the financial services industry. Shares of Merrill bolted 19% midday, while Bank of America's shares sold off 16%.

The future of Merrill and Lehman’s employees remains undecided. “The biggest losers in all this are the employees of Lehman, people who had had their life . . .

GFI Group Inc. (Nasdaq: GFIG), an inter-dealer broker specializing in over-the-counter derivatives products and related securities, said this morning that it perceives that it has no material exposure to Lehman Brothers. Yet shares were markedly lower in morning trading, as GFI shares felt the brunt of investors' general jitters surrounding unwinding positions associated with Lehman’s bankruptcy.

Shares skidded 17%, or $1.21, to $6.00 in the first half hour of trading. For detailed price information and news stories on GFI Group, click GFIG.

Small-cap stocks pushed higher Wednesday, recapturing a little more than one-third of Tuesday’s massive decline as technology stocks and commodity shares were back in favor with investors and distressed financial issues stabilized. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed up 9.87, or 1.40%, at 717.16 and is now down 6.3% for the year. Meanwhile, the Dow was up 0.34% Wednesday, but still is off 15% for 2008, while the S&P 500 was up 0.61% on the day, but remains down 16% for the year.

One could argue that stocks were oversold after suffering the largest one-day rout of the year Tuesday, and while that likely played a role in the bounce today, there were also favorable stories to help fuel the move. It seemed like a majority of the earnings reports were either a non-event or slightly upbeat, and decent results from Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE:TXN) appeared to project an immediate positive tone into the tech arena, which had been struggling of late. TXN gained about 1% on the day, and other tech stocks such as Research in Motion Ltd. (Nasdaq:RIMM), the makers of Blackberry, climbed 6%.

Homebuilders, which were absolutely hammered Tuesday, mounted a recovery bounce today, with the ISE Homebuilders Index rising 3%. DR Horton Inc. (NYSE:DHI) was up about 4% and Pulte Homes (NYSE:PHM) was up some 5%.

Energy shares were higher, even though crude oil prices slipped to fresh five-month lows. In fact, several commodity sectors provided a boost to the stock market, with coal, metals, steel, oil exploration, gas utilities and integrated oil and gas stocks among the best performing sectors. Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX) rose 3% and was one of the top lifts on large-cap indices and that strength spilled over into small-cap energy names as well. It was interesting to see that even though commodity stocks were a bullish element today for equities, the overall Commodity Research Bureau Index was actually down about 0.7%. Part of that slide in physical markets was likely tied to a strong tone in the U.S. dollar, which crimps demand for commodities priced in dollar terms. The greenback charged to fresh 11-month highs against the . . .

Small-cap stocks pushed higher early Wednesday, trying to recapture some of the huge losses from Tuesday’s collapse, which was powered by sinking financial, homebuilder and commodity shares. Financial shares were still on wobbly footing this morning, but commodity stocks were rising nicely. At 9:56 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 9.23, or 1.30%, at 716.52.

In the wake of Tuesday’s collapse, which marked the largest one-day swoon of 2008, traders were keeping a close eye on trading in Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LEH), which released earnings under fire ahead of the opening after sinking more than 40% Tuesday. LEH, then nation’s fourth-largest investment bank, confirmed they were shopping prized assets in an effort to raise capital. The swirl of fear encompassing LEH seemed to calm somewhat this morning, with LEH shares bouncing back and forth near steady levels shortly after the open.

Well ahead of the opening, the MBA mortgage applications index jumped 9.5%, boosted by a decline in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate, which dipped to 6.06% from 6.39% the previous week. The market is basically economic indicator free today, ahead of Thursday’s weekly claims report and Friday’s PPI/retail sales tandem, which could set the tone for the finish to what has already been a wild week for stocks. Speaking of economic indicators, in a research report this morning, Goldman Sachs said that last Friday’s weak employment report “Closes the argument when it comes to whether or not the economy is in recession — it is.”

As recession talk in America picks up steam once again, it coincides with concerns that the global economy is also slowing, which has been blamed for some of the recent downdraft in commodity prices. In addition, some hedge funds that were long commodity stocks have been unraveling those trades, exacerbating the move. On the commodity front this morning, crude oil prices climbed back into positive territory into the stock market opening, rising about 90 cents a barrel back above $104. OPEC leaders surprised energy market watchers by deciding to trim output by 500,000 barrels a day at their meeting in Vienna Tuesday, which provides some support to energy prices. Stabilizing energy values however, represents a double-edged sword for equities; while it might support falling commodity names, it also thwarts . . .

Shares of GFI Group Inc. (Nasdaq: GFIG) are tumbling in pre-market trading after the software provider for derivative markets said after Tuesday’s close that it has terminated a possible merger with Tullett Prebon because the two companies failed to reach acceptable economic terms for a transaction.

In a statement the company said that it will “continue to pursue its strategy of technology enabled brokerage and other services in OTC derivative and cash markets and to focus on delivering value to its shareholders.”

Shares skidded 23%, or $2.16, to $7.45 in pre-market trading. For detailed price information and news stories on GFI Group, click GFIG.

Olympic Steel Inc (Nasdaq:ZEUS), Dendreon Corp (Nasdaq:DNDN) and GFI Group Inc (Nasdaq:GFIG) are among the most actively traded companies in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: China Sunergy Co Ltd (Nasdaq:CSUN), Arris Group Inc (Nasdaq:ARRS), National Coal Corp (Nasdaq:NCOC), China Finance Online Co Ltd (Nasdaq:JRJC), DXP Enterprises Inc (Nasdaq:DXPE) and IntegraMed America Inc (Nasdaq:INMD).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

GFI Group Inc (Nasdaq:GFIG), Cal-Maine Foods Inc (Nasdaq:CALM) and Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd (Nasdaq:SOLF) are among the most actively traded companies in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Canadian Solar Inc (Nasdaq:CSIQ), FCStone Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCSX), National Coal Corp (Nasdaq:NCOC), Quest Energy Partners L P (Nasdaq:QELP), DrdGold ADR (Nasdaq:DROOY) and Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd (Nasdaq:GILT).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Here are the day’s biggest percentage gainers and losers, along with top volume leaders, among companies with a market cap between $100 million and $750 million:


• Raining Data Corp. (Nasdaq:RDTA), up 40% to $9.48 on news it plans on launching a new Internet browser-based application.
• Overstock.com Inc. (Nasdaq:OSTK), up 32% to $18.47 on news of a narrower first-quarter loss.
• DexCom Inc. (Nasdaq:DXCM), up 21% to $7.05.


• Chemotherapy Inc. (Nasdaq:TOMO), down 32% to $9.10 on news it reduced its earnings and sales outlook for the full year.
• Pharmaxis Ltd. (Nasdaq:PXSL), down 25% to $23.00.
• GFI Group Inc. (Nasdaq:GFIG), down 24% to $11.93.