Century Aluminum Co. (Nasdaq:CENX), Pan American Silver Corp. (Nasdaq:PAAS) and James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) are among the most actively traded companies in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: A. Schulman Inc. (Nasdaq:SHLM), Ezcorp Inc. (Nasdaq:EZPW), Axsys Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:AXYS), VistaPrint Ltd. (Nasdaq:VPRT), GenTek Inc. (Nasdaq:GETI) and Gymboree Corp. (Nasdaq:GYMB).

Small-cap stocks remained solidly higher into mid-session activity, with industrial, commodity and energy stocks paving the way higher after President-elect Obama announced plans for a massive infrastructure project over the weekend. Some of today's small-cap gainers included Integrated Electrical Services Inc. (Nasdaq:IESC), TBS International Ltd. (Nasdaq:TBSI) and James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC).

Other Market Watch highlights included:

• Commodities in general were in favor today, with crude oil prices climbing 7%, while energy stocks were up more than 4%.  
• On the downside, personal products firms, hypermarkets, food distributors, retail drug companies and restaurants were the primary losing sectors.  
• The best performers so far today have been industrial REITs, metal and mining stocks, automobile manufacturers, aluminum firms and steel companies.
• Small-cap stocks remained solidly higher into mid-session activity, with industrial, commodity and energy stocks paving the way higher.  
• A big part of the early rise in stocks was tied to news this weekend that Obama was planning a massive infrastructure stimulus project.  

Small Cap Gainers:

• Integrated Electrical Services Inc. jumped 34% presumably riding the wave of industrial and energy-related services companies higher. See (Nasdaq:IESC).  
• TBS International Ltd. jumped 30% as the ocean transportation services company got an earnings-related lift. See (Nasdaq:TBSI).  
• James River Coal Co. rallied 26%, receiving a lift with other beaten-down commodity names. See (Nasdaq:JRCC).
• Cemex rallies as Deutsche Bank says it may gain from U.S. plan. See (NYSE:CX).

Small Cap Losers:

• The Talbots announces CFO retires, hires a new COO. Shares fall over 12%. See (NYSE:TLB).  
• Radian Group dips 10% on lower-than-average volume. See (NYSE:RDN).
• Blyth cuts earnings outlook, down 4% in light after-hours trade. See (NYSE:BTH).  
• Allos Therapeutics slumping 21% in pre-market, reports Propel trial results. See (Nasdaq:ALTH).

Small-cap stocks remained solidly higher into mid-session activity, with industrial, commodity and energy stocks paving the way higher after President-elect Obama announced plans for a massive infrastructure project over the weekend. At 12:39 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up17.63, or 3.82%, at 478.73.

Looking at S&P sector activity, the best performers so far today have been industrial real estate investment trusts, metal and mining companies, automobile manufacturers, aluminum firms, steel companies, engineering and construction companies, coal companies, farm construction and machinery and specialized finance. As you can see, it’s easy to tie many of those sectors into beneficiaries of a wave of infrastructure projects.

On the downside, personal products firms, hypermarkets, food distributors, retail drug companies and restaurants were the primary losing sectors so far today.

On the big-cap side of the ledger, heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) soared 13% as investors priced in the potential benefits of the Obama infrastructure push.

Commodities in general were in favor today, with crude oil prices climbing 7%, while energy stocks were up more than 4%. OPEC leaders were talking about additional production cuts to trim supply amid soft demand and a weak tone in the U.S. dollar against the euro also provided a boost to commodities.

Individual small caps on the rise today included Integrated Electrical Services Inc. (Nasdaq:IESC), which jumped 34% presumably riding the wave of industrial and energy-related services companies higher. TBS International Ltd. (Nasdaq:TBSI), jumped 30% as the ocean transportation services company got an earnings-related lift. James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) rallied 26%, receiving a lift with other beaten-down commodity names.

Automakers were rising fast today amid a proposed $15 billion bailout. Over . . .

DryShips Inc (Nasdaq:DRYS), Hallwood Group Inc (Nasdaq:HWG) and TBS International Ltd (Nasdaq:TBSI) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Polypore International Inc (Nasdaq:PPO), James River Coal Co (Nasdaq:JRCC), Gencor Industries Inc (Nasdaq:GENC), Textainer Group Holdings Ltd (Nasdaq:TGH), 012 Smile Communications Ltd (Nasdaq:SMLC) and Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd (Nasdaq:GNK).

Allos Therapeutics Inc (Nasdaq:ALTH), Interactive Brokers Group Inc (Nasdaq:IBKR) and Old Dominion Freight Line Inc (Nasdaq:ODFL) are among the most actively traded companies in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Elbit Imaging Ltd (Nasdaq:EMITF), Focus Media Holding Ltd (Nasdaq:FMCN), China Finance Online Co Ltd (Nasdaq:JRJC), James River Coal Co (Nasdaq:JRCC), Zoltek Companies Inc (Nasdaq:ZOLT) and Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc (Nasdaq:QCOR).

United Rentals Inc (Nasdaq:URI), i2 Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:ITWO) and Dynamex Inc. (Nasdaq:DDMX) are among the biggest percentage losers in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Diamond Foods Inc. (Nasdaq:DMND), AngioDynamics Inc. (Nasdaq:ANGO), Argon St Inc. (Nasdaq:STST), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Movado Group Inc. (Nasdaq:MOV) and Arena Resources Inc. (Nasdaq:ARD).

XenoPort Inc. (Nasdaq:XNPT), Tessera Technologies (Nasdaq:TSRA) and Franklin Electric Co Inc. (Nasdaq:FELE) are among the most actively traded companies in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. (Nasdaq:CETV), Skyworks Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq:SWKS), PowerShares FTSE (Nasdaq:PRFZ), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Beacon Roofing Supply Inc. (Nasdaq:BECN) and Umpqua Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq:UMPQ).

CPI International Inc. (Nasdaq:CPII), Janus Capital Group Inc. (Nasdaq:JNS) and Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. (Nasdaq:GIFI) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: BancTrust Financial Group Inc. (Nasdaq:BTFG), Willbros Group Inc. (Nasdaq:WG), Textainer Group Holdings Ltd (Nasdaq:TGH), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Walter Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:WLT) and 1st Source Corp. (Nasdaq:SRCE).

Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq:RMBS), Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:OMRI) and James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) are among the most actively traded companies in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Silver Standard Resources Inc. (Nasdaq:SSRI), Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:PGNX), Verigy Ltd. (Nasdaq:VRGY), OmniVision Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:OVTI), Telvent GIT (Nasdaq:TLVT) and Fred's Inc. (Nasdaq:FRED).

Small-cap stocks shot higher Monday, adding to the big rise from Friday afternoon as the market found relief in a big rescue plan for the nation’s No. 2 bank and continued to express enthusiasm for economic staff appointments by President-elect Obama. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed up 30.24, or 7.44%, at 436.78, generating the largest two-day surge since the short-lived Oct. 10 bottom. For the year, the Russell is down 43%, while the Dow is off 36% and the S&P 500 is down 42%.

The day got off to a rocking start on news that the government would guarantee some $306 billion in toxic assets from Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C). The nation’s No. 2 bank had been in collapse mode in recent days, sparking fear that the bank could fail or be forced to sell off assets, which in turn could trigger systemic risk in the financial landscape. In addition to the asset guarantee, the government announced a direct $20 billion injection into Citigroup, all of which was good news for shareholders, as Citigroup’s stock jumped some 51% today. The PHLX KBW Banking Index surged 16%.

Energy and commodity names were a big part of the rally today, as beaten down stocks in those arenas benefited from both the stock market rally and by a sharp decline in the U.S. dollar against the euro. Crude oil prices caught fire today, climbing $4.57 a barrel, or 9.1%, providing a boost to energy companies in the process. The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund rose 8.4%.

Another downtrodden area that caught investor enthusiasm today was the retail universe, fitting as we head toward the big “Black Friday” kick off of the official holiday shopping season. The S&P Retail Index jumped 10% and several small-cap retailers benefited from a wave of bargain hunting on that front.

President-elect Obama served up his second major press conference today since he won the vote in early November. The market rallied hard late Friday when news of some of his top picks for economic advisor positions started to leak out. The big news of course was that Obama had tabbed New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary, and today Obama ran down the rest of . . .

Isramco Inc. (Nasdaq:ISRL), Access National Corp. (Nasdaq:ANCX) and James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Sanderson Farms Inc. (Nasdaq:SAFM), Bristow Group Inc. (Nasdaq:BRS), First United Corp Maryland (Nasdaq:FUNC), ECB Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:ECBE), Cogent Inc. (Nasdaq:COGT) and Lakeland Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:LKFN).

Transmeta Corp. (Nasdaq:TMTA), DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS) and SuccessFactors Inc. (Nasdaq:SFSF) are among the most actively traded companies in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Altra Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:AIMC), IPG Photonics Corp. (Nasdaq:IPGP), Mentor Graphics Corp. (Nasdaq:MENT), Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) and True Religion Apparel Inc. (Nasdaq:TRLG).

Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq:TLEO), ATA Inc. (Nasdaq:ATAI) and Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq:TKTM) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Intersections Inc. (Nasdaq:INTX), GeoResources Inc. (Nasdaq:GEOI), Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. (Nasdaq:USAP), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Macquarie Infrastructure Co LLC (Nasdaq:MIC) and OM Group Inc. (Nasdaq:OMG).

Ariba Inc. (Nasdaq:ARBA), DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS) and ViroPharma Inc. (Nasdaq:VPHM) 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), A Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:APWR), Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLE), Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:SVNT), Infinera Corp. (Nasdaq:INFN) and James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS), Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF) and (Nasdaq:SWKS) are among the most actively traded companies in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: A Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:APWR), Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Blackbaud Inc. (Nasdaq:BLKB), OmniVision Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:OVTI) and Gibraltar Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:ROCK).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Adtran Inc. (Nasdaq:ADTN), Delta Petroleum Corp. (Nasdaq:DPTR) and UAL Corp. (Nasdaq:UAUA) are among the most actively traded companies in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS), Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:JASO) and Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq:RMBS).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

DryShips Inc. (Nasdaq:DRYS), UAL Corp. (Nasdaq:UAUA) and Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd (Nasdaq:SOLF) are among the most actively traded companies in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), BreitBurn Energy Partners L P (Nasdaq:BBEP), Hawaiian Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:HA), Cowen Group Inc. (Nasdaq:COWN), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) and Dendreon Corp. (Nasdaq:DNDN).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. (Nasdaq:AGM), Macatawa Bank Corp. (Nasdaq:MCBC) and Banner Corp. (Nasdaq:BANR) are among the biggest percentage gainers in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Value Line Inc. (Nasdaq:VALU), Thomas Weisel Partners Group Inc. (Nasdaq:TWPG), Innophos Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:IPHS), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Agilysys Inc. (Nasdaq:AGYS) and PMFG Inc. (Nasdaq:PMFG).

Here are the biggest percentage gainers among small caps:

Virtual Radiologic Corp. (Nasdaq:VRAD), BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:BBX) and FirstFed Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:FED) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Cal-Maine Foods Inc. (Nasdaq:CALM), A Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:APWR), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Canadian Solar Inc (Nasdaq:CSIQ), Maguire Properties REIT (Nasdaq:MPG) and WuXi PharmaTech Cayman Inc. (Nasdaq:WX).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Cal-Maine Foods Inc. (Nasdaq:CALM), Evergreen Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:ESLR) 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: TBS International Ltd. (Nasdaq:TBSI), A Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:APWR), TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq:TIVO), China Finance Online Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:JRJC), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) and CV Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:CVTX).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Transmeta Corp. (Nasdaq:TMTA), Sanderson Farms Inc. (Nasdaq:SAFM) and Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF) 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), American Capital Agency Corp. (Nasdaq:AGNC), Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq:GILT), Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) and Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Small-cap stocks took a tumble Wednesday, pulled down late in the session by concerns over the political wrangling tied to the financial rescue plan, which offset optimism spurred by news that Warren Buffett was investing $5 billion into Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS). The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 11.41, or 1.61%, at 697.78. For the year, small caps are off 8.9%, while the Dow is down 18.3% and the S&P 500 is down 19.2%.

The White House appears willing to acquiesce to Congressional calls for curbs on executive pay, but there are still other details to work out, including what many consider a glaring lack of oversight considering the amount of money on the table. The market appears willing to wait anxiously for the bill to pass, but each day that lingers could spike angst among financial market watchers.

Buffett’s decision to charge back into investment banking generated a wave of good tidings this morning. If the “Oracle of Omaha” thinks that bank stocks might be near a bottom, then other investors could also be brought back to the fold. For the day, Goldman Sachs shares were up about 3%, but the rising tide at GS didn’t necessarily lift all financial stocks.

The market remains concerned that the mountain of bad debt spurred by the housing crisis is choking off credit lines, reflected by price activity in the Libor market, which suggests strained lending patterns right now between bankers. Hey, if banks can’t get a good loan, then who can? Fresh economic data on the housing front was nothing to get excited about either. The existing home sales report came in down 2.2% at a rate of 4.91 million units, which was off the projected pace of 4.94 million. Earlier, before the opening, the MBA Mortgage Applications Survey slipped 10.6% to . . .

National Financial Partners Corp. (Nasdaq:NFP), H&E Equipment Services Inc.(Nasdaq:HEES) and Pilgrim's Pride Corp. (Nasdaq:PPC) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Citi Trends Inc. (Nasdaq:CTRN), Jos A Bank Clothiers Inc. (Nasdaq:JOSB), Tenneco Inc. (Nasdaq:TEN), Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. (Nasdaq:MRX), and James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC)

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) saw its shares fall by 8.6% this morning after the company announced it has agreed to sell 1.5 million shares of its common stock in a public offering.

As part of the deal, James River said after the market closed Tuesday that it also has an over-allotment option to sell up to an additional 225,000 shares.

After the offering there will be about 27.4 million outstanding shares of common stock.

Richmond, Va.-based James River Coal Company mines, processes and sells bituminous, steam and industrial-grade coal primarily to electric utility companies and industrial customers.

By mid-day, the stock is at $30.85, down $2.41 from Tuesday’s close. It has traded as low as $4.76 and as high as $62.83 during the past year.

For detailed price information and news stories on James River Coal, click JRCC.

It’s been a roller coaster morning and small caps are close to hitting their lows of this morning again, as a disappointing existing home sales number created a cloud cover over famed investor Warren Buffett’s investment stake in now commercial bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) all against a backdrop of testimony on the bailout plan.

The Russell has remained in the red for most of the session, while the other major indices flutter between the red and green. At 12:29 p.m. ET the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 5.19, 0.73%, to 704.

Existing home sales for August declined 2.2% to 4.91 million, down from 5.02 million in July, and slightly less than the 4.93 million economists were expecting. National Association of Realtors said home sales rose in the Midwest and South but fell in the Northeast and West, as tight mortgage credit curtailed activity. The one supposed bright spot in the housing report was that inventory slipped 7% in the month of August. While inventory levels clearly haven’t stabilized, the decline is a step in that direction and a step towards recovery.

The broader market applauded the Oracle of Omaha’s move, as it proved that there is confidence in the system and the decimated financial services sector. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway will invest $5 billion in Goldman Sachs by way of preferred stock. The deal could yield potential ownership of 10%.

“The stock market has been looking to see when Buffet would do a deal in the financial sector as a major sign that we're at the bottom,” Andy Busch, global foreign exchange strategist for BMO Capital Markets, said in an email. ...

Small caps opened lower on the session, as a disappointing existing home sales number created a cloud cover over famed investor Warren Buffett’s investment stake in now commercial bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS).

At 10:22 a.m. ET the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 4.87, 0.69%, to 704.32.

The broader market applauded the Oracle of Omaha’s move, as it proved that there is confidence in the system and the decimated financial services sector. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway will invest $5 billion in Goldman Sachs by way of preferred stock. The deal could yield potential ownership of 10%.

“The stock market has been looking to see when Buffet would do a deal in the financial sector as a major sign that we're at the bottom,” Andy Busch, global foreign exchange strategist for BMO Capital Markets, said in an email. “Stocks have moved up on the news. …”

Meanwhile, Fed Chairman Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will testify for a second day before the House on their $700 billion bailout plan. Day one of testimony on Tuesday was greeted coldly by the Senate with skepticism on both sides. Lawmakers grilled the administration’s economic officials. SEC Chairman Chris Cox called for regulation of credit default swaps (a security that acts like insurance on a loan or bond), which were responsible for pushing Lehman Brothers over the edge and forcing AIG into regulators’ hands. Democrats were keen on enacting limits on executive compensation and on allowing the government to take equity stakes in firms who take federal aid.

While the battle rages on, few perceive that a bailout solution would collapse all together. 

In economic news, existing home sales for August fell declined 2.2% to . . .

Evergreen Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:ESLR), China Information Security Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:CPBY) and James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) are among the most actively traded companies in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF), China Sunergy Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:CSUN), Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ), Ciena Corp. (Nasdaq:CIEN), A Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:APWR) and Secure Computing Corp. (Nasdaq:SCUR).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

China Information Security Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:CPBY), Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq:CSIQ) and Kohlberg Capital Corp. (Nasdaq:KCAP) are among the most actively traded companies in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Solarfun Power Holdings Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:SOLF), Stewart Enterprises Inc. (Nasdaq:STEI), Cardica Inc. (Nasdaq:CRDC), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Tercica Inc. (Nasdaq:TRCA) and Air Methods Corp. (Nasdaq:AIRM).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Biodel Inc. (Nasdaq:BIOD), Gateway Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:GBTS) and James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC) are among the biggest percentage losers in Monday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: A Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:APWR), National Coal Corp. (Nasdaq:NCOC), Double Take Software Inc. (Nasdaq:DBTK), City Holding Corp. (Nasdaq:CHCO), Gushan Environmental Energy Ltd. (Nasdaq:GU) and Spectranetics Corp. (Nasdaq:SPNC).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps:

Medivation Inc. (Nasdaq:MDVN), Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq:GILT) and RTI Biologics Inc. (Nasdaq:RTIX) are among the most actively traded companies in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. (Nasdaq:NBIX), TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq:TIVO), China Sunergy Co Ltd. (Nasdaq:CSUN), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Sykes Enterprises Inc. (Nasdaq:SYKE) and ShengdaTech Inc. (Nasdaq:SDTH).

Here are the most actively traded companies among small caps:

Small-cap stocks turned lower Tuesday, rejecting an impressive morning rally as financial and tech stocks failed to gain traction even with the benefit of a sharp pullback in crude oil prices. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 0.99, or 0.13%, at 738.51. For the year, the Russell is down 3.5%, which is quite a shift from the morning rally when the Russell looked poised to post one of the highest daily settlements of the year. The selling pot was stirred among large caps too, with the Dow slipping 0.2% on the day; the Dow is now down 13.1% for the year. In addition, the S&P 500 lost 0.4% Tuesday and is off 13% for 2008.

The dramatic reversal in fortune for stocks today left a mild bearish reversal formation on daily charts as the Russell closed lower after threatening to challenge move highs in the morning. In addition, when a market sinks in the face of seemingly bullish news, it is often considered a classic signal that something else is wrong. In this case, the market seems to be saying that a little relief at the gas pump isn’t enough to fix what ails the economy or the credit crisis.

It’s interesting to note too that the erosion in stocks seemed to coincide with a surge in Treasury markets. The yield on the benchmark 10-year note tumbled nearly 2% to the lowest closing level since late April. Yields move inversely to price, which means that demand for Treasury products (a traditional safe-haven) was strong today. Some of that push for a safety net seemed to move in tandem with the Fitch downgrade of paper debt for mortgage lending giants Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE). If there were concerns in the market about the government-sponsored enterprises, they didn’t really show up in the stock, as shares in FNM rose 8%, while FRE jumped 14%.

The day dawned brightly for equities as investors embraced a huge slide in crude oil prices. Even though the stock market turned lower in the afternoon, crude oil prices still lost about 5% on the day, sinking $5.75 a barrel to $109.71. The stiff decline in energy prices was accompanied by a big rally in the U.S. dollar, and a whole host of commodity markets succumbed to the pressure — all of which would seem . . .

Pyramid Oil Co. (Nasdaq:PDO), Seabridge Gold Inc. (Nasdaq:SA) and Pacific Premier Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:PPBI) are among the biggest percentage losers in Tuesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Torch Energy Royalty Trust (Nasdaq:TRU), Jacksonville Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:JAXB), Ohio Legacy Corp. (Nasdaq:OLCB), James River Coal Co. (Nasdaq:JRCC), Thermadyne Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq:THMD) and Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. (Nasdaq:HOS).

Here are the biggest percentage losers among small caps: