Calavo Growers Inc. (Nasdaq:CVGW), FiberNet Telecom Group Inc. (Nasdaq:FTGX) and Bridgford Foods Corp. (Nasdaq:BRID) are among the new 52-week highs in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: NeurogesX Inc. (Nasdaq:NGSX), Inspire Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:ISPH), NCI Inc. (Nasdaq:NCIT), Todd Shipyards Corp. (Nasdaq:TOD), Florida Public Utilities Co. (Nasdaq:FPU) and RehabCare Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:RHB).

Emergent Group Inc. (Nasdaq:LZR), Answers Corp. (Nasdaq:ANSW) and VSE Corp. (Nasdaq:VSEC) are among the new 52-week highs in Thursday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: American Science & Engineering Inc. (Nasdaq:ASEI), Applied Signal Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:APSG), Repros Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:RPRX), NCI Inc. (Nasdaq:NCIT), Force Protection Inc. (Nasdaq:FRPT) and Ocwen Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:OCN).

Staar Surgical Co. (Nasdaq:STAA), Micromet Inc. (Nasdaq:MITI) and NCI Inc. (Nasdaq:NCIT) are among the new 52-week highs in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.       

Also included among the results: Wilshire Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:WIBC), Hanger Orthopedic Group Inc. (Nasdaq:HGR), Industrial Services of America Inc. (Nasdaq:IDSA), Hawk Corp. (Nasdaq:HWK), North American Galvanizing & Coatings Inc. (Nasdaq:NGA) and Parlux Fragrances Inc. (Nasdaq:PARL).  

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

Sequenom Inc (Nasdaq:SQNM), Intersections Inc (Nasdaq:INTX) and Superior Well Services Inc (Nasdaq:SWSI) are among the new 52-week highs in Friday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion.

Also included among the results: Houston American Energy Corp (Nasdaq:HUSA), Innophos Holdings Inc (Nasdaq:IPHS), Balchem Corp (Nasdaq:BCPC), Digimarc Corp (Nasdaq:DMRC), Tailwind Financial Inc (Nasdaq:TNF) and NCI Inc (Nasdaq:NCIT).

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

Houston American Energy Corp (Nasdaq:HUSA), Digital Ally Inc (Nasdaq:DGLY) and Fuel Systems Solutions Inc (Nasdaq:FSYS) are among the new 52-week highs in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

Northwest Pipe Co (Nasdaq:NWPX), VanceInfo Technologies Inc (Nasdaq:VIT) and NCI Inc (Nasdaq:NCIT) are also among the new 52-week highs.

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

Crystal River Capital Inc (Nasdaq:CRZ), Western Refining Inc (Nasdaq:WNR) and Corus Bankshares Inc (Nasdaq:CORS) are among the new 52-week lows in Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations under $750 million.

US Shipping Partners LP (Nasdaq:USS), LCA Vision Inc (Nasdaq:LCAV) and Adams Golf Inc (Nasdaq:ADGF) are also among the new 52-week lows.

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

Olympic Steel, Inc. (Nasdaq:ZEUS), Simmons First National Corp. (Nasdaq:SFNC) and Actel Corp. (Nasdaq:ACTL) were among the new 52-week highs established during Wednesday's trading among companies with market capitalizations or values under $750 million.

NCI, INC. (Nasdaq:NCIT), Ebix, Inc. (Nasdaq:EBIX) and Waste Industries USA, Inc. (Nasdaq:WWIN) were also among the 52-week small-cap highs.

Here are Wednesday's 52-week small-cap highs:

Investors are fond of watching insider sales of stock as a barometer of the likely direction of the stock price going forward. After all, if top executives are selling stock, they must not have much confidence that its price will keep rising.

NCI Information Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:NCIT), a Reston, Va.-based IT services company, however, has the opposite problem. NCI, which builds and services information technology systems for the federal government, has been growing steadily. It has even taken government contracts away from much larger competitors, but its stock is trading at a discount to its peers.

Why? The chairman and CEO of NCI, Charles Narang, owns about half the 13.4 million outstanding shares, and he’s not selling. Although 44% of the shares are owned by institutions, most big investors are reluctant to trade them. Trading volume is typically in the range of 26,000 shares, often with just a few thousand shares trading per day.

“I’ve spoken to a number of investors who love the company but say they can’t buy it,” says analyst Gautam Khanna at Cowen & Co.  “If they create a position in NCIT, they’ll move the stock price.” He believes the stock is 10% to 15% below where it could be otherwise. “I think the stock will keep that discount until that issue is resolved,” he adds.

That doesn’t mean the stock is not worth buying, though. Khanna rates the stock “outperform,” and he’s in the majority. Of 10 analysts covering the company, seven rate it a “strong buy,” one rates it a “buy,” and the other two rate it . . .

The Russell 2000 index and the Dow managed a tiny gain despite early losses following news of a fall in U.S. housing starts during May. The Russell 2000 added 2.06 points, or 0.24%, to finish at 848.34. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved up 22.44 points, or 0.16%, to 13,635.42.

U.S. housing starts fell 2.1% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.474 million, the Commerce Department reported before the opening bell.

Economists were projecting a decline of 3.5% to an annualized rate of 1.474, following April’s rise of 1% to 1.506 million units. On a year-over year basis, housing starts are 24% lower compared with May of 2006.