Tuesday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Small stocks generally lagged behind the larger market for most of the day Tuesday, thanks in part to a series of poor earnings reports.

APAC Customer Services (APAC) took a nosedive after losing a nickel a share (excluding items) in the first quarter against Wall Street's expectations for a 2-cent loss, according to Thomson Financial. The Deerfield, Ill., company's sales, at $52.4 million, also narrowly missed estimates. Shares gave up 27.5% to $3.11.

Cutera (CUTR), maker of laser-based systems for aesthetic treatments, came in a penny below estimates and issued soft guidance for the second quarter and for all of 2007, prompting Merriman Curhan Ford to downgrade the stock to neutral from buy. The California-based company plummeted 21.1% to $23.06.

Oklahoma-based Bronco Drilling Co. (BRNC) plunged 11.7% to $16.79 after first-quarter earnings retreated 4 cents from last year to 44 cents a share -- 9 cents short of the average Street target -- and UFP Technologies (UFPT) reported wilting earnings and revenue. Shares of the Georgetown, Mass., packaging maker were off 11.4% to $5.67.

On the more sparsely populated upside Tuesday was United-Guardian (UG), maker of cosmetic ingredients and other products. Earnings rose sharply to $1.2 million, or 23 cents a share, compared with 13 cents a share last year. Shares of the Hauppauge, N.Y., company soared $3.40, or 36%, to $12.85.