Friday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Friedman Billings says profit-taking, rising corn prices and declining ethanol prices could lead to a pullback in ethanol stocks in the coming weeks. As a result, it removed Aventine Renewable Energy (AVR) and VeraSun (VSE) from its top picks list. VeraSun was losing 4.1% to $15.02, and Aventine was down 2.8% at $17.28.

Starlims (LIMS) was rising 1.3% to $13.04 after Oppenheimer initiated coverage of the maker of laboratory information management systems with a buy rating and a $16 price target.

SXC Health Solutions (SXCI), a provider of pharmacy benefits-management services, was advancing 1.5% to $29.92 on word that the Government Accountability Office has upheld the decision made by the Department of Veterans Affairs to award it a multiyear contract. The contract could be worth as much as $6.9 million if all options are exercised.

RAE Systems (RAE), a seller of security systems, saw its shares rise after the company prevailed in an arbitration case with Polimaster Ltd. The stock was lately higher by 5.3% at $2.40.

Cross Country Healthcare (CCRN) said its ClinForce unit agreed to acquire all the shares of privately held Assent Consulting for $19.6 million in cash, plus an earn-out provision of up to $4.9 million. The company expects the acquisition to be modestly accretive to this year's earnings. Shares were adding 1.9% to $17.59.

>To order reprints of this article, click here: Reprints