Thursday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Small-cap stocks got caught in today's larger slide Thursday before a late-day bounce-back, and Charter Communications (CHTR Quote) was souring the mood with one of the day's steepest price drops.

Shares plummeted 34.3% in very heavy trading after the broadband communication company widened its third-quarter loss from continuing operations by 7.8% year over year to $1.10 a share, or $407 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were looking for a loss of just 89 cents a share. The St. Louis, Mo., company's stock was falling 61 cents to $1.17.

Kenexa (KNXA Quote), a business-software company based in Wayne, Pa., was downgraded by several analysts after slashing its full-year earnings outlook under Wall Street estimates. The firm now expects non-GAAP income of $1.14 to $1.15 a share, compared with the prior range of $1.18 to $1.25 a share, and sales targets were cut by at least $5.5 million to between $181.5 million and $182.5 million.

Third-quarter earnings were flush with the consensus and revenue came in a notch under. Shares surrendered $11.28, or 40.5%, to $16.56.

Zumiez (ZUMZ Quote), a sports-apparel retailer, plunged 27% to $28.72 after chopping a nickel off its 2007 profit guidance to between 92 cents and 94 cents a share, citing a "reliance on seasonal merchandise" in the fourth quarter. The Everett, Wash., company also missed Wall Street views for same-store sales along with a couple of other mall retailers, reporting an October rise of just 5.1% vs. the 6.8% expectations.