Monday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Small-cap stocks surged ahead Monday at times outgain the major indices. The Russell 2000 Index was reecntly up 0.5% to 789.34, and the S&P SmallCap 600 was up a 0.6% to 410.31.

Shares of Hamilton, Bermuda-based Security Capital Assurance (SCA Quote) rose on news that rival bond insurer MBIA (MBI Quote) had received a $1 billion investment from Warburg Pincus to try to preserve its AAA insurer rating. Shares rose 18.8% to $8.15.

Also roaring ahead, Nuvelo (NUVO Quote) shares jumped 21% to $2.57 after the San Carlos, Calif.-based biopharmaceutical company announced results from a phase III SONOMA-2 (Speedy Opening of Non-functional and Occluded Catheters with Mini-dose Alfimeprase-2) trial. The results indicate that alfimeprase restored catheter function and was well-tolerated by patients.

Meanwhile, North Palm Beach, Fla.-based Bankrate (RATE Quote), which operates online banking marketplace Bankrate.com, was rising 20% to $45.06 after Citigroup upgraded the online banking marketplace to buy from hold. Bankrate also announced this morning that it acquired two Web banking services, Nationwide Card Services and Savingforcollege.com.

After announcing Friday that it had received a bank covenant extension, WCI Communities (WCI Quote) shot up 18% to $4.78. The Bonita Springs, Fla.-based builder of tower residences obtained a waiver of performance that will last until Jan. 7, 2008. Its previous deadline had been Dec. 7 of this year.