Wednesday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Updated from 2:52 p.m. EST with new stock prices

Mostly moving on earnings reports, small-cap stocks once again ran with the bulls Wednesday, generally trading in line with the the broader market as it jumped ahead.

S1 Corp. (SONE Quote), a Norcross, Ga., provider of software solutions for banks, credit unions and insurance companies, added 23.5% at $7.46. For the fourth quarter, the company swung to a profit of $6.4 million, or 11 cents a share, from a loss of $12.9 million, or 17 cents a share, in 2006. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were looking for a profit of 8 cents a share. The company forecast full-year 2008 EPS between 37 cents and 40 cents, whereas the Street predicts 38 cents.

Meanwhile, IHOP (IHP Quote), an international pancake house, saw shares jump 9.6% to $43.85. The Glendale, Calif.-based company reported a fourth-quarter loss, which it attributed in part to its $2 billion acquisition of Applebee's on Nov. 29. The company lost $16 million, or 94 cents a share, for the fourth quarter. Shares were up on 2008 guidance for a 2% to 4% increase in same-pancake house sales, or sales from pancake houses open at least a year. For Applebee's, IHOP forecast a 1% to 2% increase in same-neighborhood bar sales.

Papa John's (PZZA Quote), a Louisville, Ky., pizza chain, climbed 9.2% to $27.00. Excluding charges, Papa John's announced fourth-quarter income of 52 cents a share, 9 cents ahead of both analysts' average forecast and its year-ago results. Net income was $14.8 million, up from $13.8 million in 2006. The pizza provider also reaffirmed full-year 2008 guidance for EPS of $1.68 to $1.76, ahead of the Street's view of $1.67 a share.

Some stocks couldn't muster up such rosy quarterly results. Enernoc (ENOC Quote), a Boston-based demand response and energy management solutions provider, posted a fourth-quarter loss to $9 million, or 48 cents a share, from $4.1 million, or $1.07 a share, a year ago. Analysts had forecast a loss of 30 cents a share. The stock fell 36% to $16.31.

Carter's (CRI Quote) also slipped, 24%, to $16.88. The Atlanta company, which markets sleepwear products, playclothes and accessories for babies and young children, reported earnings of $28.6 million, or 48 cents a share, vs. $27.4 million, or 45 cents a share, a year ago. Analysts were expecting 51 cents a share.

More broadly, the Russell 2000 was down 0.1% at 716.50, and the S&P SmallCap 600 was down 0.3% to 379.45.