Thursday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Small-cap stocks traded in tandem with the broader market on a Thursday marked by swings to both the upside and the downside.

Shares of air medical transportation services and systems provider Air Methods (AIRM) climbed 16.4% to $46.11. The Denver-based company announced fourth-quarter revenue of $122.6 million, up 58% from the year-ago period. Income rose to $4.8 million, or 38 cents a share, from $1.2 million, or 10 cents a share, a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were looking for 33 cents a share.

Genesco (GCO) a Nashville, Tenn.-based footwear vendor, gained 8.6% to $21.50. In conjunction with its fourth-quarter results, the company announced the authorization of a $100 million stock repurchase. For the quarter, Genesco posted continuing-operations earnings per share of $1.36. The Street was looking for $1.01. Revenue decreased to $467 million in the most recent quarter, which was 13 weeks long, from $477 million in the year-ago period, which was 14 weeks long.

Atlanta's Cumulus Media (CMLS), which operates FM and AM radio station clusters, rose 27.6% to $6.25. The company disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission today that its lenders consented to an amendment to its credit agreement permitting a merger with an investment group led by CEO Lewis Dickey and an affiliate of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity.

AudioCodes (AUDC) shares gained 15.8% to $3.73. The Israeli developer of technology for transmission of voice, data and fax communication over packet networks announced Global Crossing (GLBC) had chosen its Media Gateways for trunking and enterprise access applications in Latin America. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

On the losing side, Virgin Mobile (VM) shares plummeted 41.4% to $2.46. The stock began its plunge Wednesday after the close on lowered guidance. For the fourth quarter, the Warren, N.J., wireless telecom company lost $14.7 million, or 30 cents a share, vs. a loss of $44.9 million, or $1.74 a share, a year ago. Virgin Mobile forecast first-quarter EPS between a penny and 4 cents, far short of the Street's view of 30 cents.

Also dropping, Sigma Designs (SIGM) shares lost 16.5% to $21.10. The Milpitas, Calif.-based chipmaker had announced that it had shipped more chips than were actually needed by customers. Deutsche Bank and UBS lowered their price targets for Sigma after the announcement.

Bloomfield Hills, Mich.'s TriMas (TRS), which manufactures engineered products used in various commercial industrial and consumer applications worldwide, slipped 16.4% to $5.66 on fourth-quarter earnings. The company posted breakeven earnings per share, in line with analysts' expectations. For the first quarter, the company forecast EPS between 21 cents and 24 cents. The Street is looking for 32 cents.

More broadly, the Russell 2000 rose 1.9% at 679.71, and the S&P SmallCap 600 ticked up 2.1% to 361.52.

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