Small-Cap Winners & Losers: Gibraltar

Small-cap stocks bounced in and out of positive territory Thursday, slightly trailing the broader market as earnings reports once again motivated the major buying and selling.

Shares of Gibraltar Industries (ROCK), which makes residential and commercial building products, soared 28% to $14.12. The Buffalo, N.Y., firm posted first-quarter earnings of $6.7 million, or 22 cents a share, vs. $6.2 million, or 21 cents a share, a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting 14 cents a share.

Meanwhile, Central Garden & Pet (CENT) jumped 29% to $5.40. The Walnut Creek, Calif.-based purveyor of branded products for the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets announced income of $20.5 million, or 28 cents a share, vs. $21.4 million, or 30 cents a share, a year ago. The Street was looking for 25 cents a share.

Niwot, Colo.'s Crocs (CROX), a footwear concern, added 17% to $11.60. The company reported non-GAAP first-quarter earnings of $7.6 million, or 9 cents a share, slightly behind the consensus estimate of 10 cents a share. Crocs also reaffirmed full-year guidance for EPS between $1.70 and $1.80, ahead of the Street's prediction of $1.60.

Einstein Noah (BAGL), which licenses specialty bagel restaurants, saw shares climb 17% to $12.86. The Lakewood, Colo., company said it made $3.8 million, or 23 cents a share, for the first quarter, vs. $1.1 million, or 10 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Analysts had foretold earnings of 16 cents a share. Piper Jaffray added to the good news by upgrading the stock to buy from neutral.