Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 31, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 3, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Busy for the Next Few Days...

The next few days are going to be a bit hectic for me so I will not be able to post as regularly as I would like. In addition, I will not have ample time to do sufficient research on new stock picks or ideas. I may be able to throw in a few ideas but nothing more. I should be able to resume regular posting by this coming Monday. For the most part, I have mentioned quite a few stocks over the last few days and weeks. Most of these should work as long as the market holds up. I will try and post a few trade ideas later on tonight.

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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Hit or Miss...

Today was another one of those hit or miss kind of days. If most of your holdings were in NASDAQ listed stocks, you probably did not fare that bad. But, those who had a large stake in China, Shipping or Solar stocks definitely felt the burn today. Remember to keep those stop loss triggers handy if your trades are going against you. This is not the time to pile on tons of money in individual stocks. Keep positions manageable in size. Last thing one needs is to get in over their head and receive a massive margin call.

New Buy Ideas: AOB

Add to: ACTU, ARTG, EDAC, IIN



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Knobias Clip Report (10-30-2007)

Submitted By Knobias ClipReport

ARGN: Reports Solid Earnings on Strong CCS Demand

On the eve of one of the most important Fed Reserve decisions in recent memory, the markets were mixed with the Nasdaq gaining slightly while the Dow and S&P saw small declines. Causing the mixed move was the notion that the Fed decision would have a greater impact on the Dow’s blue chip stocks and the broader overall market rather than the technology driven Nasdaq.

Earnings were still being reported in the midst of the uncertain environment, and for the most part, haven’t been as stellar as in past quarters. One name bucked that trend though, and because of the numbers, broke out to new all time highs on some fairly heavy volume.

Amerigon (ARGN) develops products based on its advanced, proprietary, efficient thermoelectric (TE) technologies for a wide range of global markets and heating and cooling applications. The Company's current principal product is its proprietary Climate Control Seat system, a solid-state, TE-based system that permits drivers and passengers of vehicles to individually and actively control the heating and cooling of their respective seats to ensure maximum year-round comfort. CCS, which is the only system of its type on the market today, uses no CFCs or other environmentally sensitive coolants. Amerigon maintains sales and technical support centers in Southern California, Detroit, Japan, Germany and England.

Before the market opened on Tuesday, the Company reported their third quarter 2007 results. Strong demand for the Company's proprietary Climate Control Seat system drove revenues for this the third quarter and first nine months to $15.9 million and $47.2 million, respectively, up from $12.7 million and $35.6 million in last year's third quarter and first nine months. The jump was a 25% increase from Q306 to Q307.

Net income for the third quarter was $3.1 million, or 14c per basic and 13c per diluted share, compared with net income in last year's third quarter of $900,000, or 4c per basic and diluted share. The Company did, however, enjoy a deferred research and development (R&D) tax benefit of approximately $1.7 million following a study of its research and development activities and related expenses for the period from 1999 through 2006. They did note that they would expect to qualify for further R&D credits, but without the tax benefit during the recent quarter, net income for the third quarter was $1.3 million or 6c per adjusted basic and diluted share.

Following the announcement, shares broke out to all time highs, hitting intraday records of $22.35 before settling in the $20.00 range, up only 5.5%.

The interest could have been sparked by the GAAP numbers, which displayed the benefit and a subsequent year over year EPS increase of over 200%, but also of note was the upbeat feeling towards 2008.

President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel R. Coker noted in the press release, “We had another very good quarter, and we are continuing to have a very good year in 2007. We are achieving the goals we set out for our CCS business in 2007 and are making progress on new applications for our TE technology. As a result, our revenues are growing and expanding as we have predicted, and our bottom line is following along the same path.”

Coker noted that the "take rates," which are the rates that a feature like CCS are chosen by the car buying customers, continue to reflect high acceptance, and are solid and promising. He also added that the Company is getting better penetration in Asia and Europe, a trend that should continue through at least 2008. Coker also said that the Company expects CCS revenue growth in 2008 of 30% to 40% with continued strong increases in profitability.

While the domestic economy could see a pullback causing demand for luxury items to dip, internationally, China is seeing a rising middle class which has begun to demonstrate an excess of disposable income. With a historical derived revenue mix of approximately 65% North American and 35% Asian, the Company could escape any domestic slowdown unscathed with a continuation of traction in the region.

In any event, shares have spiked extremely hard on the earnings report causing extended valuations which could limit upside for the time being. Following the close of the bell on Tuesday, the reaction of the stock even caused Roth Capital Partners to cut their rating from Buy to Hold on valuation concerns. While the name remains a solid play in the luxury area, 2008 forward price to earnings ratios of 87 are hard to justify. Investors would be wise to keep the name on the radar and look for less risky entries or names.



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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 30, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 30, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

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Knobias Clip Report (10-29-2007)

Submitted By Knobias ClipReport

SCOM: Flu Season Could Provide Revenue Opportunity

Monday’s session was met with optimism regarding Wednesday’s Federal Reserve meeting scheduling. Many were expecting a cut of 25 basis points on the interest rate but as much as many would want lobby against it, a 50 basis point cut is not out of the realm of possibility.

Many feel the need for an aggressive stance especially with the Fed in a position to thwart a worst case scenario. The housing sector is now at the root of three distinct but related problems: (1) a sharp decline in house prices and the related fall in home building; (2) a subprime mortgage problem that has triggered a substantial widening of all credit spreads and the freezing of much of the credit markets; and (3) a decline in home equity loans and mortgage refinancing that could cause greater declines in consumer spending. Each of these could by itself be powerful enough to cause an economic downturn.

In any event, it is something to watch going into the Wednesday session. In the small cap space, one name recently released earnings which caused a few investors to take notice.

Sharps Compliance Corp. (SCOM), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a leading provider of cost-effective medical waste disposal solutions for industry and consumers.

The Company's flagship product, the Sharps Disposal by Mail System(R), is a cost-effective and easy-to-use solution to dispose of medical waste such as hypodermic needles, lancets and any other medical device or objects used to puncture or lacerate the skin (referred to as "sharps").

The Company also offers a number of products specifically designed for the home healthcare market. Sharps Compliance focuses on targeted growth markets such as the pharmaceutical, retail, healthcare, commercial, professional and hospitality markets, as well as serving a variety of additional markets. The Company is a leading proponent and participant in the development of public awareness and solutions for the safe disposal of needles, syringes and other sharps in the community setting.

On October 23rd, the Company reported that first quarter fiscal 2008 revenue grew to a record $3.4 million, an increase of 13% from revenue of $3.0 million in the same period the prior fiscal year, and up 17% sequentially compared with revenue of $2.9 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007. Customer billings, which the Company believes is an appropriate measure of performance and progress of the business, also increased to a record level of $3.6 million for the fiscal 2008 first quarter, up 14% compared with the prior fiscal year's first quarter billings of $3.1 million. On a sequential basis, customer billings increased 21%, from $ 3.0 million, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.

The Company noted that the customer billing increase was derived from growth in the hospitality and healthcare sectors as well as the start of the flu shot season around the country. The Company did note an increase of SG&A expense of 21% to $1.15 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 compared with $0.95 million in the same period of the prior fiscal year but essentially flat from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007. The increase in SG&A expense over the prior year period is a result of increased sales and marketing related expenses, non-cash stock-based compensation expense, recruiting fees and facilities rent expense.

The numbers culminated in an EPS of 2c versus 3c per share for the same period the prior year. The reduction in diluted earnings per share year-over-year was noted as being a result of a 2.5 million, or 23%, increase in the diluted shares outstanding due to stock options exercised and a higher stock price.

If the Company can capitalize on the growth of the healthcare sector as well as the current flu season while containing SG&A expenses and dilutionary financing activities, the name is certainly one to follow over the coming quarters. Investors would be wise to watch.



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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 29, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 29, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Trade Journal for Monday October 29, 2007

New Buys: ARTG, IIN, ITI

Added To: EDAC

Sold-Profit: AZS (29%)

Sold-Loss: CKSW, BW, CATS


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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

In Play: ARTG, IIN
Here are the two stocks that I was talking about. I already played IIN before for a 40% gain so this would be a rebuy for me. ARTG is also showing strength. Today is a good day to grab it as it is taking a small rest before its next move up. Of course, cut your losses short. There is no need to let any loss escalate and get out of proportion. Good luck!

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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 27, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 3, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Stock Picks and Trade Ideas for Monday, October 29, 2007

Friday's brilliantly bullish close was just what the market needed. Although we didn't exactly close at the HOD, we did manage to successfully bounce off the 50 day MA and close up 1%. Although most of my stocks did well, CRDC and SQNM let me down. SQNM's situation is understandable (nice run-up already), but CRDC was a big let down. Its chart pattern was promising which is why I was surprised. Still, earnings and fundamentals need to be taken into account for the big negative reversal. I believe that traders and investors were looking for a bigger boost in earnings. Perhaps they thought that CRDC would post a positive EPS this quarter. Who knows and who cares. I managed to bail out nicely and break even. I even trimmed down on some ASIA as the stock did not perform as well as I thought it would. None of this really bothers me as there are plenty of new longs setting up very promising chart patterns. Lets take a look at some of the new comers....

New Long Ideas: CROX (rebuy), EPAY, HDB, IBN, ICO, NSIT, SCUR (rebuy), SCL, SQM, TTM, WNG

Add To: ADAM, GHM, NTCT, PGI, TISI, WBD

Sell: SHEN

*ICO and TTM were both previously mentioned by my readers. I do not remember if both were mentioned by the same person or by two different individuals. Regardless, the person (or persons), recognized two potential winners in their infancy. Although they may have been a good buy when first mentioned, now is the correct time to buy ICO and TTM as both are at ideal, low-risk buy points.

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Knobias Clip Report (10-26-2007)

Submitted By Knobias ClipReport

KOSN: CEO Comments on Roche's Termination of Epothilone Collaboration

Roche provided notice that it is terminating its collaboration agreement with Kosan Biosciences Inc. (KOSN) for the development of the Company’s current epothilone anticancer product candidate, KOS-1584, and any other epothilones developed under the collaboration in the field of oncology. Following the effectiveness of the termination of the agreement in 120 days, all licensed rights will revert to Kosan.

Roche said it is terminating the Epothilone Collaboration Agreement for its “convenience” as provided for under the agreement. Kosan believes that Roche is terminating the agreement as a result of a re-prioritization within Roche’s research and development group.

In a conference call today, Kosan president and CEO Robert G. Johnson, Jr., M.D., Ph.D. said, "We do not speak for Roche, but we believe that it was unrelated to the value of KOS-1584. Roche has been a good partner, and they believe in the drug just as we do."

"We did not expect this decision by Roche. We have met all of the milestones in the development of KOS-1584. While we were initially disappointed, but we quickly realized that there are some tangible benefits to reacquiring KOS-1584. We will welcome other opportunities to advance KOS-1584. We plan to proceed with Phase II trials soon, but we will not be able to provide details and indications that we will pursue until the end of the month."

Dr. Johnson added, "Our agreement with Roche four years ago provided a $25 million upfront payment to us with milestone and royalties at comparable amounts for that time. We would expect any future deal structures to be more favorable than that."

Epothilones are a new class of cytotoxic molecules that have been identified as potential chemotherapy drugs. The epothilones appear to be well tolerated, with a side effect profile that is similar to that reported with the taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel), but studies indicate superior efficacy to the taxanes. KOS-158 has demonstrated antitumor activity and tolerability in patients with solid tumors. It has shown signs of activity in patients with non-small cell lung, ovarian, breast, prostate, pancreatic, head and neck and colon cancer.

The FDA recently approved Bristol-Myers' (BMY) Ixempra(R)(ixabepilone), an epothilone, for women with advanced breast cancer that does not respond to other therapies. It was approved as a stand-alone treatment for patients with advanced tumors that do not respond to Roche Holding AG's Xeloda(R)(capecitabine). Leading drugs for metastatic breast cancer currently include Bristol's older Taxol(R)(paclitaxel), Sanofi-Aventis' (SNY) Taxotere(R)(docetaxel), Xeloda and anthracyclines (daunorubicin, doxorubicin, and epirubicin, idarubicin and mitoxantrone). According to industry analysts, Ixempra(R) could generate annual sales of $500 million by 2012.

Dr. Johnson noted, "This new class of epothilones has already been validated with the approval of Ixempra. The market is waking up to the promise of epothilones, and interest has increased significantly. We see no reason that this will not continue, and we intend to take full advantage of this interest."

"In the short term, the impact of Roche's termination will be minimal and have no financial impact for 2007. It is also important to note that there is a rich history in recent examples of companies reacquiring successful drugs. We believe that KOS-1584 has the potential to achieve best-in-class status in the emerging epothilone market as well as to compete in the established taxane market."



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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

What's Hot and What's Not: A Glance at Specific Sectors and Industries

"Hot"

Here are several sectors that did well today. With oil on a constant rise, it is no wonder that alternative energy stocks are continuing to show immense strength.



Alternative Energy- Coal Stocks (ACI, ANR, BTU, CNX, FCL
- Solar Energy (ASTI, STP)





Agriculture-Fertilizers (AGU, MOS, SQM)



---------------------------


"Not"

Sectors and Industries that have lagged. Both contain large amount of stocks that are still placing in 52wk lows.



Finance- Consumer and Commercial Loan Companies (CIT, COF)



Transportation- Truck (CNW, LSTR)

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Knobias Clip Report (10-25-2007)

Submitted By Knobias ClipReport

CSU: Aging Population Could Cause Increasing Profits

While the housing market has seen a massive decline in the past months because of credit woes and the subprime fallout, there are some niches in the industry that could still see a boost even with the collapse all around it.

The first baby boomer was just announced as starting the process to sign up for Social Security retirement benefits. Over the next two decades, nearly 80 million more baby boomers (who were born between 1946 and 1964) will become eligible for Social Security benefits. The number equals out to more than 10,000 per day.

According to the US Census Bureau, between now and 2050 the population of older adults living in the US will double, while growing at an annual rate of 2.8% a year. In 2030, 33% of the population will be 75 years old or older. 9% will be 85 years old or older.

With the aging of the population, a growth in assisted living housing and companies involved in the area is inevitable. One name in the industry is Capital Senior Living Corporation (CSU). The Company is one of the nation's largest operators of residential communities for senior adults. The Company's operating philosophy emphasizes a continuum of care, which integrates independent living, assisted living and home care services, to provide residents the opportunity to age in place.

The Company owns and/or operates 64 communities in 23 states with the ability to serve 9,544 residents. 49 of the communities are owned or leased with resident capacity of 7,636.

The Company’s latest earnings report in August showed revenue of $46.9 million which increased $9.2 million or approximately 24% from the second quarter of 2006. Adjusted EBITDAR (income from operations plus depreciation and amortization and facility lease expense) of $13.4 million increased approximately 40% from the prior year period. Second quarter 2007 net income was $0.8 million versus a loss of $2.5 million in the second quarter of the prior year. The Company also refinanced $30.0 million of mortgage debt on four owned communities with Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"). These four mortgages each have a term of ten years and a fixed interest rate of 5.9%, approximately 170 basis points below the variable rate debt which was replaced. Since the first quarter, the company has reduced mortgage debt by $51 million, refinanced or retired $162 million, and reduced their average interest rate from 7.5% to 6.1%, resulting in $8.3 million in annual interest expense.

CSU has noted that the Company is looking for acquisition candidates or joint venture announcements, particularly where the Company could also acquire the management contract.

With some $24 million in cash, an acquisition might be a bit out of reach, but a joint venture could easily pay dividends for the Company. The Company has also received some attention from analyst. On October 8th, Stifel Nicolaus upped the Company from a hold to a buy and set their new target price to $11. The firm noted that after the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing and Care Industry (NIC) conference, the firm expected operators to report improved occupancy in the third quarter results and were less concerned about the negative impact of new construction because they expect construction to be constrained by tighter credit markets.

In any event, third quarter earnings are expected to be released on November 6th. With a growth in their occupancy rate and continued attempts to grow through acquisition or joint venture, the name would certainly be one to watch even with the extended multiples the industry currently enjoys.



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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Frustrating Action...

Today wasn't a good day. For the most part the markets kept me frustrated all the way into the close. Many of my new trade ideas blew up on me. I stopped out on LFT after an ugly reversal. I was actually able to get in at a good price (32.59) and bailed out at 30.20 for a 7.33% loss. So much for that stock. On the flipside, there were several current holdings in the 'folio that did just fine. These stocks are the cream of the crop and boast the strongest RS in comparison to all the other stocks within the U.S.stock market. The one thing that has me a bit uneasy is the fact that I haven't really found any new high quality stocks to buy. Sure there are still plenty of lower-priced speculative issues floating around but nothing to really get me excited about buying. The amount of negative reversals has me a little queasy as well. I may just be over analyzing the situation though. We'll have to wait and see how the week ends. Keep an eye on earnings for ASIA and CRDC for tomorrow. ASIA already reported earnings and CRDC is due to let the new spill tomorrow morning.

Stocks that Did Well: APPY, AXYS, BIOS, CRDC, HNSN, KHD

Added To: AXYS, BIOS

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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 24, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 24, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

Ducimus Pliniusis not a registered investment advisor. Please read the complete Small Cap Stocks Blog Disclaimer



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Knobias Clip Report (10-24-2007)

Submitted By Knobias ClipReport

TMTA: $250M Settlement Causes Huge Spike in Shares

Wednesday’s session saw the financials feed the bear following Merrill Lynch’s larger than expected losses. Online retailer, Amazon.com, also contributed to the downward move following an earnings report that beat estimates, though fell due to expected profit margins declining with the holiday season right around the corner.

Even further, the National Association of Realtors reported sales of existing homes fell 8% in September to their lowest levels in 8 years. Median sales prices also fell 4.2%. Following the intraday bounce off lows of over 200 points, the Dow closed almost even, while the Nasdaq was down almost 1%. Speculation suggested an emergency Fed meeting as the catalyst, though the rumors were quickly dismissed.

In the small cap space, one name saw a fairly large increase in price on an important piece of news.

Transmeta Corporation (TMTA) develops and licenses innovative computing, microprocessor and semiconductor technologies and related intellectual property. Founded in 1995, Transmeta first became known for designing, developing and selling its highly efficient x86-compatible software-based microprocessors, which deliver a balance of low power consumption, high performance, low cost and small size suited for diverse computing platforms. The Company also develops advanced power management technologies for controlling leakage and increasing power efficiency in semiconductor and computing devices.

In October of 2006, the Company filed a patent infringement suit against Intel for infringement upon 10 Transmeta U.S. patents covering computer architecture and power efficiency technologies.

The complaint charged that Intel had infringed Transmeta's patents by making and selling a variety of microprocessor products including at least Intel's Pentium III, Pentium 4, Pentium M, Core and Core 2 product lines. The complaint requested an injunction against Intel's continuing sales of infringing products as well as monetary damages, including reasonable royalties on infringed products, treble damages and attorneys' fees.

In January, Intel countersued and disputed Transmeta's charges while accusing the smaller rival of infringing seven Intel patents. One of Intel's patents, filed in 1998, covers an "apparatus for controlling power usage," while the remaining six cover kinds of chip features.

In May, the Company reported some disappointing earnings and announced a restructuring was to take place.

“In the first quarter of 2007 we made the difficult, but necessary, decision to reduce our spending by restructuring the company to focus on developing and licensing our technologies and intellectual property,” said Les Crudele, president and CEO in the Company’s first quarter earnings release. “The restructuring is proceeding according to plan and, in some cases, is ahead of schedule. We expect to further reduce our headcount by 15 to 20 percent during the second quarter, mainly affecting general and administrative positions. As a result of the restructuring, we are no longer pursuing engineering services as a separate line of business and have also exited the business of selling microprocessor products.”

On Wednesday, the Company made a large stride towards their licensing and development strategy. Trasmeta announced that it had reached an agreement with Intel to settle all claims between them and to license the Transmeta patent portfolio to Intel for use in current and future Intel products.

The agreement grants Intel a perpetual non-exclusive license to all Transmeta patents and patent applications, including any patent rights later acquired by Transmeta, now existing or as may be filed during the next ten years. Transmeta will also transfer technology and grant to Intel a non-exclusive license to Transmeta's LongRun and LongRun2 technologies and future improvements.

The agreement provides for Intel to make an initial $150 million payment to Transmeta as well as to pay Transmeta an annual license fee of $20 million for each of the next five years for a total of $250 million.

Following the announcement, shares of TMTA gained over 230%, INTC shares fell 3.5%, while Applied Micro Devices (AMD), who owns $7.5 million in preferred stock in TMTA, shares fell 4.37%.




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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Stock Picks and Trade Ideas for Thursday October 25, 2007

New Long Ideas: ARCI (rebuy), CSV, CVS, GVP (rebuy), HLIT, MFW (rebuy), OTEX, SPIR, WRLS (rebuy)

Speculative/Risky Long Ideas: GBT, LFT, PVD, SCON, VGZ, XPL

Add to: ACTU, AIRM, APPY, ARTG, ASIA, AUTH, BIOS, BKE, EDAC, EXLS, FRM, HNSN, RBN


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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Trade Journal for Wednesday October 24, 2007

New Buys: ARTG, ASIA



Added To:



Sold for Profit: SQNM (25% of position for +61.53% gain)



Sold for Loss: DDUP (11%) I made a mistake of not keeping my losses small and allowed them to escalate.

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Knobias Clip Report (10-23-2007)

Submitted By Knobias ClipReport

FOLD: Sees 52-Week High on Tuesday After Positive Ph I Study for Pompe Disease

Shares of Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (FOLD) hit a 52-week high on Tuesday after it announced positive results from two completed Phase 1 clinical studies of AT2220 (1-deoxynojirimycin HCl) for Pompe disease. The Phase 1 results showed that AT2220 was well-tolerated. The Company expects to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial of AT2220 for Pompe disease in early 2008. The FDA has also granted orphan drug designation for AT2220 in the United States.

Pompe disease is a rare inherited metabolic muscle disorder that affects about 1 in 40,000 people in the U.S. It is caused by the buildup of a complex sugar called glycogen in the body's cells. The accumulation of glycogen in certain tissues, especially muscles, impairs their ability to function normally. The early onset form of the disease is the most severe, progresses most rapidly, and is characterized by musculoskeletal, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and cardiac symptoms that usually lead to death for patients between 1 and 2 years of age. The late onset form of the disease begins between childhood and adulthood and has a slower rate of progression that is characterized by musculoskeletal and pulmonary symptoms that usually lead to progressive weakness and respiratory insufficiency.
There is currently no approved cure for Pompe disease. Genzyme Corp.'s (GENZ) Myozyme(R) was granted FDA approval for the treatment of Pompe disease in 2006. It has been shown to improve ventilator-free survival in patients with infantile-onset Pompe disease as compared to an untreated historical control, whereas use of Myozyme in patients with other forms of Pompe disease has not been adequately studied to assure safety and efficacy.

Amicus is initially targeting lysosomal storage disorders, which are severe, chronic genetic diseases with unmet medical need. Amigal is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for Fabry disease and Phase 2 clinical trials of Plicera for Gaucher disease.

Fabry disease is a genetically inherited disease that is caused by the lack of or faulty enzyme needed to metabolize lipids, fat-like substances that include oils, waxes, and fatty acids. A mutation in the gene that controls this enzyme causes insufficient breakdown of lipids, which build up to harmful levels in the eyes, kidneys, autonomic nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Males tend to experience the most severe clinical symptoms, while females vary from virtually no symptoms to those as serious as males.

Gaucher's disease is the most common of the lysosomal storage diseases. It is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, leading to an accumulation of its substrate, the fatty substance glucocerebroside. Fatty material can collect in the spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs, brain and bone marrow. Symptoms may include enlarged spleen and liver, liver malfunction, skeletal disorders and bone lesions that may cause pain, severe neurologic complications, swelling of lymph nodes and (occasionally) adjacent joints, distended abdomen, a brownish tint to the skin, anemia, low blood platelets and yellow fatty deposits on the sclera.

Genzyme, the early pioneer in this area, has developed Fabrazyme(R) (agalsidase beta) to replace the missing enzyme in patients with Fabry disease. It is available in over 30 countries, including the United States and Europe. Genzyme's Cerezyme(R) is indicated for Gaucher's disease.

All of the conditions that the Company is currently developing products for are quite rare, and the enzyme drugs are among the most expensive in the world. Cerezyme, for instance, costs $200,000 a year. Sales of the drug last year were $1 billion. The demand and lack of competition in this area could provide significant opportunities for Amicus.


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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 23, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 23, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Trade Journal for Tuesday October 23, 2007

New Buys: ANET, ANO, AUTH, AZC, CRDC, EDAC, HLCS, WSCI, ZRAN

Added To: ALDN, ALGT, BIDZ, BIOS, CYBS, DDUP, KHD, PGI, RBN, SUSS, UVE

Sold Profit: SYUT (+29.77%)

Sold Loss: HIFN (-10.33%)


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Knobias Clip Report (10-22-2007)

Submited From Knobias ClipReport

NAPS/PLUG/SILC: Three Names Pop Up on Many Radar Screens

Monday’s session saw the Dow dive then recoup the losses, finishing ahead on the day by 45 points. Tuesday’s session will most likely be dominated with talk of Apple earnings which were set to be released after the bell on Monday. Following last week’s steep decline, a stabilization in the market was noted.

In the small cap space, three stocks found the radar screens of many traders. Two of the three had some fairly encouraging news while one was void of any announcements.

The first, Plug Power Inc. (PLUG), through its wholly owned subsidiary Cellex Power Products, Inc., announced a purchase order for GenDrive(TM) fuel cell power units from Wal-Mart Stores for use in lift trucks at one of the company's distribution centers. This is Plug Power's largest single GenDrive order to date, although the specific terms were confidential.

It was noted that the order followed a successful beta trial at two Wal-Mart distribution centers in Ohio in late 2006. During the trial, the 12 fuel-cell-powered pallet trucks ran in live, working conditions for more than four months, logging more than 18,000 hours and 2,100 indoor fuelings by pallet truck operators. The Cellex Power fuel cells demonstrated environmental and operator benefits. The new units will power pallet trucks used at Wal-Mart's food distribution center in Washington Court House, Ohio, replacing the lead- acid batteries that are traditionally used in such applications.

This fuel cell order aligns with Wal-Mart's strategy to integrate innovative technologies into its business plan that reduce operating cost and help the environment. The purchase of these fuel cell power units is equivalent to removing approximately 60 cars from the highway in southeastern Ohio in terms of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions.

Following the announcement, PLUG shares gapped open to highs of $4.75 before closing up only 18% at $3.51.

The second was Napster Inc. (NAPS). The Company, in collaboration with AT&T, unveiled a new service on Monday that allows its subscribers to download music from Napster Inc. directly to their cellphones, keeping pace with services already offered by rival wireless carriers. It represents a shift in AT&T's stance on mobile music to an "over-the-air" download model versus "sideloading," or transferring music from a computer to a phone through a physical connection. The service, Napster Mobile, is an expansion of AT&T's foray into music. In July, it began a download service called eMusic, which catered to the independent scene. Napster Inc.'s entire music catalog of more than 5 million songs will be available for wireless download starting early next month. Following that announcement, Napster shares were up 4% on 307K shares traded.

The last name was Silicom Limited (SILC). The Company is an Israeli based provider of high-performance server/appliances networking solutions. The Company's flagship products include a variety of multi-port Gigabit Ethernet, copper and fiber-optic, server adapters and innovative BYPASS adapters designed to increase throughput and availability of server-based systems, security appliances and other mission-critical gateway applications.

On Monday, shares plummeted 24% on over 1.28M shares traded on no major news. It was reported that the name was removed from the naked short list by Buyins.net, while earnings weren’t expected until October 29th, before the market open.

In any event, the names were certainly on many radar screens and are worth further looks. Investors would be wise to watch.



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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

End of the Day Recap/Stock Picks and Trade Ideas for Tuesday October 23, 2007

Just when the situation looked ready to get super ugly, the markets put in a surprise positive reversal. The reversal was most likely a combination of dip-buying traders and positive tech sector earnings reports. Still, the tech saturated bounce was more then enough get the DJIA involved in a little positive action. At the moment it is still too early to tell if this will be a failed attempt or a successful one in refueling the rally. More action and hints toward an actual direction will be needed. Until then we'll have to get used to some sideways (wave-like) action.

New Long Ideas: CRDC (very volatile and risky-but at a good low-risk buy point), CYBS (if you didn't grab today it is still a good buy), GSB

Add To: HNSN, JOBS, LULU, PGI

Sells: ALLI, GVP, SYNP


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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 22, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 22, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Stock Picks and Trade Ideas for Monday October 22, 2007

New Buys: DDUP (rebuy), GVP, HIFN, JOBS, PGI, SUSS, SYNP

Maybe: ANET, CYBS, WSCI

New Shorts: ABT, ATI, BA, DD, DNB, ITT,

Add To: BIDZ, BIOS, LULU, NSUR, TTG, UVE

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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Trade Journal: Taking Some Profits/Taking Some Losses

Lets face it, yesterday (Friday October 19, 2007) was brutal. The negative action forced me to stop out and cut my losses on many of my positions. In addition, it has also forced me to come to the realization that I have to take profits in order to preserve my gains. Despite the crazy action there are still plenty of stocks that I am holding onto. I will continue to hold onto these decent positions unless I am forced to sell them. True to my strategy I never hold onto a loss if it falls to down 8% from where I bought it (well at least I try to stick to it). This strategy helps me contain my losses to small amounts.



New Buy: SYNP (rebuy)





Add To: BIDZ, LULU



Hold: AATI, ABX, ACCL, AEM, AEY, AIRM, ALLI, ALXN, APPY, ARTW, AXYS, BIDZ, BW, CATS, CF, CFSG, CLDA, CU, CVGW, FALC, FRM, GHM, GOLD, HA, HMSY, IEP, INXI, JASO, JST, KOP LKQX, LGTY, LULU (so far up 116%), MCZ, MVG, NEOG, NG, NUAN, NTCT, OMTR, PMFG, SHEN, SHOR, SLI, SIL, SQNM, SYUT, TLEO, TOD, TRAK, TWTI, VCO, VMW, VSEC, WAT



Sold for Profit: ARCI (sold the rest of my position for a 10.86 gain), ATRO (+4.8%), BCSI (+24.63%), BKR (+6.22%), BOOM (+7.8%), BPHX (38.04%), CMED (+19.6%), DSX (+43.8%), EHTH (+11.27%), EXM (+57.9%), FARO (+39.34%), GME (+9.9%), HEW (+4.16%), ISRG (+36%), ITRI (+5.95%), LDSH (11.11%), MEAS (+11%), OMCL (8.70%), OI (#.6%), PAS (sold the rest of my position: 15.6%), PENX (+41%), QEPC (+19.27%), RBN (+46.56%), RESP (+2.9%), RGLD (+.65%), SIMC (+54%), SNCR (+12.50%), SNDA (+15.20), STRA (+6.87), STRL (7.6%), SYNT (+11.14%), TTES (+6.75%), TWI (+73.68%), VDSI (+47.4%), WRLS (+80.7%)



Sold for Loss: ACM (-6.44%), CREE (-8.20%), CROX (-1.41%), DGIT (-1/05%), FMCN (-2.75%), HLF (-2.62%), GNET (-6.20%), IFSIA (-8.9%), MDCA (-5.30%), ONXX (-4.73%), PRKR (-1.27%), SHMR (-8.7%), SVT (-2.15%), TCN (-7.84%), WLDN (-1.20%)



Sell if: AMAC (sell if it closes below the 50 day MA on above average volume), SILC (so far down 7%. Sell if it closes below the 50 day MA)


* Note: I am not finished posting all the trades. I will try and finish by tomorrow.

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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 19, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 19, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

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Knobias Clip Report (10-19-2007)

Submited From Knobias ClipReport

PURE: Shares Spike on Recent MRSA Infection Reports

Friday’s session saw a fairly gross trading day with Google being one of the lone bright spots in the market. Honeywell, 3M, and Caterpillar collectively helped the Dow to close at its lowest point of the day, down over 370+ points. Contributing to the unrest was another record day from crude which broke through the $90 a barrel level.

Next week, earnings and oil should decide whether the market will continue this downward path or bounce off its 50 day moving average.

One of the small caps that weathered the overall down day to turn in another 52 week high was Pure Bioscience (PURE). Highlighted a few weeks back before their 3rd quarter earnings release, the name has since seen a rally from the $3.50 range to a close over $7 on Friday.

PURE Bioscience (PURE) develops and markets technology-based bioscience products that provide solutions to numerous global health challenges. PURE's proprietary high efficacy/low toxicity bioscience technologies, including its silver dihydrogen citrate-based antimicrobials represent innovative advances in diverse markets and are a leader in the global trend toward industry and consumer use of "green" products while providing competitive advantages in efficacy and safety.

The Company’s patented silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) is an electrolytically generated source of stabilized ionic silver. SDC destroys bacteria by disabling proteins and halting metabolic and reproductive functions. SDC is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-caustic and formulates well with other compounds. As a platform technology, SDC is distinguished from competitors in the marketplace because of its superior efficacy, reduced toxicity and the inability of bacteria to form a resistance to it. It also offers 24-hour residual protection against standard indicator bacteria.

In June, the Company announced their 3rd quarter earnings that showed revenue traction for their SDC-based products internationally. Revenues for the quarter were $132,379, an increase of approximately 200%, as compared with $44,314 in the same quarter of the prior year.

Even though the Company has yet to receive approval from the FDA to market the SDC products domestically, they have continued their research and testing and even completed a 20-fold capacity expansion of their SDC production facility which increased their annual SDC revenue capacity from $11 million to more than $250 million. They also added a new automated blending and packaging operation to provide a cost-effective, quick turn around alternative for smaller distributors.

But even with the continued expansion, the main catalyst is the GMP suite becoming certified, which is a requirement for them to be able to manufacture SDC as an active pharmaceutical ingredient. The Company noted that they expected to have that certification soon.

Shares have spiked the past few days on large amounts of volume. Causing the increased attention were the reports that the number of severe infections caused by MRSA were higher than previously believed and the bacteria now kills more Americans than AIDS. MRSA is a form of Staphylococcus Aureus, or Staph infection. MRSA is a medically resistant form.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) has come into the news recently from the death of students along the east coast over the past few weeks. The death of young people with normally healthy immune systems is always cause for concern, though media reports have exploited the bacteria as a nationwide killer, when in reality, its not as disconcerting as other many other medical problems.

The Company touts their SDC products as being a solution to the current epidemic, though many other household cleaners can produce similar results. Never the less, the Company has reported that the Tulsa County Jail completely eliminated Staph infections, including MRSA, during the first 14 months of use of the product since its introduction in August 2006. Independent lab studies of the EPA registered product document that SDC kills MRSA within two minutes. Prior to use of PURE's SDC-based disinfectant, the facility experienced, on average, 12 cases of Staph infection every month.

With such positive results from the Tulsa County Jail, the SDC product is certainly something that could provide huge revenue growth with pharmaceutical approval, but with the speculative buying from the recent news reports surrounding MRSA and the connection traders are making with the product causing valuations to soar, the name may be a bit risky at these levels. In any event, investors would be wise to watch.



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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Depending On How We Close....

....This will either be a great buy opportunity (stocks at a discount), or further deterioration of the uptrend that the markets have been so feverishly trying to maintain. Lets stick around and find out....


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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 18, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 18, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

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Knobias Clip Report (10-18-2007)

Sumbmited From Knobias ClipReport

TWRT: Wind Turbine Tower Provider Reaches New Highs

Thursday’s session saw investors a little wary following Bank of America’s earnings miss. Friday’s session will undoubtedly be dominated with speak of Google’s earnings which are due following the close of Thursday’s session.

Also contributory to the unease was employment data. The Labor Department reported an increase of 28,000 in the number of those seeking new jobless claims, bringing the count to 337,000 last week. While oil prices made all time highs again, the dollar sank to new lows against the Euro.

The safe place to park money seemed to be the solar sector, again. Alternate energy and more specifically, the solar industry, is growing tremendously with China based names leading the way. But one area in the alternate energy sector that investors should not overlook is wind.

Wind energy which has long been seen as a supplemental energy source and not a primary resource, but wind power is striding into national public view as the elegant icon of energy security and action to curb global warming, and for good reason. Clean, cost-effective, inexhaustible, and readily available, wind power is an essential element of the solution to both climate change and America’s increasing demand for electricity.

One Company is heavily involved in the construction of these wind harnessing turbines. Tower Tech Holdings, Inc (TWRT) is headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and is dedicated to the production of wind tower support structures for the wind turbine industry.

The Company recently announced that it closed the previously announced acquisition of RBA, Inc., a Manitowoc, Wisconsin-based fabricator of components for energy-related industries. Tower Tech purchased all of the outstanding stock of RBA for $5 million. Tower Tech expects that the acquisition will expand its product portfolio for the wind turbine industry and increase its energy-related fabrication capabilities.

On August 22nd, the Company also announced an agreement to acquire Brad Foote Gear Works, Inc., an Illinois-based manufacturer of gearing systems for the wind turbine, oil and gas and energy-related industries. During the first six months of 2007, Brad Foote had revenues of approximately $37 million, with a significant portion of the revenues related to the sale of gear components to the wind turbine industry.

Under the terms of the agreement, which was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, Brad Foote shareholders would receive an aggregate of approximately 16,000,000 shares of Tower Tech common stock. Brad Foote shareholders would also receive an aggregate of $64 million in cash as part of the consideration. The cash portion of the consideration was to be funded through both debt and equity financing, which would be structured to provide additional liquidity to facilitate the combined companies' future growth plans and working capital needs. Tontine Capital Partners, L.P. and its affiliates agreed to purchase 12,500,000 shares of common stock in a private placement at a purchase price of $4.00 per share and to provide $25 million of additional interim debt financing in the form of senior subordinated convertible notes. Tower Tech would also assume approximately $21 million of senior debt from Brad Foote. The company expects the acquisition to close by the fourth quarter of 2007.

In any event, the name is certainly one to follow as it rolls up wind turbine component and service providers in this growing market. Shares have rallied over the past few days on increased volume, reaching new 52 week highs on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With that in mind, investors would be wise to watch.



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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Not Too Shabby...

Although the DJIA was down once again, the NASDAQ was able to pull itself up and close over 20 points. For the past few trading sessions there have been hints that have indicated that the NASDAQ would be the stronger index so today's action does not come as a surprise. It will be interesting to see how the week ends.

New Buys: ALGT, PSMT (rebuy), SHI, WBD

Strong Stocks: ACTU, AXYS, EXLS, FRM, HNSN, KHD, NTCT, RBN, SQNM


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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 17, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 17, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

Ducimus Pliniusis not a registered investment advisor. Please read the complete Small Cap Stocks Blog Disclaimer

Make sure you change the date in the post accordingly. Then click on the icon which allows you to upload image, click on browse (to find the picture on your computer and go to the proper folder) and then click on upload. Please note that the code created by the upload feature is usually not created at the right place (it usually appears at the top of the post) and you may have to cut and paste into proper place. The code for the image should be placed right above

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Knobias Clip Report (10-17-2007)

Sumbmited From Knobias ClipReport

OREX: Shares Up on Initiation of Ph III Trial for Contrave(TM) Obesity Drug

Shares of Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (OREX) opened higher in Wednesday's session with the initiation of the third trial in its Phase III clinical trial program for its lead product candidate Contrave(TM) as a treatment for obesity. The program includes a set of four Phase III trials evaluating a variety of obesity-related outcome measures. Orexigen expects to begin a fourth Phase III trial for Contrave in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Contrave is a proprietary fixed dose combination of bupropion SR (sustained release) and Orexigen's novel formulation of naltrexone SR in a single tri-layer tablet. In a previous Phase IIb multi-center clinical trial, Contrave demonstrated statistically significant weight loss at 48-weeks compared to bupropion SR alone, naltrexone IR (immediate release) alone, and placebo.

Orexigen's other obesity candidate is Empatic(TM), which is in the later stages of Phase II development. It is a fixed dose combination of zonisamide SR and bupropion SR. The primary outcome measure for this trial is percent change in body weight 24 weeks after the start of treatment, with a 24 week extension period.

Bupropion has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression and to assist smoking cessation. GlaxoSmithKline's currently markets bupropion drugs: Wellbutrin(R) SR, Wellbutrin(R) XL and Zyban(R). Wellbutrin SR and Wellbutrin XL are typically used to treat depression, while Zyban is most often prescribed as a quit smoking aid. The FDA requires bupropion to carry a black box warning stating that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide in persons younger than 25. It is expected that a similar warning statement will be required on labeling for both Contrave and Empatic. Zonisamide is an anticonvulsant approved for use as an adjunctive therapy in adults with partial-onset seizures.

If approved and commercialized, both Contrave and Empatic will compete with well established prescription drugs for the treatment of obesity, including Roche's Xenical(TM)(orlistat) and Abbott's (ABT) Meridia(TM)(sibutramine). Orlistat has also been launched by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in an over-the-counter form under the brand name Alli(TM). Sanofi-Aventis' (SNY) Acomplia(rimonabant) has been approved in certain European countries. Sanofi-Aventis withdrew the rimonabant NDA in the United States. Xenical and Meridia have had somewhat poor sales because of unpleasant side effects. The dual mechanism of Contrave and Empatic provides a sustained even flow of drugs that minimizes the side effects.

In May 2007, the Company completed an initial public offering of 7,000,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $12.00 per share. Net cash proceeds from the initial public offering were approximately $76.2 million. As of June 30, 2007, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $73.0 million and cash and available securities of $109.5 million.

Executive officers, directors and their affiliates together beneficially own approximately 49% of the Company's outstanding common stock.

JP Morgan recently stated that Contrave and Empatic sales could reach $3 billion a year and JMP Securities sees $1 billion a year. JMP also upped its rating of OREX this month to "Strong Buy" from "Market Outperform." Leerink Swann has increased their one-year fair value range to $17-$21 from $16, and it said that undervalued Orexigen could potentially hold the rights to two obesity drugs classified as best-in-case.


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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 16, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 16, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

Ducimus Pliniusis not a registered investment advisor. Please read the complete Small Cap Stocks Blog Disclaimer



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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Sumbmited From Knobias ClipReport

HOKU: Announces Deadline Extension Agreement with SANYO

Tuesday’s session saw the Dow give up almost 100 points as continued oil price spikes and housing worries dominated talk during the day. With earnings season in full swing this week, analysts were also watching some of the names report softer than expected numbers causing many to feel the housing slump is having a broader and longer term impact on the normally resilient consumer.

In the small cap space, alternate energy was again an area of interest, especially considering the recent hoopla involving LDK Solar Company Limited (LDK). The quick synopsis involves a successful IPO which many on Wall Street believe was based on the incorrect numbers provided by the company’s accounting department involving inventory which should have been written off but wasn’t to promote higher asset levels. An ex employee brought the proposed inaccuracies to the light of many, including the SEC, whose value has been stripped from the market cap almost ten times over.

The entire story involves a ‘he said, she said’ finger pointing battle between management of a growing company in a highly prosperous market and an ex employee who may or may not be blowing the proverbial whistle on accounting shenanigans. Again, the story is entertaining if one has no stake, but a real dread if one did because of the amount of manipulative action in the shares over the past weeks.

In any event, another solar player reported some news after the bell that also should have shares down a bit. Hoku Scientific, Inc. (HOKU) announced that it had amended its polysilicon reactor contract with GEC Graeber Engineering Consultants GmbH, and MSA Apparatus Construction for Chemical Equipment Ltd. to include an option for Hoku Materials to purchase additional reactors to enable the production of up to an additional 500 metric tons of polysilicon per year, which if exercised would bring Hoku's total polysilicon production capacity to up to 2,500 metric tons per year.

This portion of the release was a positive for the Company. They are attempting to be proactive for equipment which could be needed if they reach plant capacity and are attempting to expand.

Additionally, the Company and SANYO Electric Company, Ltd. have amended their polysilicon sales agreement by extending Hoku Materials' date to complete the financing to construct its polysilicon production plant until December 31, 2007.

This part of the agreement isn’t necessarily bad but isn’t exactly good either. Normally, parties would like the counter party to be able to deliver on each portion of contracts. In the particular case, SANYO had a take or pay deal with Hoku to secure financing for the construction of a multi million dollar polysilicon facility.

While SANYO has allowed Hoku to extend the deadline to secure this financing, will they be so generous come the end of the year if Hoku has still yet to capitalize? The answer is probably no, and with Hoku management hoping the Company can raise this capital through debt and not equity, the chance of raising the capital diminishes, especially considering the preliminary results for the quarter which were also released.

Hoku expects revenue of approximately $239,000 and a net loss of between $1.0 million and $1.2 million. In this credit environment, there probably aren’t too many banks or firms willing to lend a Company with these numbers, regardless of signed contracts, with millions and millions of dollars to construct facilities of which they have little experience in running.

The fact of the matter is that the Company has signed an enormous amount of contracts with nothing to produce the product. Though, the name still can raise the money and begin to collect some of the prepayments, the amendment of contracts isn’t a good sign. With that in mind, investors would be wise to watch.



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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Trade Journal for Tuesday October 16, 2007

New Buys: IPGP

Added To: APPY, CRN, EXLS, HNSN, RBN, RICK

Sold for Profit: ANW (64%), APPY (sold 25% of position for 124% profit)

Sold for Loss: WBMD (-8%)


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Knobias Clip Report (10-15-2007)

Sumbmited From Knobias ClipReport

PGNX: To Begin Ph II Trial of Oral Methylnaltrexone in Opioid Constipation

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PGNX) got a modest boost at Monday's open after announcing plans with Wyeth (WYE) to begin two Phase 2 clinical trials to evaluate daily dosing of oral methylnaltrexone in patients with chronic, non-malignant pain who are being treated with opioids and are experiencing opioid-induced constipation. Each study will separately evaluate a different oral formulations of methylnaltrexone. Both studies are expected to take approximately six months to complete.

Methylnaltrexone, an investigational drug, is being studied as a treatment for the peripheral side effects of opioid analgesics. It is designed to mitigate the effect of opioids on peripheral receptors without interfering with central nervous system pain relief. Methylnaltrexone is being developed in subcutaneous and oral forms to treat opioid-induced constipation. Currently, there is no approved medication that specifically targets the underlying cause of opioid-induced constipation.

Wyeth and Progenics have an exclusive, worldwide agreement for the joint development and commercialization of methylnaltrexone for the treatment of opioid-induced side effects, including constipation and post-operative ileus (POI), a prolonged dysfunction of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract following surgery. Wyeth received worldwide rights to methylnaltrexone, and Progenics retained an option to co-promote the product in the United States.

Adolor Corporation (ADLR), in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), is developing an opioid antagonist, Entereg(TM) (alvimopan), for post-operative ileus, which has completed phase 3 clinical trials, and for opioid-induced bowel dysfunction, which is in phase 3 clinical trials. Entereg is further along in the clinical development process than methylnaltrexone, and Adolor has received an approvable letter from the FDA for Entereg regarding the treatment of post-operative ileus.

Mundipharma International Ltd, an independent company associated with Purdue Pharma, has an oral PR oxycodone/naloxone combination tablet that has been licensed in Germany under the trade name TARGIN(R) for adult patients with severe chronic pain and opioid-induced constipation. Oral naloxone reduces the impact of opioid-induced constipation, while having no effect on the analgesic efficacy of oxycodone and minimal central effects. The drug will also be submitted for registration in other European countries.

In addition to the development of methylnaltrexone, Progenics is developing a novel viral-entry inhibitor for HIV. This molecule is designed to inhibit the virus' ability to enter certain types of immune system cells. The Company has successfully completed a phase 1a study with PRO 140.

The Company is also developing immunotherapies for prostate cancer, including monoclonal antibodies directed against prostate specific membrane antigen ("PSMA"), a protein found on the surface of prostate cancer cells. Vaccines designed to stimulate an immune response to PSMA are conducted through a joint venture with Cytogen Corporation (CYTO). Recent findings on PSMA structure and biology may have important implications for other cancers as well. According to the Prostate Cancer Research Institute, "Monoclonal antibodies are the closest thing we have found so far to 'magic bullets,' which can be carefully targeted to reach specific sites."

A substantial portion of revenues to date has been derived from federal government grants and research contracts. As of June 30, 2007, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $223.2 million and cash on hand of $139.1 million.

In September, Wellington Management Company, LLP, on behalf of its clients, reported an 11.8% ownership in the Company's stock. This was increase of 7.06% beneficial ownership on June 30, 2007.

Bank of America recently initiated coverage of PGNX at a Buy rating with a price target of $31.


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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

A Strong Dose of Volatility

Action junkies and risk-loving traders definitely got their fix today as the major indices took a plunge. The DJIA and the S&P eventually found support above their 20 day MA's which they successfully bounced off of. It seemed as if the selling pressure finally subsided minutes before the market close as the indices closed a slightly higher than their lows. The NASDAQ fared the best as it closed comfortably above its 10 day MA. The recent strength in the NASDAQ seems to be indicating that the institutions are parking their money in technology and medical-related stocks. While the DJIA has lost institutional money (banks have withdrawn assets from DJIA component stocks), the NASDAQ seems to still contain a healthy dose of institutional sponsorship.

Although most of my stocks took a light beating, there were several stocks that were able to hold their own. APPY, KHD, SQNM and VSEC were among some of todays stronger stocks. Even CKSW and TTG (new picks) were able to close in positive territory. SQNM was one of the top performers for today. The stock surged over 14% on strong volume.


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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 15, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 15, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

Ducimus Pliniusis not a registered investment advisor. Please read the complete Small Cap Stocks Blog Disclaimer



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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Stock Picks and Trade Ideas for Monday October 15, 2007

New buy ideas: CKSW, RICK, TTG

Add to: ALDN, CRN, EXLS, OMRI, SQNM



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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 12, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 12, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

Ducimus Pliniusis not a registered investment advisor. Please read the complete Small Cap Stocks Blog Disclaimer



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Knobias Clip Report (10-12-2007)

Sumbmited From Knobias ClipReport

THLD: Shares Decline After Ph II Trial of Glufosfamide Fails to Meet Endpoint

Shares of Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (THLD) declined in Friday's session after anouncing after the bell yesterday that it would stop enrollment in a Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead product candidate, glufosfamide, in patients with recurrent, sensitive small cell lung cancer. The Phase II trial failed to demonstrate efficacy endpoints. The primary efficacy endpoint of the trial was objective response rate. The secondary endpoints of the trial evaluated duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival and various safety and pharmacokinetic parameters. There was only one partial tumor response.

"We are disappointed in the study results. While we recognize that response is not a perfect surrogate for survival, the low response rate indicates that glufosfamide is not sufficiently effective as a single agent for patients with small cell lung cancer," said Barry Selick, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Threshold.

Approximately 160,000 people will die each year from lung cancer. About 15 to 20 percent of all lung cancers are the small cell type. This cancer usually starts in the bronchi near the center of the chest but has often spread outside of the lung by the time of diagnosis. Small cell lung cancer is strongly associated with a history of cigarette smoking. Small cell lung cancer patients with a single small lung lesion may have 70 percent chance of 5-year survival after surgical removal of the tumor and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Small cell lung cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy or surgery. Radiation therapy may be combined with chemotherapy if the cancer is limited to the lung. GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Hycamtin(R)(topotecan) is currently approved to treat small cell lung cancer. Other promising drugs that may be effective include Bristol-Myers'(BMY) Taxol(R)(paclitaxel), Sanofi-Aventis' (SNY) Taxotere(R)(docetaxel), Pfizer's Camptosar(R)(irinotecan), and Genentech's (DNA), Avastin(R)(bevacizumab). Many vaccine studies that try to get the body’s immune system to fight the cancer are ongoing.

All of the Company's product candidates are based on Metabolic Targeting, a therapeutic approach that targets fundamental differences in energy metabolism between normal and certain diseased cells. The Company has ongoing clinical trials for glufosfamide in ovarian cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. A previous Phase 3 trial for glufosfamide as a second-line treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer did not meet its primary endpoint for overall survival. TH-302 is a novel Phase 1 drug candidate for the treatment of solid tumors. 2DG is a Phase 1 product candidate for the potential treatment of cancer, alone and in combination with docetaxel as a combination therapy.

At June 30, 2007, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $151.4 million and cash on hand of $16.4 million. Cash requirements for 2007 were expected to be in the range of $30.0 million to $35.0 million.


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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

In Play: CRN, SQNM, VSEC

Here are today's In Play candidates. Check out CRN, SQNM and VSEC.


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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Stock Picks and Trade Ideas for Friday, October 12, 2007

New long ideas: ALDN, GTLS, HINT, OMRI

Short Ideas: DRYS, PTR, SNP (only short if they continue to show weakness. Always cut your losses short, even when shorting stocks.)

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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 11, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 11, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

Ducimus Pliniusis not a registered investment advisor. Please read the complete Small Cap Stocks Blog Disclaimer




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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Stock Picks and Trade Ideas for Thursday, October 11, 2007

New Buy Ideas: ESEA (rebuy), EXH, FLWS, FREE (rebuy), IXYS, LNOP (rebuy), MEA, SEA (rebuy), TRMD

Speculative Buy Ideas: SEED

Add To: ARTW, CU, ITRI, KOP, MEAS, SHOR, VMI, VSEC, WBMD


I will post new stock buys and add-ons tomorrow morning. I've had a long day today (just tired) and I am really out it. Later.

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Market Comments Submitted by Nick at Ambitions as a Stock Trader

Submitted by My Ambitions as a Trader and Investor

Trade Journal for Wednesday, October 10, 2007

New Buys: ACTU, VOCS, WBMD, WX

Added To: APPY, ANW, ARTW, EIHI, LGTY, NG, VSEC

Sold-Profit: DDUP (+38.4%)

Sold- Loss: PRAI (-1.14%)

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Knobias Clip Report (10-10-2007)

Sumbmited From Knobias ClipReport

Small Cap Dry Bulk Shippers Gain Momentum

Wednesday’s session saw the Dow lose 85 points as one of its main components announced delays on their newest product. Boeing announced a delay on their 787 Dreamliner airplane causing shares to fall 2.73%. Also contributing to the slide was disappointing earnings results with many analysts expecting the market to give up 3-5% over the course of the season on slower earnings growth based on early reporters.

Monsanto and Alcoa reported earnings lower than expected while Chevron announced that it would miss their third quarter guidance expectations. Costco Wholesale Corp was one of the Company’s who surprised with a profit rise of 4.7%, topping analyst forecasts.

In the small cap space, a couple of names saw an increase in buying and volume attracting many momentum players. FreeSeas, Inc. (FREE) shares, spiked during the afternoon half of the session, reaching a high of $10.40 on no news. The stock closed at $10.24, up 30%, on 1.62 million shares traded. The Company is a commercial shipping company that operates Handysize and Handymax vessels in the drybulk markets. FreeSeas' vessels carry a variety of drybulk commodities, including coal, iron ore, and grains, or major bulks, as well as bauxite, phosphate, fertilizers and steel products, or minor bulks.

The Company recently released earnings which showed year over year growth, though shares lost over 11% over the following days after the announcement. Earnings displayed that revenue grew by 19.3% over the same quarter of 2006 and by 44.2% for the first half of 2007 over first half of 2006.

Net income for the second quarter improved to $1.71 million, compared to a loss of $0.6 million in the same quarter of 2006 or $0.27 per share, based on 6,290,100 basic shares outstanding, compared to $0.10 loss per share in same quarter 2006. Net income for the first half of 2007 reached $2.62 million compared to a loss of $2.26 million in the first half of 2006, or $0.42 per share as of June 30, 2007 as compared to $0.36 loss per share for the same period in 2006.

On September 27th, the Company announced that the M/V Free Jupiter would undergo an unscheduled dry-docking to complete repairs following a grounding incident on September 21, 2007 off the coast of the Philippines. The dry-docking was expected to take place after the refloating of the vessel and completion of the current trip charter. The Company expected that the vessel's repairs and related expenses would be covered by the vessel's insurance.

The Company also announced that the M/V Free Destiny had been chartered at a rate of $28,000 per day on a spot charter of approximately 70 days. The addition of $1.96 million in revenue could be the reason for the shares to have received the added attention.

Another name in the space also saw increased volume as also being a dry bulk carrier. B&H Carrier Limited (BHO) currently owns and operates three IMO Type 2&3 Product / Chemical Carriers, three Medium Range Product Tankers, two Panamax Product Tankers and seven Combination Carriers. The seven Combination Carriers include one recently acquired vessel which the Company holds a 50% interest.

On Wednesday, shares gained 12% on 268 thousand shares traded. Along with FREE, BHO received the added addition on no news. With earnings from both of these names just around the corner, investors would be wise to watch.



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Market Scan for Small Cap Stocks on October 10, 2007

Submitted by Ducimus Plinius

Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on October 10, 2007

The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.

Click Image to Enlarge

Ducimus Pliniusis not a registered investment advisor. Please read the complete Small Cap Stocks Blog Disclaimer



Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs