US SMALL/MIDCAPS-Stocks down on weak earnings, profit-taking
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US SMALL/MIDCAPS-Stocks down on weak earnings, profit-taking

www.reuters.com   | 02.03.2012.

NEW YORK, March 2 (Reuters) - Mid- and smallcap stocks fell on Friday after investors booked profits from a recent market rally and companies reported weak results.
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NEW YORK, March 2 (Reuters) - Mid- and smallcap stocks fell on Friday after investors booked profits from a recent market rally and companies reported weak results.

The S&P MidCap 400 index fell 0.8 percent while the S&P SmallCap 600 index lost 1.5 percent. In comparison, the benchmark S&P 500 down 0.3 percent.

The mid-cap index has gained 11 percent this year, and the small cap index was up 7.6 percent, both on a steady move up, without a major pullback.

Among individual stocks, consumer review website Yelp Inc's shares traded more than 60 percent above their initial public offering price in their market debut on Friday, as investors rushed to buy a piece of the growing local advertising market. The stock was up 65 percent at $24.73.

But the discount e-retailer Overstock.com Inc fell 12.8 percent to $6.00 after the company posted a quarterly loss while analysts had predicted a profit.

Close-out retailer Big Lots Inc forecast first-quarter profit largely below analysts' expectations as deeper discounts continue to eat into its margins, wiping the gloss off strong quarterly results. The stock was down 4.3 percent to $42.56.

A123 Systems shares fell 6.1 percent to $1.79 on news that it is in talks with Chinese automaker SAIC Motor Corp Ltd to set up a battery manufacturing plant in the country.

Shares of Shutterfly Inc jumped as much as 18 percent on Friday to trade near $32.00, after the photo-sharing services company said it would acquire bankrupt Eastman Kodak Co's online photo services business for $23.8 million.



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