For the past three months, small stocks were the big story. Small-cap funds gained 21.5% on average in the quarter, led by small value’s 22.2% rise. Standouts included Aegis Value Fund /quotes/comstock/10r!avalx (AVALX 6.82, -0.23, -3.26%) , up 48.5%, and Wasatch Micro Cap Value Fund /quotes/comstock/10r!wamvx (WAMVX 1.72, -0.05, -2.82%) , up 40%.

Large- and midcap offerings followed with their own strong showings.

Large-cap funds collectively added 16.2%, with large-blend and large-value each up 16.4% and large-growth up 15.6%. Among the top performers were the hardest-hit funds of 2008, such as Vanguard Capital Value Fund /quotes/comstock/10r!vcvlx (VCVLX 6.62, -0.18, -2.65%) , up 39.1%, Yacktman Focused Fund /quotes/comstock/10r!yaffx (YAFFX 12.59, -0.36, -2.78%) , up 36.9%, Legg Mason Value Trust /quotes/comstock/10r!lmvtx (LMVTX 28.64, -1.05, -3.54%) , gaining 29.4%, and Longleaf Partners Fund /quotes/comstock/10r!llpfx (LLPFX 18.90, -0.52, -2.68%) , rising 26.6%.
Continue reading Low-Quality stocks with high gains

Amazon.com (AMZN  83.00, -0.03, -0.04%) ended relationships with online affiliates in Rhode Island to avoid a new sales tax law in that state, The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site. Recently, Rhode Island passed a law requiring companies to collect a sales tax on products sold through online-marketing affiliates. On Friday, Amazon reportedly ended affiliate programs in North Carolina as that state was seeking to adopt a similar tax

Apollo Group Inc. (APOL 69.35, +3.36, +5.09%) said that its fiscal third-quarter profit rose to $201.1 million, or $1.26 a share, from $139.1 million, or 85 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue increased to $1.05 billion from $835.2 million last year. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research estimated a quarterly profit of $1.12 a share on revenue of $1.04 billion.

Dell Inc. (DELL 13.87, +0.01, +0.07%) is reportedly developing a pocket-sized electronic device for accessing the Internet. The Wall Street Journal said that Dell is creating the device to run on Google Inc.’s Android software, which is currently used by T-Mobile in mobile phones and is expected to become widely deployed in other devices. The Dell device is said to be slightly larger that Apple Inc.’s /quotes/comstock/15*!aapl/quotes/nls/aapl (AAPL 141.90, -0.07, -0.05%) iPod touch and could go on sale in the second half of the year.

KB Home (KBH 14.77, +1.13, +8.28%) is expected to report a second-quarter loss of 64 cents a share, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.

Shaw Communications (SJR 16.97, +0.31, +1.86%) is forecast to post earnings of 26 cents a share in the fiscal third quarter, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research.

Oracle (ORCL  19.98, +0.01, +0.05%)  is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of 44 cents a share, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.

Kroger (KR 21.86, +0.08, +0.37%) is forecast to post earnings of 62 cents a share in the first quarter, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research.

Jabil Circuit (JBL 6.61, -0.24, -3.50%) is estimated to report a profit of 2 cents a share in the fiscal third quarter, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.

H.B. Fuller Co. (FUL 16.76, -1.21, -6.73%) is expected to report earnings of 28 cents a share in the fiscal second quarter, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research

The best-performing real estate fund this week is the LMP Real Estate Income Fund building an 18% return. Top holdings saw gains of 33% in Glimcher Realty Trust, 26% in Macerich and 22% in Extra Space Storage.

• Edenor: shares rising by more than 50% over the past three months. Investors can follow stocks with the Argentina and Electric Utilities tags over in CAPS, where Edenor, though down by nearly 70% over the past year, is one of the top-rated stocks in both categories.

• Valmont Industries: Water, water everywhere — but we need some way to make the most of it. Step into Valmont Industries, which along with competitor Lindsay (NYSE: LNN) controls more than two-thirds of the market for efficient irrigation equipment, according to BusinessWeek.

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Wednesday’s session are Paychex Inc., Red Hat Inc. and SAIC Inc. Continue reading Stocks to Watch

Abbott Laboratories (ABT:) Abbott Laboratories is expected to report first-quarter earnings of 70 cents a share, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research.

Progressive Corp. (PGR:) is forecast to post earnings of 41 cents a share in the first quarter, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.
Continue reading Current Stocks to watch

In his first comments after the move by rival rating agency S&P, Moody’s analyst Steven Hess sounded a note of caution about Moody’s rating of the US, repeating that the August 2 plan to cut deficits by $2.1 trillion was positive for the US credit standing, but not enough to keep its rating on a stable outlook.

He was quoted as saying in Reuters interview as “”If the process for further deficit reduction that is included in the budget control act produces results that are not really credible, that combined with the economic performance could potentially cause an early move on the rating,”