All the major U.S. and Canada equity indices ended on a positive note last week breaking their three week losing streak despite weak U.S. economic data. The January manufacturing and auto sales data were disappointing, however, the weekly report on initial jobless claims showed a sharp decline. The U.S. unemployment rate moved down to 6.6% from 6.7%. The mid cap and small cap stocks ended the week lower, hurt by their greater vulnerability to weaker domestic growth signals. Meanwhile, the Canadian markets zoomed Friday after Statistics Canada reported creation of 29,400 jobs during January, higher than the economists’ estimation of 20,000, while the unemployment rate slid to 7.0% from 7.2%. Gold rallied 1.8% last week ending Friday at $1,267.27 an ounce.
U.S. January retail sales data and weekly jobless claims are scheduled for release on Thursday and January industrial output on Friday. In Canada, traders will be looking at the latest reading on housing starts and manufacturing shipments scheduled for release this week.
Ubika Research has shortlisted twelve stocks across sectors which outperformed major equity indices last week with higher market interest. We note that these stocks are hovering around their 52-week highs. Average trading volumes over the past five days have been significantly higher than their one month daily average trading volumes. The shortlisted stocks outperformed their respective indices during the week, recording price gains ranging from 5% to 38% with daily average traded volume in excess of 100,000.
Index Performance during the Past Week (February 03rd 2014 – February 07th 2014)
| Index |
Last Index Value |
Value Change (5-Day) |
Average Volume |
Average Volume |
Volume Comparison* |
|
S&P 500 Index |
1,797.02 |
0.8% |
619,357,402 |
537,206,046 |
15.3% |
|
NASDAQ Composite Index |
4,125.86 |
0.5% |
557,708,422 |
498,961,551 |
11.8% |
|
Russell 2000 Index |
1,116.55 |
-1.3% |
298,103,443 |
259,570,423 |
14.8% |
|
S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index |
962.10 |
1.1% |
59,124,857 |
60,757,010 |
-2.7% |
|
S&P/TSX Composite Index |
13,786.50 |
0.7% |
185,792,090 |
170,770,710 |
8.8% |
Stocks Performance
| Company Name |
Ticker |
Exchange |
Sector |
Market Cap |
Last Price |
Price Change (5-Day) |
Average Volume |
Average Volume |
Volume Comparison* |
52-Week High |
52-Week Low |
|
Smart Technologies Inc |
SMA |
TSX |
Technology |
407.0 |
3.35 |
36.7% |
142,645 |
31,887 |
347.4% |
4.00 |
1.30 |
|
Cascades Inc |
CAS |
TSX |
Basic Materials |
678.8 |
7.23 |
5.4% |
467,132 |
182,601 |
155.8% |
7.25 |
4.09 |
|
Outerwall Inc |
OUTR |
NASDAQ |
Financial |
1,813.7 |
71.40 |
11.0% |
1,945,373 |
761,710 |
155.4% |
72.58 |
46.25 |
|
Headwaters Inc |
HW |
NYSE |
Industrial |
938.1 |
12.79 |
15.0% |
1,768,261 |
702,852 |
151.6% |
13.18 |
8.30 |
|
Concordia Healthcare Corp |
CXR |
TSX |
Healthcare |
253.4 |
14.09 |
16.4% |
265,797 |
109,280 |
143.2% |
14.10 |
0.48 |
|
Lattice Semiconductor Corp |
LSCC |
NASDAQ |
Technology |
792.3 |
6.81 |
17.8% |
3,204,016 |
1,337,595 |
139.5% |
6.81 |
4.17 |
|
Matrix Service Co |
MTRX |
NASDAQ |
Energy |
810.5 |
30.77 |
17.1% |
538,795 |
233,431 |
130.8% |
32.92 |
12.52 |
|
Cambrex Corp |
CBM |
NYSE |
Healthcare |
636.7 |
21.05 |
12.1% |
645,942 |
291,556 |
121.6% |
21.25 |
11.39 |
|
Alter Nrg Corp |
NRG |
TSX |
Energy |
101.4 |
0.97 |
10.2% |
360,138 |
172,332 |
109.0% |
0.98 |
0.32 |
|
Patterson-UTI Energy Inc |
PTEN |
NASDAQ |
Energy |
4,058.6 |
28.14 |
9.5% |
5,447,670 |
2,709,990 |
101.0% |
28.64 |
18.83 |
|
Palo Alto Networks Inc |
PANW |
NYSE |
Technology |
4,767.0 |
65.76 |
10.6% |
2,487,494 |
1,372,460 |
81.2% |
69.97 |
39.08 |
|
Immunovaccine Inc |
IMV |
TSXV |
Healthcare |
91.8 |
1.16 |
38.1% |
375,212 |
225,675 |
66.3% |
1.50 |
0.22 |
Source: Bloomberg
Market Cap & Last Price are in their respective currencies
*Volume Comparison: 5-Day average volume over 30-Day average volume
Company Description
Smart Technologies Inc (TSX: SMA)
SMART Technologies Inc designs, develops and sells interactive technology solutions. The company produces interactive white boards where the user can access the internet, control computer applications, write in digital ink and save and share work.
Cascades Inc (TSX: CAS)
Cascades Inc. produces paper and packaging products. The company manufactures, converts and markets specialty products, including boxboard, fine papers, tissue paper, and containerboard. Cascades and its subsidiaries operate in Canada, the United States, France, Sweden, Germany, and Great Britain.
Outerwall Inc (NASDAQ: OUTR)
Outerwall Inc. provides automated retail solutions including two core self-service kiosk businesses: DVD and video game rentals and coin-counting. The company also identifies and develops new, innovative self-service concepts. Outerwall’s kiosks are located in supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchants, financial institutions, convenience stores, and restaurants.
Headwaters Inc (NYSE: HW)
Headwaters Incorporated is a manufacturer of building products for new residential, residential remodeling, and commercial construction. Headwaters’ portfolio of light building products includes architectural stone; resin-based exterior siding accessories, such as shutters, mounting blocks and gable vents; concrete block and brick; and other building products.
Concordia Healthcare Corp (TSX: CXR)
Concordia Healthcare Corp. owns and markets pharmaceutical products. The company markets pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and orphan drugs.
Lattice Semiconductor Corp (NASDAQ: LSCC)
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation designs, develops, and markets high speed programmable logic devices. The company’s products provide electronic systems customers with quickly designed, easily configured components. Lattice markets its products to original equipment manufacturers of communication, computing, industrial, and military systems.
Matrix Service Co (NASDAQ: MTRX)
Matrix Service Company provides specialized on-site maintenance and construction services for petroleum refining and storage facilities, as well as water storage facilities for the private industry sector. The company’s services include the maintenance, inspection, design, repair, and construction of aboveground storage tanks.
Cambrex Corp (NYSE: CBM)
Cambrex Corp. supplies products, services, and technologies for the Life Sciences and fine chemicals industry. The company builds platforms for use in manufacturing small molecule Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical intermediates including drug delivery. Cambrex’s services include process & analytical development, scale-up in addition to generic APIs.
Alter Nrg Corp (TSX: NRG)
Alter NRG Corporation delivers alternate energy solutions. The company markets and sells plasma gasification technology and invests in alternative energy projects using gasification and gasification related technology to create saleable energy products.The company has operations in Canada and the United States.
Patterson-UTI Energy Inc (NASDAQ: PTEN)
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. provides land-based drilling services to major and independent oil and natural gas companies. The company conducts drilling operations in Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and western Canada. Patterson-UTI is also involved in pressure pumping, oil and gas exploration and production, and drilling and completion fluids services.
Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW)
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. provides network security solutions. The company offers firewalls that identify and control applications, scan content to stop threats, prevent data leakage, integrated application, user, and content visibility. Palo Alto serves its products to a range of industries worldwide.
Immunovaccine Inc (TSXV: IMV)
Immunovaccine Inc. is a biotechnology company. The company develops clinical stage human health vaccines.
