S&P SmallCap 600 in Focus: SHFL BBX

Casey's General Stores was among the top gainers on the Standard & Poor's SmallCap 600 Index Thursday after the convenience store operator posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit, helping push the index higher.

The S&P 600 _ which tracks stocks with a market capitalization between $300 million and $2 billion _ rose 3.50 to 382.77.

Small-cap companies make up about 3 percent of the total U.S. securities market, but are often cited as good investments due to their low valuations and potential to grow into big-cap stocks.

Gaming components maker Shuffle Master Inc. took the index's biggest gain, soaring $1.15, or 18.4 percent, to $7.41.

Casey's surged $3.82, or 19 .1 percent, to $23.79. Thursday morning, the company said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell 13 percent on lower gasoline sales, but the results still beat average estimates from analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

Financial services provider Downey Financial Corp. jumped 60 cents, or 13.3 percent, to $5.10.

Among the decliners, BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. shed 15 cents, or 8.6 percent, to $1.60. The stock touched an all-time low of $1.56 earlier in the session.

Surgical device maker ArthroCare Corp. fell $3.03, or 6.6 percent, to $43.05 after a Williams Capital Group analyst downgraded the surgical device maker to "Sell," saying the company may not be able to meet its product goals.

UCBH Holdings Inc. declined 19 cents, or 5.7 percent, to $3.10. Late Wednesday, Moody's Investors Service placed a negative outlook on the bank's credit ratings, meaning a downgrade may be forthcoming.