S&P SmallCap 600 in Focus: BKUNA HWAY

BankUnited Financial Corp. was the No. 1 decliner on the Standard & Poor's SmallCap 600 Index for the second-straight day Thursday, after the regional bank announced a $400 million stock offering, helping pull the index lower at midday.

The S&P 600 _ which tracks stocks with a market capitalization between $300 million and $2 billion _ gave up 0.53 points to 385.74.

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.

The Florida-based bank tumbled 52 cents, or 22.1 percent, to $1.83 after touching an all-time low of $1.69 earlier in the session. BankUnited said it would use the stock offering for "general corporate purposes," including contributing to its capital base.

Regional bank Anchor Bancorp Wisconsin Inc. plunged $1.77, or 20 percent, to $7.11. Shares traded as low as $7.01, a price not seen since 1995.

Shares of auto parts maker LKQ Corp. declined $1.85, or 9.9 percent, to $16.83. A Raymond James analyst downgraded the company to "Market Perform" from "Outperform" in a note to investors.

Among the gainers, Healthways Inc. surged $3.16, or 10.3 percent, to $33.81 after the wellness program administrator said its fiscal third-quarter profit jumped 29 percent on strong contract wins. The company also reaffirmed its full-year outlook.

Usana Health Sciences Inc. added $2.65, or 10.2 percent, to $28.64. The maker of nutritional supplements and skin care products raised its second-quarter outlook, citing better results from promotional and incentive programs.

Landstar Systems Inc. gained $4.31, or 8 percent, to $58.49 after KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Todd Fowler upgraded the trucking company to "Buy" from "Hold," saying he expects the domestic freight market to stabilize.