10 Stocks Shaking the Market

Some stocks are one-hit wonders, making a big splash when they first appear, then quickly fizzling into obscurity or oblivion. But for other stocks, that initial big move is only a preview for even bigger and better gains to come.

Today, we've compiled 10 stocks that made some of the biggest upward moves over the past month. We'll then pair that list with the ratings issued by our Motley Fool CAPS community. The higher each stock's rating, the greater CAPS members' faith in that company's ability to keep on beating the market.

^Aug. 10 to Sept. 9.

As the markets whipsaw in reaction to changes in consumer sentiment, there will be weeks like this one, where we see gains that are exceptionally ahead of the pace of the movers and shakers of prior weeks. So before we get shaken out again, let's see why the CAPS community thinks some of these companies might continue to outperform the market.

A mighty temblor
It's easy to see why a tiny life sciences company like Helicos BioSciences would surge north on news it's making some sales. The genetic analysis equipment maker managed to score only $2 million in revenue over the past year, but the number of instrument installations doubled during the second quarter, and it just got its first multisystems sale the other day. It's also engaging an investment bank to explore what options it has, all big doings for a small company, and we can expect to hear more from them soon.

More curious might be the jump Empire Resorts took. Sure, the company secured $55 million in financing from an investment company, but that just serves to underscore the dire financial position it’s in.

Don't get me wrong -- that cash infusion, coming in two installments as it does, puts off the day of reckoning. But it also dilutes current shareholders and gives up a large voting bloc to Malaysian investor Kien Huat Realty III. Even CAPS member shakerlxxv understands that "the financials are not there to justify the performance."

Empire is under pressure from nearby Yonkers Raceway, which also operates a racino -- that's slot machines and horse racing under one roof -- and from the casinos operating next door in Pennsylvania. Las Vegas Sands' (NYSE:LVS) refurbished steel-mill casino is less than a two-hour ride away, closer than Connecticut's Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods resorts.

Shareholders might have gotten the chance to bet another day, but it looks to me like the odds are stacked against them.

The Bakken is rockin’
E&P special Kodiak Oil & Gas reported some positive news out of its Bakken shale wells, with longer-term production volumes showing promising results.

Highly rated CAPS All-Star member EriKarju is a believer in the Bakken shale plays, and though risky, he finds Kodiak "very cheap":

There are some signs that Bakken legends are at least partially true. Kodiak is actually producing both oil and gas. What is worrisome is that the company managed to produce it at a loss, actually recording a crummier first 6 months for 2008 than the corresponding 6 months of 2007. This during record oil prices. This feat was caused by 50 % drop in oil production and, according to Kodiak, were due to workover operations on producing wells. When completed the operations should result in increased production from the said wells. Basically, you can blame management for bad timing on upgrade work, not for total incompetence.

Got a different opinion on the Bakken, Marcellus, or Haynesville fields? Give your opinion in the comments box below.

Shake, rattle, and roll
With these stocks shaking the market this past month, it pays to start your own research on them at Motley Fool CAPS. Read a company's financial reports, scrutinize key data and charts, and examine the comments your fellow investors have made, all from a stock's CAPS page.