US SMALL/MIDCAPS-Stocks gains with energy shares, Arena jumps

By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - Small- and mid-capitalization
stocks rose on Wednesday, led by gains in energy companies
following a jump in oil prices.
The S&P MidCap 400 index ended up 0.88 percent while
the S&P SmallCap 600 index were up 1.33 percent. In
comparison, the benchmark S&P 500 gained 0.9 percent.
The mid-cap index, however, is down 9.5 percent since its
March 19 intraday high, and the small-cap index is down 8.5
percent since its March 27 intraday high.
Among top percentage gainers were Patriot Coal, up
17.8 percent at $1.26, and QuickSilver Resources, up
16.3 percent at $5.06. Shares of Arch Coal gained 8.6
percent to $6.03.
Shares of Gulfport Energy were up 10.8 percent at
$18.34.
Oil and natural gas futures rose, with U.S. August crude
gaining 85 cents, or 1.07 percent, to settle at $80.21 a
barrel.
Among other top stock advancers, shares of Arena
Pharmaceuticals jumped 28.7 percent to $11.39 after
U.S. health regulators approved its pill to treat obesity,
making it the first weight-loss drug in 13 years.