Atwood Oceanics, Take-Two Rise; Medical-Equipment Stocks Fall
Dow Jones Newswires</br></br>NEW YORK -- Small stocks didn't stray very far from the flat line and ended mixed as investors were cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate meeting today.</br></br>Still, energy stocks rallied after large-cap Exxon Mobil reported a surge in fourth-quarter profit. Atwood Oceanics, which posted a 72% rise in first-quarter net income, rose $2.55, or 2.6%, to $100.68 on the New York Stock Exchange. Contango Oil & Gas jumped 38 cents, or 2.9%, to 13.45 on the American Stock Exchange, and Global Industries added 41 cents, or 3%, to 13.91.</br></br>Several medical-equipment stocks declined after large-cap Kinetic Concept's fourth-quarter revenue missed Wall Street's expectations. Datascope lost 55 cents, or 1.6%, to 34.86, and ArthroCare declined 50 cents, or 1.1%, to 44.50.</br></br>The Russell 2000 index of small-capitalization stocks fell 1.35, or 0.18%, to 730.87. The S&P SmallCap 600 Index rose 0.65, or 0.17%, to 378.21. The Nasdaq Composite Index of large and small-cap stocks gained 2.55, or 0.11%, to 2206.78.