Caterpillar and Other Big Movers In Capital Goods on October 19, 2012

The market is having a bad day so far: the Nasdaq has fallen 1.6%; the S&P 500 is trading down 1%; and the Dow has declined 1.1%. The capital goods sector is the category of stocks related to the manufacture or distribution of goods. The sector is diverse, containing companies that manufacture machinery used to create capital goods, electrical equipment, aerospace and defense, engineering and construction projects. It is also referred to as the "industrials sector". Performance in the capital goods sector is sensitive to fluctuations in the business cycle. Because it relies heavily on manufacturing, the sector does well when the economy is booming or expanding. As economic conditions worsen, the demand for capital goods drops off, usually lowering the prices of stocks in the sector.

The Capital Goods sector (XLI) is down 1.3%, outperforming the market overall. Currently, the biggest movers in the sector are:

Company	Market Cap	Percentage Change
Tennant (NYSE:TNC)	$774.8 million	-7.8%
Moog (NYSE:MOG.A)	$1.61 billion	-3.6%
Gardner Denver (NYSE:GDI)	$2.86 billion	-3.3%
Beazer Homes USA (NYSE:BZH)	$2.23 billion	+3%
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT)	$56.59 billion	-2.8%
Fluor (NYSE:FLR)	$9.86 billion	-2.6%
National Presto Industries (NYSE:NPK)	$559.3 million	-2.6%

Forex Broker Summary: Forex Capital Markets (FXCM)

Tennant (NYSE:TNC) is trading at $38.39 per share, down 7.8%. At 88,909 shares, the company's volume so far today is two times the current daily average.

Slipping 3.6%, Moog (NYSE:MOG.A) is currently trading at $37.52 per share. The company's volume for the day so far is 35,747 shares.

Gardner Denver (NYSE:GDI) is down 3.3% to reach $56.57 per share. The company's volume for the day so far is 130,224 shares, 0.4 times the current three-month average.

After rising 3%, Beazer Homes USA (NYSE:BZH) is currently trading at a share price of $18.66. The company's volume is currently 794,236 shares. This is about the same trading activity as there was yesterday.

Currently trading at $84.21 per share, Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) has fallen 2.8%. The company's volume is currently 4.1 million shares for the day, in line with the current daily average.

Falling 2.6%, Fluor (NYSE:FLR) is currently at a share price of $57.51. So far today, the company's volume is 431,895 shares.

National Presto Industries (NYSE:NPK) has decreased to $79.13 per share, a 2.6% fall. So far today, the company's volume is 9,454 shares, consistent with its average over the last three months.

The Bottom Line No matter the economic climate, Wall Street will always have stocks that make major moves each week. It is important to weigh current activity against historical performance when making any investment decisions. Keep in mind that all these ratios should be compared against historical numbers and industry information in order to get a more complete picture.