Stock watch.

SPOTLIGHT

The price of shares in Insteel Industries nearly doubled after it said it would buy back up to $15 million of stock this year.

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Highest price/earnings ratios P/E 2/24/06 52-week Company ratio (3) price range MedCath 148.4 $22.26 $16.55-30.65 Tanger Factory Outlet Centers 96.7 31.90 20.90-32.51 Pike Electric 87.1 19.17 na Red Hat 75.5 26.43 10.37-31.05 TriPath Imaging 56.5 6.78 5.55-9.45 CommScope 55.8 23.98 13.83-24.69 Charles & Colvard 47.2 14.03 7.20-26.29 Kewaunee Scientific 39.8 9.15 6.68-10.64 Gateway Financial Holdings 35.5 16.96 16.21-20.78 PPD 32.6 69.82 42.11-70.26 Lowest price/earnings ratios SPX 4.0 $49.34 $37.83-50.15 Investors Title 9.0 42.98 34.27-48.99 Nucor 10.6 86.70 45.55-88.75 Bank of America 11.0 45.72 41.13-47.44 Triad Guaranty 11.3 45.46 34.99-55.14 Insteel Industries 12.1 35.09 8.14-35.34 VF 12.1 56.23 50.44-61.61 FNB 12.8 20.90 17.35-22.00 FNB Financial Services 13.5 15.75 14.00-22.59 BB & T 13.5 39.94 37.04-43.92 3-month 1-year 52-week Company change (4) change range Top 10 large-cap stocks The Pantry 41.3% 75.7% $27.33-61.79 Nucor 31.7 36.8 45.55-88.75 Martin Marietta Materials 30.0 71.8 54.09-98.65 Sonic Automotive 28.2 14.3 19.12-27.41 RF Micro Devices 24.0 23.3 3.77-7.54 Lance 21.8 38.5 14.02-22.25 Reynolds American 18.0 27.1 76.48-107.15 CommScope 15.8 55.8 13.83-24.69 PPD 15.4 63.9 42.11-70.26 Ruddick 15.3 2.8 19.28-28.24 Top 10 small-cap stocks Insteel Industries 112.7% 85.7% $8.14-35.34 Pozen 54.8 168.4 3.50-17.76 Fountain Powerboat Industries 39.5 30.3 3.40-8.70 US LEC 35.8 (20.2) 1.51-3.11 PokerTex 35.0 26.5 7.44-14.68 Icagen...