Stock watch.

• Position: Statistical table

SPOTLIGHT

US LEC soared after its proposed merger with PAETEC Communications cleared a regulatory hurdle in September.

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Highest price/earnings ratios P/E 9/26/06 52-week Company ratio (3) price range Tanger Factory Outlet Centers 98.9 $35.62 $24.50-36.83 FNB Financial Services 98.3 14.75 13.04-17.89 Highwoods Properties 84.6 37.21 26.72-38.16 Winston Hotels 53.6 12.32 9.26-13.12 TriPath Imaging 53.1 9.03 5.11-9.08 Red Hat 51.4 21.08 19.59-32.48 RF Micro Devices 47.4 7.58 4.81-9.58 Lance 46.9 22.02 16.66-26.40 Southern Community Financial 42.3 9.72 8.61-10.37 Gateway Financial Holdings 39.7 14.28 13.62-18.24 Lowest price/earnings ratios CT Communications 6.0 $21.72 $10.40-26.85 Fountain Powerboat Industries 8.7 4.24 3.45-8.70 Investors Title 9.0 46.00 37.77-48.99 Reynolds American 9.3 61.97 38.88-66.26 EnPro Industries 10.9 30.06 25.09-40.08 FNB United 11.0 18.63 17.35-21.25 Nucor 11.7 49.49 25.92-60.30 Sonic Automotive 11.7 23.09 19.39-28.71 Insteel Industries 11.9 19.87 6.89-30.00 Goodrich 12.8 40.52 33.60-47.45 3-month 52-week 52-week Company change (4) change range Top 10 large-cap stocks MedCath 59.7% 26.7% $14.10-32.90 RF Micro Devices 27.0 34.2 4.81-9.58 FairPoint Communications 20.8 18.9 10.01-18.16 Family Dollar Stores 19.7 47.2 19.76-29.90 Bank of America 11.4 27.2 40.93-54.00 Salix Pharmaceuticals 10.2 (36.2) 9.77-22.79 Tanger Factory Outlet Centers 10.0 28.1 24.50-36.83 Reynolds American 7.5 49.3 38.88-66.26 VF 7.4 25.8 50.44-75.32 Ruddick 6.2 12.9 19.28-26.50 Top 10 small-cap stocks US LEC 111.3% 260.7% $1.51-7.10 Pozen 82.7 17.0 5.26-18.62 Ingles Markets 55.2 67.0 14.80-27.64 BNP Residential...