Jmreport, you stated my feeling exactly, perhaps of many others.
But I think you are taking it too personally as an ECU investor. The 'problem' is not inherent to ECU. quite to the contrary, this stock is better tham most ( do not want to exaggerate due to bias). I have one other stock which I favour even more than ECU and it is hit harder than ECU, so go figure.

The "Problem" is not with this stock but with the small cap PM segment and with just about the whole market.
I explain it as many institutions (funds?) having been invested in these stocks are now in trouble due the the financial fiasco and are selling those same stocks. Some of their withdrawn cash is going into 'safe' investments. Those safe investments are in part big cap stocks, that is why they are doing better than us. Much of that reinvestment is not necessarily done with any smarts and wisdom but mostly with a gut reaction.
In time they will awaken and realize that better profits are likely to be found in the very stocks they are selling.

Of course, there are the few that are taking advantage of the situation and drive share prices down of the choice stocks to load up before the wave hits. Is ECU one of those?
I'm betting that it is so.