Today's Small-Cap Winners and Losers

SulphCo (SUF) said a weekend Barron's article that questioned whether it will be able to find customers for its technology "is materially misleading regarding the company, its management and its technology." The stock tanked after the article ran, and the Nevada-based company's defense did nothing to stop the selloff. SulphCo has designed a process meant to upgrade sour heavy crude oils into sweeter, lighter crudes. Shares of SulphCo on Tuesday dropped $3.11, or 30.3%, to $7.14 in extremely heavy trading.

Vertrue (VTRU) shares were higher after the Stamford, Conn., consumer-services marketing company said second-quarter net income increased to $7.7 million, or 66 cents a share, from $5.9 million, or 51 cents a share, last year.

The company had forecast a profit of 53 cents to 55 cents a share. Revenue increased 17% to $160.1 million. Vertrue advanced $1.92, or 5.3%, to $37.92 in recent trading.

Dot Hill Systems (HILL) rose after the Carlsbad, Calif., data-storage systems maker said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted it a new patent.

The patent covers a method, called Trust Array, for allowing customers to recover lost data in large storage systems when conventional methods fail. Shares of Dot Hill Systems rose 17 cents, or 2.3%, to $7.55.

Shares of FuelCell Energy (FCEL) were climbing after the Danbury, Conn., power-systems developer said its Asian distributor, Marubeni, sold a 1-megawatt Direct FuelCell power plant to Sharp.

The new power plant will provide electricity and heat for a production facility in Japan that makes flat-screen TVs. Financial details weren't disclosed. Shares of FuelCell gained 31 cents, or 3.2%, to $10.12.

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