Thursday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Exide Technologies (XIDE) jumped after the Georgia-based battery maker narrowed its losses to $11.2 million, or 18 cents a share, for the quarter ended Dec. 31. A year ago the company had a loss of $27.7 million, or $1.08 a share. Sales were essentially flat with last year, the company said, given the favorable impact of currency. Shares were adding 99 cents, or 13.6%, to $8.29.

MicroFinancial (MFI) shares were leaping after it swung to a full-year profit. The Woburn, Mass., financing firm said it earned $3.9 million in 2006, or 28 cents a share, on revenue of $32.4 million. This compares with a loss of $1.7 million, or 12 cents a share, on $39.3 million in revenue for 2005. Fourth-quarter profits more than doubled to $1.8 million, or 13 cents a share. MicroFinancial stock was up 67 cents, or 16.8%, to $4.65.

Fitness-equipment maker Nautilus (NLS) said its fourth-quarter profits shot up more than sixfold to $12.9 million, or 41 cents a share, beating the per-share consensus by 3 cents. Sales rose 10% to $199.3 million. Shares of the Washington-based company were gaining $1.57, or 9.4%, to $18.21.

Ista Pharmaceuticals (ISTA) announced that an advanced-phase study of a once-daily version of its Xibrom product, which treats patients recovering from cataract surgery, preliminarily yielded "highly statistically significant results" in relieving post-operative pain and inflammation. The Irvine, Calif., company was climbing 74 cents, or 10.4%, to $7.88.

Mamma.com (MAMA) was higher after the Canada-based Internet search engine said it had extended its existing agreement to deliver targeted search traffic to the Canadian Yahoo! (YHOO) site. Mamma shares were up 46 cents, or 9.2%, to $5.45. Yahoo! was recently adding 22 cents to $30.11.

Air T's (AIRT) earnings dropped more than 50% in the quarter ended Dec. 31 to $304,000, or 11 cents a share. Last year, the Denver, N.C.-based air-cargo-services company posted a profit of $675,000, or 25 cents a share. The stock was declining $1.35, or 14.5%, to $7.95.

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