Thursday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Exide Technologies (XIDE Quote) 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 Quote) 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 Quote) 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 Quote) 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 Quote) 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 Quote) 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 Quote) 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.