Tuesday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Small-cap stocks moved choppily at the whim of the larger market Tuesday, even as some new deals helped to lift the sector.

MDI (MDII Quote), for instance, surged 24.3% to $1.53 after the San Antonio, Texas, security-technology company struck a deal to have its products offered with Nortel (NT Quote) networking packages via a school-security program called Learn Safe. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Nortel was recently down 2.3% to $24.85.

Mad Catz Interactive (MCZ Quote), which makes video-game accessories, also inked a new agreement for developing a new line of "customized controllers and other related accessories" to go with two new Ubisoft video games. Terms weren't disclosed. Shares of the San Diego, Calif., company traded actively to jump 9.7% to $1.58.

New Jersey-based Universal Display (PANL Quote) was upped to buy at Needham & Co. The analyst cited the tech company's potential for rapid long-term growth. Boston's SatCon Technology (SATC Quote) meanwhile announced that its PowerGate photovoltaic inverters were installed as an "integral" part of a 1.1-megawatt solar-energy SolarCraft system at Paramount Farms.

Shares of Universal Display, which develops organic LED technology, leapt 11% to $16.90. SatCon bounced 12.7% to $1.24.

Away from the tech sector, Birch Mountain Resources (BMD Quote) agreed to supply construction materials to fellow Canada-based firm Suncor Energy (SU Quote) under a three-year contract effective this month. Financial terms are confidential. Birch Mountain shares were up 14%, or 44 cents, to $3.59 as Suncor rose slightly to $92.58.