Thursday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Accelr8 Technology (AXK Quote) and Fonar (FONR Quote), a couple of health-care stocks, were among the small-cap winners Thursday.

Accelr8 shares rocketed 48% after the Denver-based company received a notice of allowance on a patent covering methods used in its BACcel rapid diagnostic platform, which quickly identifies major multiple drug resistant bacteria, or "superbugs." That means the patent -- Accelr8's first for that system -- is close to being issued. Shares were up $1.18 to $3.64.

Fonar, a medical-equipment maker based in Melville, N.Y., soared 24.5% to $7.32 after Health Diagnostics ordered six of its Fonar Upright Multi-Position magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Terms weren't disclosed.

Elsewhere, WSI Industries (WSCI Quote) upped the fiscal 2008 sales forecast for its developing-energy business to between $10 million and $11 million from the prior range of $6 million to $8 million. Shares of the Monticello, Minn., company vaulted $1.58, or 30.6%, to $6.75.

And Sharper Image (SHRP Quote) board Chairman Jerry Levin upped his holdings in the company by two-thirds to 250,000 shares as CEO Steven Lightman picked up about another 89,000 shares for a total of some 239,000. Three VPs and another board member also recently bought up Sharper Image stock, as disclosed in regulatory filings last night.

The San Francisco specialty retailer flew 45.5% higher at $2.72, recovering from some of last week's losses after a court rejected a class-action lawsuit settlement regarding one of its products.