Act I: The one-two punch

* The player: Logibec Groupe Informatique (TSX:LGI)

* Action: Up 43 per cent, or $6.26, from its January low

* Recent Price: $20.76

* 52-week high/low: $21/14.50 If at first you succeed, you may as well do the same thing again.

Montreal's Logibec Groupe Informatique, which specializes in information systems for the health and social services sector, got a wakeup call in January when its stock started a tumble from its long-time idle in the $16 range.

But there's nothing to perk up a stock like fresh blood and the market ate up Logibec's acquisition news in February, which was combined with a strong quarterly release.

The company bought the developed technology and customer base of U.S.-based Choice Systems Inc., whose therapy management software is used in more than 700 American health-care facilities. The deal, which closed in mid-March, is expected to contribute $200,000 revenue to Logibec in fiscal 2007 and double that in 2008.

In mid-April, when Logibec's stock started to slip again, the company repeated the one-two combo that worked for it before: A strong quarterly release and an acquisition announcement.

For the quarter ending March 31, revenue of $12.3 million was up 28 per cent over the same quarter of the previous year and net income was up 57 per cent, from $1.5 million in Q2 2006 to $2.3 million this quarter.

The announced acquisition of Florida's Ideal Software Inc., which develops and sells management and clinical software to the senior living and assisted living industries, is expected to add $700,000 revenue to Logibec in fiscal 2007 and $2 million the following year.

One can only guess what the company will announce next time the stock dips.

Act II: About face

* The player: Bioscrypt Inc. (TSX:BYT)

* Action: Down 41 per cent or $0.50 from its $1.21 high on Feb. 5, 2007

* Recent Price: $0.71

* 52-week high/low: $1.21/0.46 We've all seen spy movies where secrets are locked behind doors that only open with fingerprints, voiceprints, and retina scans. Well, now your office can have some of that cool technology, too.

Bioscrypt, a Toronto-based identity verification technology firm, acquired A4Vision Inc. earlier this year, which enabled it to release 3D facial imaging and recognition technology to the marketplace. Customers including the major Swiss bank Pictet & Cie and the Japanese government have ditched their passcards and keys and moved to this higher-tech form of security.

Saferkidz, an online service that provides visual and biographic information in case of an emergency, now also uses Bioscrypt's technology to offer families 3D facial models, which would be available to law enforcement and media if their child went missing.

Judging by Bioscrypt's sliding stock price and the cost-cutting measure of office consolidation (from California to Toronto), shareholders aren't that impressed with the technology. Perhaps they've seen one too many Mission Impossibles.

Act III: Cell time

* The player: Hydrogenics Corp. (TSX:HYG)

* Action: A small recovery after falling 65 per cent, or $2.20, from $3.37 a year ago (May 23, 2006)

* Recent Price: $1.17

* 52-week high/low: $3.95/0.94 The stock of Mississauga's Hydrogenics Corp., the developer and manufacturer of hydrogen and fuel cell products, has been tanking for a while. Annual results weren't encouraging: Revenue for 2006 was $30.1 million, down 19 per cent from the year before; net loss was $130.8 million, an increase of $93.4 million over that in 2005.

But the corporation commenced a restructuring and streamlining (i.e. layoffs), the majority of which was effected in the first quarter of 2007.

Recently released first-quarter results were a little more positive: Revenue was $6.9 million, a 12-per-cent increase over the same period in 2006. Net loss stayed the same at $8.3 million. But then came the nasty letter from Nasdaq in May, warning the company of potential delisting due to noncompliance of the minimum price rule (the stock had been under a buck for 30 consecutive business days).

To meet compliance, the bid price of the stock (Nasdaq: HYGS) must close at $1 or higher for 10 consecutive business days before Nov. 6, 2007.

At press time, the stock had closed at $1 or higher for six days, so it appears the company may have dodged that bullet. And perhaps that will be the turning point shareholders are hoping for.

Act IV: Thar she blows

* The player: Xantrex Technology Inc. (TSX:XTX)

* Action: Up 13 per cent, or $1.15, in two months (from $9 March 14, 2007)

* Recent Price: $10.15

* 52-week high/low: $11/7.50 Oh, what the people of Jericho (a series on the CBS TV network) would have given to have Xantrex Technology on their side. The company's wind converters, which turn variable power from wind turbine generators into AC power for the utility grid, would come in handy for the town of Jericho's post-apocalyptic reality.

Jericho or not, shareholders must be happy with Xantrex's recently announced three-year supply agreement with an unnamed North American wind turbine manufacturer and initial $12-million purchase order to supply multi-megawatt power converters.

Since the company manufactures products that convert and control raw electrical power from a variety of sources into high-quality power required by electronic and electrical equipment, I know the first call I'd make in the event of a nuclear disaster.

NOTE: The above is not intended as investment advice to buy or sell any mentioned securities. Investors should do due diligence before investing. Quotes are based on results through May 22, 2007.

(Nicole Strandlund can be reached at nicole@businessedge.ca)