(Street Life is a regular feature that profiles what's playing in the stock market.)

Act I: Fizzing out

* The Player: Cott Corp. (TSX:BCB)

* Action: Down 10 per cent in a week (from $2.87 Aug. 18)

* Recent Price: $2.58

* 52-Week High/Low: $12.44/$1.74 Maybe forecasters had too much sugar or caffeine in their systems when they estimated 2008 targets for a Toronto-based soft-drink maker, but a few weeks later, a downward revision whacked the stock price.

On July 31, Cott Corp., which markets or supplies private label soft drinks including Cott, RC, Vintage, Vess and So Clear, predicted adjusted operating profit would climb 50 to 70 per cent this year, but revised that number recently to between 28 per cent below and five per cent above 2007's US$36.3 million.

The dramatic revision, blamed on supply cost increases and larger-than-expected declines in sales volumes, sent the already flailing stock tumbling more than 15 per cent. Interim CEO David Gibbons, the third person to hold the top position in less than five years, faces a challenge leading the company as consumers move toward healthier beverages.

Act II: Poetic Partnership

* The Player: Nortel Networks Corp. (TSX:NT)

* Action: Up three per cent in a week (from $6.41 Aug. 18)

* Recent Price: $6.24

* 52-Week High/Low: $19.56/$5.84 It's poetic, really: The team people love to hate has made a deal with the stock people love to hate.

The New York Mets and Nortel Networks will be partnering up at Citi Field, the Mets' new home (opening next season). Nortel will be providing wireless access to player statistics, replay viewings and special multimedia communications to various areas of Citi Field. In addition, Nortel will provide applications to facilitate ticket sales, concession sales and incident response.

According to an independent test by The Tolly Group and Info Tech, Nortel's products will consume up to 40 per cent less energy while costing less than half to own and operate compared to the leading competitor.

Incidentally, Nortel is also the official converged network equipment supplier for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and the official network infrastructure partner for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Who knows, maybe the Mets' vibe, having morphed from "Lovable losers" to "The Miracle Mets" and most recently the "Amazins," will rub off on Nortel.

Act III: Off the ol' block

* The Player: MagIndustries Corp. (TSXV:MAA)

* Action: Up 17 per cent in a week (from $1.67 Aug. 18)

* Recent Price: $1.96

* 52-Week High/Low: $3.72/$1.30 If the chips fall where they may, this time they're falling in Europe.

MagIndustries Corp., a mineral, energy and forestry resource company based in Toronto and focused on resources in Africa, announced its business unit MagForestry Inc. has successfully delivered its first shipment of woodchips to an undisclosed customer in Europe. The 30,000-tonne shipment will be followed up by a second delivery to a different European customer, part of contracted sales by European customers that add up to 400,000 tonnes annually.

MagIndustries also announced its recently commissioned wood-chip plant in the Republic of Congo is up and running at a target rate of about 2,000 tonnes of eucalyptus chips per day. Annual production target is 500,000 tonnes.

In addition to MagForestry, MagIndustries has three other business units: MagMetals, MagEnergy and MagMinerals.

Act IV: Core strength

* The Player: QLT Inc. (TSX:QLT)

* Action: Flat in a week (from $4.01 Aug. 18)

* Recent Price: $4.01

* 52-Week High/Low: $6.42/$2.32 Recent fitness crazes are all about core strength, and the same focus is the goal for a Vancouver-based biopharmaceutical company.

QLT Inc. has been working to streamline the company, and the most recent ejection of non-core assets is a licence for a drug-delivery technology. QLT USA, Inc., a QLT subsidiary, signed a licence agreement with Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. (a subsidiary of a U.K. company) for Atrigel sustained-release drug delivery technology. QLT receives US$25 million up front, plus potential milestone payments of up to US$5 million for development of two Atrigel-formulated products.

The Atrigel deal is the third non-core asset deal for QLT, which hopes to divest its last remaining non-core asset, Eligard (used in palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer) in the near future.

QLT stock has been holding relatively steady around $4 since spiking down below $2.50 in late March.

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 Aug. 26, 2008.

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