News you can use: Reuters micro-cap CEO interviews

Shares of micro cap Jones Soda rose as much as 20 percent after its CEO said in an exclusive July 26 interview that the company has abandoned its year-long attempt to sell itself. Investors had been disappointed with the low buyout offers that the beverage maker had received, including bids from Big Red Holdings Corp and Reed’s Inc that were priced at substantial discounts to Jones Soda’s market price. Trading in Jones Soda shares soared to above five times their normal volume – an example of Reuters value-added small-cap coverage.

Shares in London cabbie maker Manganese Bronze rose 15 percent after a Reuters interview with CEO John Russell on July 30. Russell said the company was only weeks away from striking a deal which would see Chinese car maker Geely take a majority stake in the business. Collins Stewart analyst Michael O’Brien the comments helped sooth investor concerns about a cash crunch. Shares in Manganese Bronze were up 3.6 percent prior to Reuters interview and rose to trade up 15 percent on the day within the next two hours. Bloomberg and Dow Jones did not match the story, reporting only that talks were continuing.