From the entire
universe of small cap stocks, only 1 % -2 % may have all the characteristics of «quality small caps».
Not exact matches
The data clearly demonstrates that it is not the commonly tracked
small cap universe as a whole that is plagued by poor
stock performance but rather the
smallest of the
small: companies less than about $ 250 million in value.
Our search for the best
small stocks starts with the
universe of all U.S.
stocks (the Canadian
small cap market is too
small to do this same approach).
This screen shows the top 30 companies in The Acquirer's Multiple ®
Small and Micro
Cap Stocks universe, which includes the smallest half of U.S. exchange - traded stocks and
Stocks universe, which includes the
smallest half
of U.S. exchange - traded
stocks and
stocks and ADRs.
For value
stocks deemed to be cheap because
of higher risk, this characteristic should be magnified in the more opaque
small -
cap universe, and hence, offer investors a higher premium for assuming that risk.
In Table 4 we compare the performance
of the recent winners versus losers in the
universes of large -
cap and
small -
cap stocks.
If either or both
of these explanations are true, we would expect a stronger relationship in the
universe of small -
cap stocks.
We tested a
universe of U.S
small -
cap stocks [1] with a market
cap between USD 200 million and USD 2 billion and divided the securities into two groups.
When the index committee
of the BSE or NSE sits down to select
stocks for the Sensex, Nifty or their mid - and
small -
cap indices, their mandate is not to play Warren Buffet and look for the best wealth creators in the listed
universe.
When we look at the broader risk and reward in the banking
universe today, clearly the pronounced move that we've seen in
small -
cap stocks gives us a little bit
of pause.
It's important to note that «RAFI Size Factor» is not the same as the RAFI 1500 for
small companies, but rather is a blend
of four factor - tilt strategies, each formed within the
universe of small -
cap stocks:
small value,
small momentum,
small low volatility, and
small quality (a factor that combines profitability and investment metrics).
This
universe of International
Small Cap Stocks with Positive Earnings Growth is recalculated each calendar year.
The
smaller universe of small and medium
cap stocks that do meet the criteria
of regular and rising dividends, however, can provide excess returns.
The investment
universe of almost 4,300 non-U.S.
small -
cap stocks should allow active
small -
cap international managers greater diversification potential and flexibility in portfolio construction.
Even though the non-U.S.
small / mid
cap stock universe is large and represents 8 %
of the global marketplace, international
small cap stocks are substantially underweighted in investors» portfolios.
This
universe represents a sizable pool
of stocks for active international managers to choose from — one that has more than twice as many
stocks as the U.S.
small cap market.
The global
small cap stock universe, as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index ex USA Small Cap («MSCI ACWI SC») and the Russell 2000 ® Index, contains approximately 6,150 stocks, with roughly 4,300 of those outside the United States (as of 12/31
small cap stock universe, as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index ex USA Small Cap («MSCI ACWI SC») and the Russell 2000 ® Index, contains approximately 6,150 stocks, with roughly 4,300 of those outside the United States (as of 12/31/1
cap stock universe, as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index ex USA
Small Cap («MSCI ACWI SC») and the Russell 2000 ® Index, contains approximately 6,150 stocks, with roughly 4,300 of those outside the United States (as of 12/31
Small Cap («MSCI ACWI SC») and the Russell 2000 ® Index, contains approximately 6,150 stocks, with roughly 4,300 of those outside the United States (as of 12/31/1
Cap («MSCI ACWI SC») and the Russell 2000 ® Index, contains approximately 6,150
stocks, with roughly 4,300
of those outside the United States (as
of 12/31/17).
The Russell 2000 Dividend Growth Index measuring dividend - oriented US
small -
cap stocks has risen more than the Russell 2000 Index measuring the broad
universe of US
small -
cap stocks for the full year to and 2016 year - to - date as
of November 11, according to global index provider FTSE Russell.
As we've seen, the global
small -
cap stock universe includes approximately 6,272
stocks, dwarfing the large -
cap market, which consists
of approximately 3,000
stocks (as
of 12/31/17).
Table 2 highlights Sharpe ratios for these same indices.1 Another interesting characteristic
of the
small -
cap stock universe, is that neither the Russell 2000 ® Index nor the MSCI ACWI ex USA SC have generated a negative 10 - year return since their respective inception dates (based on rolling ten - year returns).
Yet often when investors make an allocation to the international markets they tend to ignore the substantial
universe of smaller -
cap stocks that are available overseas, quite possibly thinking they are getting significant
small -
cap exposure by investing in emerging markets.
The larger
universe of stocks and lower requirements provides a wider choice
of still high quality dividend payers, particularly in the Mid-
Cap and
Small Cap areas.