The overall quality of publicly traded small caps has deteriorated, as private sponsors help top performers stay private for longer. Instead of small caps, investors should consider actively adding exposure to U.S. large-cap value and mid-cap growth stocks.
Which is better large-cap, mid-cap, or small-cap? The suitability of large-cap, mid-cap, or small-cap depends on your risk tolerance and investment goals. Large-caps offer stability, mid-caps offer growth potential, while small-caps are high risk/high reward.
It's typically a great time to invest in small-cap stocks when the economy is rebounding, unemployment rates are decreasing quickly, and businesses are seeing strong earnings growth. Of course, small-cap stocks don't always outperform.
However, the highly overstretched valuation of large-cap stocks, together with a few positive developments may shift market participants' preference from large to small-cap stocks. At this stage, we recommend small cap stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank that have strong growth potential for 2025.
Most investors think smaller companies underperform in a recession. In most cases, they are correct. However, what's less well-known is that small caps usually exit recessions quicker than assumed – outperforming large caps. This rebound can begin as early as three months into an economic downturn.
The small cap segment can be extremely volatile in the short term, but they have the potential to offer very high returns over a long period. Small cap schemes are recommended only to aggressive investors with a high-risk appetite and long investment horizon, say, around seven to 10 years.
Small-cap funds are riskier than large-cap funds and may not be suitable for everyone. Small-cap companies are more sensitive to market changes and can experience sudden and wide price fluctuations. Small-cap companies are less popular and smaller in size, making their stock less liquid.
Inflation and small-cap performance through the decades
We found that the MSCI World Small Cap Index outperformed the MSCI World Index by 0.47% per month in periods of low inflation (CPI < 2%) and by only 0.09% in periods of high inflation (CPI > 2%).
That said, small-cap stocks offer significant growth potential. A well-rounded portfolio should include small-cap stocks as well, but it's crucial to select the right ones and allocate funds based on your individual risk tolerance.
Large Cap (Big Cap) Explained. As of March 2021, the top U.S. stocks by market cap included the following: Apple (AAPL)
Blue-chip stocks are from companies that are large, well-established, and financially sound. These companies have strong brand names and reputations, and they generate dependable earnings. Blue-chip companies usually boast consistent dividends and are often considered to be less risky, given their financial stability.
Given the changing macroeconomic backdrop, we outline why we see potential value for investors in small caps in 2024. The consensus is that interest rates look to have peaked, with markets now pricing in cuts across many major economies in 2024, something which could prove beneficial to small caps.
Managers can offer a long list of reasons small-cap value funds have underperformed. For much of the last 15 years, one challenge has been low interest rates, which tend to benefit growth stocks more than value ones because they make the earnings of growth companies more attractive.
Mid-caps are slightly riskier than large-cap stocks and less risky than small-cap stocks. Small-cap stocks are riskier than the other two. Despite the risk, these stocks have great growth potential. Large-cap funds are usually less volatile unless there is some news.
Investing in small caps during recessions has generated superior investment returns, according to our back-testing of the data to the late 1980s (see Table 1, below).
Buy and hold. Investing in stocks, bonds, and Treasury bills is the best way to protect oneself from the effects of inflation in the long-term. The best strategy, regardless of how big the fluctuations can get, is to spread risk out by buying a “diversified portfolio” with many kinds of firms represented.
We expect small-cap earnings growth could exceed that of large-cap stocks in 2025, aided by easier earnings comparisons.
The main disadvantage of a small-cap fund is its higher risk profile, making it susceptible to market volatility and economic downturns.
Small-cap funds have the potential to generate higher returns with High Risk, but at the same time, they include higher risk than mid-cap and large-cap funds. If you do not mind taking a higher risk and want to invest long-term, you can choose small-cap mutual funds.
Filter. Small Cap Fund : These mutual funds select stocks for investment from the small cap category, which includes all stocks except largest 250 stocks (by market capitalization). Suitable For : Investors who are looking to invest money for at least 3-4 years and looking for very high returns.
Risk. Small-cap mutual funds are very risky. This means that in the short term, investing in them could lead to short-term losses. If you cannot tolerate seeing negative returns on your investments at specific periods, you should stay away from small-cap funds.
How Much of My Portfolio Should Be in Small-Cap Stocks? Small-cap stocks currently make up about 8% of the overall equity market, which is a reasonable target for the US stock portion of a portfolio.