This article was written in collaboration with Investor-One. All views expressed in this article are the independent opinion of DollarsAndSense.sg
Most investors tend to gravitate towards investing in the stocks of large, popular companies that are well-covered by analysts. However, there are also many good small & mid-cap stocks which are not as well-covered by analysts and hence overlooked by investors.
That said, just because small & mid-cap stocks are less popular doesn’t mean they cannot outperform more prominent companies. The Fama and French Three-Factor Model (developed by Nobel laureates Eugene Fama and Kenneth French) also cites small stock capitalisation as a factor for higher expected returns for a stock.
Two classic examples are
- AEM Holdings which jumped 244% from $0.825 in Jan 2019 to $2.02 by Dec 2019 and
- Penguin International Limited which skyrocketed 242% from $0.305 in Jan 2019 to $0.74 by Dec 2019
However, before diving headfirst to invest in small & mid-cap stocks, there are some important financial ratios that you should know and assess.
#1 Revenue & Net Profit
Looking at the revenue and net profit of a company is a good first step to evaluating a stock.
A stock that is enjoying steady or even exponential revenue growth year-on-year would imply that the company is at least able to grow its top-line (i.e. its sales).
If revenue isn’t growing, this could mean that the company is in a sector where growth is hard to come by, or that it is not able to leverage available opportunities.
At the same time, just looking at revenue alone may not paint a full picture. You need to also pay attention to its net profits. If a company’s cost is continuously increasing at a faster rate than its revenue growth, it’s growth may not be sustainable.
#2 Gross & Net Margin
With all things equal, investing in a company that enjoys a higher profit margin is always better. A high margin means being able to maximise the most out of every dollar of revenue earned. It also means that the company has more leeway to play with the revenue it earns to continue expanding.
Equally important to consider is a company’s gross and net margin compared to its sector’s peers. If a company has a lower gross and net margin compared to its peers, it could signal that it’s less efficient and not able to generate profits as efficiently as others.
Here’s a simple way to think of it. At a 1% net margin, a company needs to produce $100 of sales to generate $1 worth of profit. It also means that any increase in its cost, without at least a proportionate increase in revenue, would significantly erode its profit levels.
One good example is BreadTalk Group Limited. Its profit margins have been on razor-thin margins of 2 – 4% and recently spiralled into losses due to escalating costs.
Hence, keeping a healthy gross and net profit margin is essential, and investors should look to invest in stocks that reflect this.
#3 Ownership
Another crucial factor is to look at companies where the founder(s) continue to retain the majority of shares.
Small & mid-cap companies usually get a head start with the founder(s) as the management team. As such, when the founder(s) own a majority of the shares, it shows that they are committed to the company and have the vested interest to see the company grow and succeed.
On the other hand, a management team without any vested interest may simply run the business for the sake of a chunky salary or not have the shareholders’ interests in mind.
Hence, the continuous presence of a strong, talented founding team continues to be vital for a company’s success.
#4 Financial Position
Understanding a company’s financial position is also another top priority for investors.
For example, an investor should pose this question:
“how much does the company hold in net cash position to provide support for new investments or buffer against headwinds?”
If a company holds a large amount of debt while its cash holdings is low, this may signal that the company’s growth and profits are generated through the debt borrowings.
On its own, this may not be a bad thing since it means that the company can grow its business using debt. However, this can be a risk area if interest rates increase, or if a company encounters a challenging business landscape, which makes it unable to meet its short-term cash requirements.
Read Also: Why Cash In Bank (And Not Profit) Is The Number One Priority That Business Owners Need To Care About
Here’s a handy infographic that sums up these four factors:
Follow Investor-One, A Portal That Focuses on Discovering Growing Companies
Researching into small & mid-cap companies tends to be more tedious as they are less covered by analysts. As a result, they are thinly traded compared to more prominent companies and comparatively, offer less liquidity.
On the bright side, this also means that it’s possible to find hidden gems that have the opportunity to significantly appreciate in value because they are often overlooked by many investors in the beginning.
While research materials are harder to come by for smaller companies, Investor-One, which is operated by ShareInvestor.com, is a website specifically dedicated to unveiling growth stocks listed on SGX. The site features a wide range of articles that provides information and in-depth analysis of stocks that are less covered by analysts in Singapore.
The listed companies are well-covered using 4 financial metrics, so if you are considering investing in any of these stocks, these research articles will provide you with the information you need. You can also search on its Quick Facts page to find information on specific companies that you are looking at.
For new investors, the Investor-One Academy also provides a valuable depository of articles that you can read to equip yourself with the right knowledge on how to get started in investing in small & mid-cap stocks. You can also follow ShareInvestor on Telegram to stay connected via mobile on the latest stock news and analysis.
Read Also: New To Investing? Here’s What You Need To Know Before You Start Investing Your Money In 2019
