Understanding Micro-Cap Stocks in Detail
Let us elaborate on the concept of micro-cap stocks. These stocks belong to companies that are much smaller than large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap companies. They are small in terms of their market capitalisation, scale of operations, and sales.
As these companies are small in scale, their performance on average tends to be more volatile than that of large-cap, mid-cap, or small-cap companies. Therefore, even the stock prices of micro-cap companies can be more volatile than those of larger companies.
However, as they have a small scale, they can grow at an extremely high rate. So, both the risk and reward of investing in micro-cap stocks are higher than that of larger companies.
In India, we have an index called the Nifty Microcap 250 index, which is comprised of micro-cap stocks in the country. You can track the movements in this index to assess how these companies are faring.
If you are keen on this space, you should also check which stocks comprise the Nifty Microcap 250 index regularly because that may offer you some investment opportunities. Having understood the meaning of micro-cap stocks, let us delve deeper into this topic.
How Micro Cap Stocks Works
Benefits of Micro Cap Stocks
The main benefit of micro-cap stocks is that they can offer you considerable returns. Due to their smaller scale of operations than larger companies, they have small market capitalisation. As the base of their market cap is small, when their price rise, they can provide you significant returns due to the base effect.
Often micro-cap stocks are ignored by institutional investors because they are so small. Hence, if a micro-cap company is genuinely good, you can buy its stock at a reasonable price in case institutional investors have not bought a stake in it. Institutional investors tend to be large. Hence, when they buy a stock, it drives up its price.
And, when they do not buy a stock, it tends to be under-valued. If you end up finding a well-performing micro-cap stock that is not bought by institutional investors, you can make a lot of money.
Features of Micro Cap Stocks
Lesser information is publicly available: Typically, lesser information is publicly available about micro-cap stocks than about larger companies. This is because larger companies are actively tracked by the media, stock market analysts, mutual fund managers, and other commentators. Hence, tons of information is available about most larger companies. This is often not the case with micro-cap stocks. As they are very small, they are not tracked as much as larger stocks.
Higher risk than larger companies: As less information is available about micro-cap stocks, they tend to pose a much higher risk to an investor than larger companies on average. Besides, the market capitalisation of micro-cap stocks tends to be really small. Hence, a rise or fall in a micro-cap stock can be much higher than in larger stocks. Therefore, they pose a greater risk to investors than larger stocks.
Low volumes: Typically, institutional investors show lesser interest in micro-cap stocks than in larger stocks. Even retail investors do not show as much inclination towards these stocks as they show in large-cap or mid-cap stocks. Hence, micro-cap stocks trade in low volumes. Therefore, if you want to buy them, liquidity can be a concern.
Types of Micro Cap Stocks
Example of Micro-Cap Stocks
Some examples of micro-cap stocks include AGI Greenpac Ltd., ASK Automotive Ltd., BASF India Ltd., Bajaj Consumer Care Ltd., CARE Ratings Ltd., DCB Bank Ltd., Dish TV India Ltd., and Fiem Industries Ltd. These companies are from these sectors, respectively, Capital Goods, Automobile and Auto Components, Chemicals, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Finance, Media Entertainment & Publication, and Automobile and Auto Components. This shows that micro-cap stocks are available in many sectors.
How to Find Micro-Cap Stocks?
As explained, micro-cap stocks have a market cap of somewhere between Rs. 50 crores and Rs. 500 crores. Either you can find them by checking their market cap or there is a much easier way to find such stocks.
All you have to do is search for “Nifty Microcap 250 index” on Google and it will take you to the Nifty Indices’ website. When you are there, you can easily download the constituents of this index and you will have a long list of micro-cap stocks listed on the stock exchange.
Impact of Micro-Cap Stocks for New-Age Investors
As new-age investors have tons of information at their disposal, they at times consider investing in micro-cap stocks. Such stocks tend to have a small market cap and often belong to companies in emerging industries like biotech, fintech, etc. Such industries can offer great opportunities for investment.
That said, new-age investors should understand that micro-cap stocks tend to be high-risk and high-reward investments. Hence, before making such investments, they should do a detailed analysis.
However, if you have the ability to analyse companies on your own, then you can find undervalued micro-cap stocks because institutional investors often do not show much interest in them. As a result, it is possible that certain well-performing mid-cap stocks remain under-valued. You can invest in them when they are really small and reap the benefits as they grow to become mature companies. But for that, you will have to research them thoroughly.
New-age investors can benefit from micro-cap stocks by investing a tiny percentage of their overall portfolio in them. If they find it difficult to research micro-cap stocks individually, they can invest in micro-cap mutual funds. Such funds specialize in investing in micro-cap companies.
Importance of Micro Cap Stocks
In India, there are around 7,000 companies listed either on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) or on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). If you exclude the top 500 companies based on their market capitalisation, the remaining 6,500 companies fall in the category of micro-cap companies, which shows that around 90% of listed companies in India are micro-cap companies.
As they constitute the lion’s share of listed companies, they are important for the larger financial ecosystem. They may be small in terms of their market cap, but their numbers are huge.
Being extremely small in size and market cap, micro-cap stocks can offer opportunities to earn a significant return. Often, when a company starts operating, it is small in size and hence is a micro-cap stock. Over time, when it grows, it becomes a larger company. Hence, the space of micro-cap stocks has potential for investment.
However, less information is typically available about such companies. Therefore, investors should be careful while putting their money in them.
Significance of Micro Cap Stocks (need to add content in a listicle format respective subheadings)
List of Micro-Cap Stocks
Please find below a list of micro-cap stocks. This list is taken from the index constituents of the Nifty Microcap 250 index. If you want the detailed list of micro-cap stocks, click on this link: https://www.niftyindices.com/indices/equity/broad-based-indices/nifty-microcap-250
This list is not exhaustive because the Nifty Microcap 250 index is made up of 250 stocks.
Company Name
| Industry
| Symbol
|
AGI Greenpac Ltd.
| Capital Goods
| AGI
|
ASK Automotive Ltd.
| Automobile and Auto Components
| ASKAUTOLTD
|
Aarti Drugs Ltd.
| Healthcare
| AARTIDRUGS
|
Aarti Pharmalabs Ltd.
| Healthcare
| AARTIPHARM
|
Accelya Solutions India Ltd.
| Information Technology
| ACCELYA
|
Advanced Enzyme Tech Ltd.
| Healthcare
| ADVENZYMES
|
Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Ltd.
| Construction
| AHLUCONT
|
Ami Organics Ltd.
| Healthcare
| AMIORG
|
Anant Raj Ltd.
| Realty
| ANANTRAJ
|
Arvind Fashions Ltd.
| Consumer Services
| ARVINDFASN
|
Arvind Ltd.
| Textiles
| ARVIND
|
Ashoka Buildcon Ltd.
| Construction
| ASHOKA
|
Astra Microwave Products Ltd.
| Capital Goods
| ASTRAMICRO
|
Avalon Technologies Ltd.
| Capital Goods
| AVALON
|
Azad Engineering Ltd.
| Capital Goods
| AZAD
|
BASF India Ltd.
| Chemicals
| BASF
|
Bajaj Consumer Care Ltd.
| Fast Moving Consumer Goods
| BAJAJCON
|
Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar Ltd.
| Fast Moving Consumer Goods
| BAJAJHIND
|
Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd.
| Diversified
| BALMLAWRIE
|
Banco Products (India) Ltd.
| Automobile and Auto Components
| BANCOINDIA
|
Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd.
| Consumer Services
| BARBEQUE
|
Bhansali Engineering Polymers Ltd.
| Chemicals
| BEPL
|
Blue Jet Healthcare Ltd.
| Healthcare
| BLUEJET
|
Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
| Textiles
| BOMDYEING
|
CARE Ratings Ltd.
| Financial Services
| CARERATING
|
CMS Info Systems Ltd.
| Services
| CMSINFO
|
Camlin Fine Sciences Ltd.
| Chemicals
| CAMLINFINE
|
Cartrade Tech Ltd.
| Consumer Services
| CARTRADE
|
Choice International Ltd.
| Financial Services
| CHOICEIN
|
Cigniti Technologies Ltd.
| Information Technology
| CIGNITITEC
|
Conclusion
Whether you have just opened a demat account or are an experienced investor, you can consider micro-cap stocks for investment. While it is not difficult to understand the meaning of micro-cap stocks, making an investment in them can be tricky. Such stocks can be risky because less information is publicly available about them. Moreover, they are small in size, and hence their stock price can witness significant fluctuations. So, if you want to make an investment in a micro-cap stock, research it thoroughly and only then take a call.
Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risk, read all related documents carefully before investing.
This content is for educational purposes only. Securities quoted are exemplary and not recommendatory.
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