How to make money in stock market? Bet on small-caps, say analysts

Business Standard

18-06-2025

Investing in quality small-cap stocks for the long-term is a good way to make money in the stock markets, suggest analysts. A recent note by Bajaj Finserv AMC suggests India's small-cap segment has delivered healthy growth over the past seven calendar years, with market capitalisation (market-cap) of this basket surging fivefold – from ₹17 trillion in 2017 to ₹92 trillion by the end of 2024 — reflecting a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.6 per cent during this period. In comparison, large-cap and mid-cap segments recorded CAGR of 14.5 per cent and 21.6 per cent, respectively, during the same period, Bajaj Finserv AMC shows.
The contribution of small-caps to the overall market-cap has grown 1.4 times over the last three years, the note said. At the same time, their contribution to corporate profits has surged 2.5 times in the past four years. This trend, Bajaj Finserv AMC said, reflects the increasing prominence of the small-cap segment and the broader range of investment opportunities it now presents. The Nifty Small Cap 250 Quality 50 total returns index (TRI) has outperformed the Nifty Small Cap 250 TRI in 14 of the last 19 financial years, Bajaj Finserv AMC findings reveals. Overall, the quality index delivered higher returns than most other indices in nine financial years from FY10.
The road ahead Market experts believe that small-cap segment holds promise even at the current juncture, provided investors do their homework diligently, invest in quality stocks and stay put for the long term. 'I continue to believe India is a small-cap market. While the headline indexes - the BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50 - may not deliver much return for the next couple of years, at smaller levels there are amazing companies in India,' said Shankar Sharma, founder, GQuant Investech.
As of April 2025, most small-caps continue to trade below their 52-week highs, making the segment appealing from a valuation standpoint, experts suggest. While the small-cap index gained only 4 per cent since fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24), profit after tax (PAT) of companies in this segment grew by 38 per cent, highlighting the segment's unrealised value, the Bajaj Finserv AMC note said. "Despite the price correction, small-cap profits rose to ₹29,941 crore in FY25 from ₹21,669 crore in FY246. Moreover, 74 per cent of the top 250 small-cap companies reported a double digit returns on capital employed (ROCE), indicating strong underlying fundamentals," the note said. At the bourses, meanwhile, the Nifty Smallcap 250 index has seen an impressive run in the last two years till date with a gain of 64.4 per cent. The Nifty 50 index, on the other hand, moved up 32 per cent during this period, ACE Equity data shows. Transformers & Rectifiers (India) has been the top performer among small-cap stocks, rallying 1,132 per cent in the last two years till date.
Wockhardt, Garden Reach Shipbuilders, IFCI, Multi Commodity Exchange of India, JSW Holdings, Godfrey Phillips India and PG Electroplast are some of the other stocks that zoomed between 365 per cent and 703 per cent during this period, ACE Equity data shows. "Most macroeconomic parameters remain conducive for the markets. Only major concern for the Indian equity market is ongoing war between Israel and Iran. Any possible rise in oil prices beyond $90 a barrel would impact the domestic equities quite significantly. Otherwise, the Indian market outlook – especially for the small and mid-cap segment - remains very robust," said G Chokkalingam, founder and head of research at Equinomics Research.