The Energy Report submits:

Planet Earth is in the midst of a food bull market. Wellington West Capital Markets Managing Director Robert Winslow follows small-cap agricultural stocks that can give investors both diversification and leverage to achieve double-digit percentage growth. In this exclusive interview with The Energy Report, Robert shares some small-cap names where investors can plant capital and reap vigorous rewards.

The Energy Report: We know that a growing population is a long-term driver of fertilizer, but what has driven the potash market so dramatically higher over the last six months?

Robert Winslow: Well, it’s interesting and it’s pretty simple. The key driver for all these Ag equities is rising grain prices—whether it’s potash, phosphate, agricultural equipment manufacturers or any companies in the Ag space. These equities generally benefit when grain prices are rising.

It’s a function of farm income—the grain complex drives farm income, which drives farm expenditures. We called the bottom

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Ted Stamas submits:

To call Acme Packet’s (APKT) 25 fold rise the last two years parabolic would be an understatement. It’s been more like a vertical lift-off starting at $3/share in early 2009 and hitting $77 on 3/4/11. The stock ricocheted off the top of its all time high last month, and you could have scooped it up for $67 on April 1st, but it has since bounced back to the $75 range. The digerati like this company and it comes as advertised. Its signature technology is the science of our time.

Back in the late 1990s George Gilder used to evangelize about the telecosm (infinite bandwidth) and how increased use of broadband would engulf us and dictate consumer and business behavior. Well that time has come. Acme Packet is serving notice that it is an elite class of technology company and is building a global franchise. The company seemed to be locked

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Nicholas Southwick Levis submits:

Microcap Value investing is not getting very much attention these days. Most investors are choosing large cap managers, large cap stocks, or ETF’s that track small and mid cap companies rather than uncovering value in the middle markets. The general avoidance of small cap value stocks has created an environment that has left many stocks below book value stocks trading at incredibly cheap valuations. (While completely lacking in net-net stocks, where net current assets are higher than the company’s market cap, meaning that if you liquidate the assets shareholders would make money.)

Investors with a penchant for cheap stocks should consider the following ten microcap bargains, even though they are not traditional “Cigar Butt” type investments (companies trading below net current assets minus total liabilities) which in the past have driven strong investment gains for patient and alert value investors. When investing in cheap small caps, it pays to be

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Nicholas Southwick Levis submits:

Microcap Value investing is not getting very much attention these days. Most investors are choosing large cap managers, large cap stocks, or ETF’s that track small and mid cap companies rather than uncovering value in the middle markets. The general avoidance of small cap value stocks has created an environment that has left many stocks below book value stocks trading at incredibly cheap valuations. (While completely lacking in net-net stocks, where net current assets are higher than the company’s market cap, meaning that if you liquidate the assets shareholders would make money.)

Investors with a penchant for cheap stocks should consider the following ten microcap bargains, even though they are not traditional “Cigar Butt” type investments (companies trading below net current assets minus total liabilities) which in the past have driven strong investment gains for patient and alert value investors. When investing in cheap small caps, it pays to be

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Zacks Small-Cap submits:

The magnitude 8.9 earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that hit near Sendai, Japan will continue to have ripple effects for months to come on small to large cap companies in an assortment of sectors.

While Japan has dealt with earthquakes throughout its history, the March 11, 2011 earthquake was the largest to hit the country in 120 years, causing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of damage and a nuclear crisis, of which the extent is still unknown.

The wrath of the triple assaults from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster to the third largest global economy (behind the U.S. and China) can be expected to have a noticeable effect on some companies in industries within many sectors including basic materials, capital goods, consumer goods, energy, industrial goods, technology and utilities.

To put Japan’s importance to the U.S. in perspective, Japan is the United States’ fourth largest trading partner.

In

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Ian Wyatt submits:

Most publicly traded utilities have the distinct advantage of paying investors a dividend. This dividend significantly enhances the equities’ total return over time.

As I’ve stressed before, every portfolio should include dividend-paying stocks as part of a diversification strategy. So when I came across a diversified energy company that was paying a 4.4 percent yield to investors, I had to write about it.

This regulated power business is an oil and gas producer, but it also dabbles in coal and some energy marketing too.

The company is Black Hills Corporation (NYSE: BKH) and it just finished the first quarter with a comfortable 13 percent increase in share price, as you can see in this chart.

Black Hills, which now has a market cap of $1.3 billion, grew out of the partnership that first brought electric lights to the legendary gold rush town of Deadwood, South Dakota, in 1879. The company

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Ian Wyatt submits:

The small-cap Russell raced higher last month to end what was the best first quarter in years. During that time, several stocks have hit 52-week highs, particularly over the past few weeks. Here are the top three small cap stocks that benefitted from the rise.

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Epicor Software Corp. (EPIC)

Epicor hit another 52-week high on April 4. Shares of the application software designer/developer are $1.30, or 13.7% higher on the session. Volume is significantly higher at 9.1 million shares traded as of 1:00 p.m. EST. Average volume has been 273,800 share over the past 30 days.

The company stated that it would be acquired by private equity firm Apax Partners for $12.50 a share in an all-cash deal. The transaction values the company at $976 million. The acquisition is expected close by the end of the second calendar quarter of this year.

Westport Innovations (WPRT)

Like Epicor,

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Kapitall submits:

Below is a list of seven rallying small-cap stocks, with market caps between $100-$300M. All of these U.S. companies are currently trading above their 20-day, 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Interestingly, these stocks have also seen significant insider buying over the last six months, with increases in insider ownership above 3%.

If you’re interested in small-cap momentum ideas, the list might offer an interesting starting point. Full details below.
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1. Saga Communications Inc. (SGA): Broadcasting Industry. Market cap of $147.90M. The stock is currently 6.32% above its 20-day MA, 16.68% above its 50-day MA, and 45.42% above its 200-day MA. Net shares purchased by insiders over the last six months at 26,076 shares, which represents a 91.4% increase in insider ownership. This is a risky stock that is significantly more volatile than the overall market (beta = 2.41).

2. Alliance Healthcare Services, Inc. (AIQ): Medical Laboratories

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StreetAuthority submits:

By David Sterman

From employment trends to factory production levels to trade figures, all signs are pointing to an improving U.S. economy. And in the early stages of any economic rebound, investors always flock to stocks with small market capitalizations. Back in 1990, when the economy was about to break out of its shell, the Russell 2000 Index, which focuses on small cap stocks, rose 100% during the next 36 months.

These days, these small caps are back in vogue again. The Russell 2000 has risen for seven of the last eight months. The index is now within just a few points of all-time highs hit back in 2007.

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Rash Menaria submits:

Following is a list of 19 companies with market caps between $50-200 mn, consensus EPS growth rates for 2011 and 2012 greater than 50%, and a PEG ratio of less than 0.5.

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