As we round out the year it’s time to take “stock” of our collective stock portfolios and tracking projects and see how they performed on the year. The largest, most in-depth of our projects has been the Small Cap Stars project, wherein our analytical team indexed the market's strongest small cap plays, based on sector-specific criteria.
The sectors across the board performed well, but in each sector there were some truly outstanding plays worth highlighting. As we close out 2013, here are the top plays from each sector in the Small Cap Stars project:
Basic Materials
Top Performer: Ferro Corp (FOE)
Dec. 17 Price: $12.65
2013 YTD Return: 186.20 percent
Ferro Corporation was founded in 1919 in Ohio and went public in Nov. 1987. The company manufactures a variety of chemicals for industrial and technological usage.
Consumer Goods
Omega Protein (OME)
Dec. 17 Price: $13.06
2013 YTD Return: 103.43 percent
Omega Protein is one of the largest producers of omega-3 fish oil in North America. The company can trace its roots all the way back to 1878, when the company was founded as the John A. Haynie Company.
Financial
MGIC Investment (MTG)
Dec. 17 Price: $8.13
2013 YTD Return: 193.50 percent
The Milwaukee-based holding company controls several private mortgage insurance companies. Their various subsidiaries are licensed to do business in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
Healthcare
Lannet Co Inc (LCI)
Dec. 17 Price: $29.70
2013 YTD Return: 407.69 percent
Philadelphia-based Lannet manufactures generic drugs, and has posted by far the biggest gains in the entire Small Cap Stars project. In Early December the company announced they would be transferring to the NYSE on the heels of their massive gains.
Industrial Goods
ARC Document Solutions (formerly American Reprographics) (ARC)
Dec. 17 Price: $7.95
2013 YTD Return: 185.97 percent
The Walnut Creek, Ca.-based ARC provides specialized documents services for large companies. The company officially changed their name from American Reprographics to ARC Document Solutions in 2012.
Services
Gray Television Inc (GTN)
Dec. 17 Price: $13.76
2013 YTD Return: 409.63 percent
This television station-owning conglomerate owns and operates 41 stations throughout the American South and Midwest. The company has been solidifying their position in the winter of 2013, acquiring two major rivals and adding five stations to their roster.
Technology
Envestnet Inc (ENV)
Dec. 17 Price: $35.78
2013 YTD Return: 161.36 percent
Envestenet provides a platform for financial advisors, specifically wealth management technology. The company announced a second public offering on Oct 9.
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