While most of Wall Street focuses on large-cap and mega-cap stocks, as they provide a degree of safety and liquidity, many investors are limited in the number of shares they can buy. Many of the biggest public companies, especially the technology giants, trade in the hundreds, all the way up to over $1,000 per share or more. At those steep prices, it is difficult to get any decent share count leverage.
Many investors, especially more aggressive traders, look at lower-priced stocks as a way not only to make some good money but to get a higher share count. That can really help the decision-making process, especially when you are on to a winner, as you can always sell half and keep half.
Skeptics of low-priced shares should remember that at one point Amazon, Apple and Netflix traded in the single digits. One stock we featured over the years, Zynga, was purchased by Take-Two Interactive. Cogent Biosciences, which we featured last March, has tripled since then.
We screened our 24/7 Wall St. research database looking for smaller cap companies that could offer patient investors some huge returns for the new year and beyond. While these five stocks are rated Buy and have a ton of Wall Street coverage, it is important to remember that no single analyst report should be used as a sole basis for any buying or selling decision.
Barings BDC
This off-the-radar business development company offers solid total return potential. Barings BDC Inc. (NYSE: BBDC) is a publicly traded, externally managed investment company that has elected to be treated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Barings BDC seeks to invest primarily in senior secured loans to private U.S. middle-market companies that operate across a wide range of industries.
The company specializes in mezzanine, leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, ESOPs, change of control transactions, acquisition financings, growth financing and recapitalizations in lower-middle market, mature and later-stage companies. Barings BDC’s investment activities are managed by its investment adviser, Barings, a leading global asset manager based in Charlotte, N.C., with over $335 billion of assets under management firmwide.
Shareholders receive an 11.10% dividend. Oppenheimer’s $12 price target is well above the $10.61 consensus target, and shares traded at $8.90 on Friday.
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Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.
