On Monday, I bought two small cap stocks: ACME Packet (APKT) and 51Job (JOBS).
As I mention in the market cap section of my book, I try to balance my portfolio across market caps, since companies in the different caps have different risk / reward profiles, and the caps themselves follow different cycles.
APKT specializes in session border controllers (SBCs), which provide control and security at the edges of IP networks that carry voice, video, and multimedia traffic. This is a fast growing company, but volatile stock with quartely fluctuations. The stock was up 104% in 2010, but I bought it now because it fell 50% after it missed it's third quarter estimate (due to a large order slipping into the fourth quarter). I don't mind volatility, of course, since I will manage the position through my "stock trading riches" system.
51Job, based in Shanghai, is the human resources market leader in China. They provide recruiting, payroll processing, and training to companies across 25 cities in China. The stock fell into the $40's after a peak of $70. They have $10/share in cash. According to small cap guru Jim Oberweis, the stock trades for 15 times his 2012 earnings estimate, and has expected earnings growth of 55%.
