The real reason small-cap stocks win out

A US physicist has turned his attention to biology in order to explain why small companies grow faster than big ones. The results are compelling, says Tim Bennett.

Jim Slater, one of Britain's best-known investors, summed up the reasons behind his preference for small caps in one line: "Elephants don't gallop." His point was that, if you're looking for rapid share-price gains in the short term, it's a lot easier for a small company to double in size, than for a large rival.

But it's not just the short term. Several studies on both sides of the Atlantic have demonstrated that, over the long run, small caps deliver better returns (on average) than large caps.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Explore More

Tim graduated with a history degree from Cambridge University in 1989 and, after a year of travelling, joined the financial services firm Ernst and Young in 1990, qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1994.

He then moved into financial markets training, designing and running a variety of courses at graduate level and beyond for a range of organisations including the Securities and Investment Institute and UBS. He joined MoneyWeek in 2007.