The 52-Week-High List: 91 Small Cap Names On Tuesday
A heavy concentration of banks leads today’s list of strongest-performing small caps, raising questions about the nature of the rally.
A full 25 of today’s names are Regional Banks, a striking concentration in a single industry. On Tuesday, August 4, a total of 91 Small Cap stocks from the Russell 3000 are trading at their 52-week highs.
The list’s significance extends beyond its breadth. The strongest one-month run belongs to Paymentus (PAY), up 58.4%, while the S&P 500 returned just +2.7% over the same period. The central question is whether these prices reflect durable business strength or just a crowded trade. Below is the full list of names.
The Biggest Names On The List
- Procore Technologies Stock Rides A 8-Day Winning Streak To A 36% Gain
- PTC Stock Rides A 8-Day Winning Streak To A 25% Gain
- 36 S&P 500 Stocks Hit 52-Week Highs On Tuesday
- The 52-Week-Low List: 3 S&P 500 Names On Tuesday
- 38 Mid Cap Stocks Just Made New 52-Week Highs
- S&P 500 Movers | Winners: PLTR, ZBRA, IT | Losers: APTV, NRG, CMG
The table below shows the 10 largest of the 91 names, sorted by market capitalization, with returns over four windows:
| Tickers | Market Cap |
1D % Chg |
1W % Chg |
1M % Chg |
1Y % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTCH | $9.6 Bil | 1.7% | 5.0% | 10.1% | 25.6% |
| VOYA | $9.4 Bil | 0.6% | 0.7% | 4.6% | 53.4% |
| JXN | $9.3 Bil | 5.9% | 8.7% | 22.2% | 64.3% |
| LNC | $9.0 Bil | 2.0% | 9.7% | 23.8% | 33.5% |
| ZWS | $8.9 Bil | 3.9% | 7.8% | 8.2% | 19.3% |
| BOKF | $8.7 Bil | 0.6% | 1.6% | 3.3% | 49.9% |
| NEU | $8.3 Bil | 4.1% | 13.6% | 11.6% | 29.1% |
| SYRE | $8.2 Bil | 10.5% | 5.0% | 18.3% | 545.4% |
| DBX | $8.1 Bil | 4.4% | 7.6% | 21.0% | 30.4% |
| AXTA | $8.0 Bil | 3.7% | 6.1% | 7.4% | 35.2% |
Which of these highs are backed by business growth?
Consider Jackson Financial (JXN), the third-largest company on the list. Its stock has gained 22.2% over the last month, and it now trades at 91.0 times trailing earnings. That valuation is paired with revenue growth of 15.5% over the last twelve months.
In contrast, Match (MTCH) is the largest name on the list but shows a different profile. It trades at 14.5 times trailing earnings with revenue growth of 2.0%. The company’s operating margin is 28.1%.
Is a 52-week high a signal to buy?
A list of stocks at their strongest price of the last year is a useful screen for strength. Often, what is working continues to work. But a price is not a verdict on a company, and a new high is not by itself a reason to invest.
The disciplined next step is to look past the price and at the business itself. A 52-week high is an invitation to do the work: to check if the underlying revenue, growth, and margins justify the market’s current enthusiasm.
Before chasing any name on this list, ask what the company itself expects next. Our Guidance Momentum screen surfaces the stocks whose managements just raised their own outlooks, which is the momentum that tends to have staying power.
Strength Is A Clue. It Is Not A Plan
A stock at its 52-week high has momentum on its side, and momentum is a real force. It is also the most crowded signal in the market, and the difference between a run that lasts and one that tops is always the business underneath.
Checking that business, across thousands of names, is how the Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio is assembled: roughly 30 companies that pass the quality screens, rebalanced on rules. It has a track record of outpacing a benchmark that combines the three major indices – the S&P 500, S&P Mid-cap, and Russell 2000. Let the highs point; let the discipline decide.