The SmallCap Informer focuses on small company stocks, this much is true. However, the definition of “small” is not as easily determined as it might at first appear. There are a number of methods that are used by various data providers, educational organizations, and market indexes to identify small-cap stocks, and just as many different actual definitions.

Navigator Holdings (NVGS) is the owner and operator of the world's largest fleet of handysize liquefied gas carriers and provides international and regional seaborne transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petrochemical gases, and ammonia for energy companies, industrial users, and commodity traders. We first profiled the company in the July 2014 issue of the SmallCap Informer when the stock was selling at $29.26. The current P/E ratio at the time was 20.0 based on TTM EPS of $1.40. Following is our current outlook on the stock.

The June 2015 edition of the SmallCap Informer has just been published. In it, we introduce a stock from a sector that we haven’t covered previously, real estate. Our pick is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), a type of investment security that can provide important diversification elements and other advantages for the portfolios of many investors.

Before you invest in any growth-oriented equity, you should understand where that business is in the spectrum of the typical company life cycle. This knowledge is often more useful with smaller or “emerging” businesses that don’t have as extensive a track record as their more established brethren.

As the first quarter of 2015 winded to a close, small-cap stocks turned in better performance than large-caps. The Russell 2000 index added 3.9% year-to-date, compared with just 1.1% for the S&P 500. Here our are top four trends to watch for the rest of 2015.

As the small-cap stock market heats up in the second quarter of 2015, several of the stocks followed in the SmallCap Informer are reaching rather lofty valuation levels, raising the question of whether or not it might be prudent to lighten up on positions in those holdings.

Is 2015 the year of small-cap stocks? Check out the February 2015 issue of the SmallCap Informer with Editor-in-Chief Doug Gerlach's thoughts on the year ahead for small-caps.

The January 2015 issue of the SmallCap Informer has been published and is available for subscribers to download from the website.

The December 2014 issue of the SmallCap Informer has been released. Subscribers may access the issue on the website.

We're recommending one sale and two buys in the November issue of the SmallCap Informer, just published.

Getting organized is the first step to finding clarity in the complex maze of available financial information. Equity Research Service, ICLUBcentral’s newest research tool for investors, offers a path through the jungle, with a streamlined process for analyzing stocks. Users may save hours of painstaking work and minimize the steps needed to gather relevant data about companies, with the option to customize results in many different convenient formats.

In each issue of SmallCap Informer, the editors recommend a few stocks for consideration, as well as stocks to sell. In the September issue, based on detailed research, the SCI editors signaled two promising small-cap stocks and one stock to sell. It’s never fun to give up on a once-promising company, but SCI is diligent in explaining the reasons when it decides to no longer track a stock.

Investors focusing on small-cap stocks know the power of differentiation in a portfolio. A smart mix of smaller stocks can offset broad trends that affect more mainstream stocks. Although small-cap stocks typically are pricier than mid-cap and large-cap companies, historically they offer a higher return than larger companies. From 1926 through 2012, the smallest fifth of all stocks returned 11.5% versus 9.7% for the largest fifth, says The Wall Street Journal, citing Wharton School economist Jeremy Siegel. Seen from another perspective, the small-cap index, the Russell 2000, surged 163% from January 2000 through Oct. 10 (including dividends), while the S&P 500 returned only 75% during the same period, the WSJ reports.

There are two fast-growing small-cap picks in the September 2014 issue of the SmallCap Informer, and one stock to sell immediately.

For those who attended Doug Gerlach's presentation for the recent eMoneyShow, "Stock Picker's Paradise: 5 Stocks to Consider Now," here is the handout from his talk.

Building a successful stock portfolio doesn’t happen by magic. It requires following a few basic rules and making careful decisions. But the basic concepts of successful investing are surprisingly simple:

In the July issue of Investor Advisory Service, the editors note that international instability has become a theme this year, giving investors reason to worry about ripple effects in the markets. Though the usual warnings of a "bubble" collapse continue, the S&P 500 showed stubborn resilience through the first half of the year and well into the summer. The 10-year and 30-year U.S. Treasury yields have held steady in the short term and gold prices remained unchanged, for a change.

In each issue of IAS, the editors present three stocks to consider and — if warranted — stocks recommended to sell. In the July issue of IAS, the editors present a trio of stocks whose corporate trajectories look promising, with an explanation of the market positioning and opportunities for each.