Crill: Valuations for small caps are closely in line with historical averages

Small Cap Characteristics & Performance - Small caps constitute approximately 10% of the United States market capitalization [1] - Historically, small caps have outperformed large caps by about 1.5% to 2% per year globally [3] - Small caps are currently trading at about 18 times forward earnings [6] Valuation & Investment Considerations - Small cap valuations are generally in line with their historical averages, offering a potential diversification benefit against high valuations in large cap growth companies [2][5] - Investors often express concerns about increasing valuations, particularly in US large cap companies [5] - A significant portion of small cap returns is driven by a small subset of stocks, making broad diversification crucial [8][9] ETF Strategies & Active Management - Flexibility is key in small cap investing, aiming to hold companies poised for higher expected returns [10] - Companies with high valuations, low profitability, and high balance sheet asset growth tend to underperform by 8% to 10% per year [11] - Some ETFs employ a rules-based approach with exclusions to avoid companies with lower expected returns, differentiating them from traditional index solutions [11][12]