Here at The Motley Fool, we have been covering extensively the economic conditions that have benefited Australian small caps recently.
Bronwyn Allen covered earlier this month that ASX small-cap shares outperformed the larger players by almost 2.5 times in 2025.
S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) shares delivered total returns (capital growth plus dividends) of 10.56% last year.
Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX Small Ords Index (ASX: XSO) – tracks companies ranked 101 to 300 by market cap – delivered a total return of 24.96%.
Late last year, another report showed that investors were increasingly looking to capture opportunities across the full spectrum of the Australian equity market rather than concentrating exclusively on the blue-chip heavyweights.
A new report from VanEck Australia indicates that economic tailwinds could be coming for global small-cap companies.
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The case for global small caps
According to VanEck Australia, we could be about to see a strong surge in global small caps.
The report said that with markets forecasting two rate cuts in 2026 to stimulate demand, quality small companies could benefit should faster economic growth eventuate.
These kinds of assets have historically outperformed during expansionary environments.
Additionally, global small companies are trading at historically low levels.
The speculative 2024/25 rally led by mega-caps, notably the "Magnificent Seven" resulted in the relative underperformance of global small-caps, compared to the broader small-cap market as measured by the Russell 2000 over the past two years.
The report said the speculative rally has led to strong outperformance of low-quality small companies. This has come as investors sought those companies that may have been positioned to benefit from the rise of AI, with less consideration of profitability.
However, with political uncertainty, geopolitical risks, and inflation concerns flaring up again, speculative assets have started to come under pressure during the last quarter of 2025.
If these market conditions persist, we could experience an uptick in market volatility in 2026 despite overall economic growth remaining strong. Taking history as a guide, this backdrop bodes well for a quality rotation within the global small companies complex.
According to VanEck, valuations for global small caps are reasonable/attractive relative to global large caps (MSCI World Index), with valuations at 25-year lows.
How to gain exposure to global small-cap companies?
Based on the report from VanEck, a continued easing of tariff policy could support a shift toward a manufacturing-led expansion in the US economy. This is an environment in which high-quality small-cap stocks have historically outperformed the broader market.
Further, markets are forecasting two more rate cuts in 2026. This is typically positive for small-caps, as cheaper access to credit enables them to grow their businesses.
We think the small size of these companies means that double digit growth is potentially more achievable as they are coming off a lower base than large caps.
Global quality small-caps could shine in 2026.
For investors looking to capture exposure to small-cap companies based outside of Australia, there are a few ASX ETFs to consider:
- VanEck MSCI International Small Companies Quality ETF (ASX: QSML) – 150 international developed market small cap quality growth securities.
- Vanguard MSCI International Small Index ETF (ASX: VISM) – provides exposure to more than 3000 small companies listed in major developed countries.
- Global X Russell 2000 ETF (ASX: RSSL) – Tracks approximately 2,000 companies that represent the smallest constituents of the Russell 3000 Index.
