FSB's List of Fast Growing Small Public Companies

Fortune Small Business is out with its annual FSB 100 list, which measures the fastest growing (by revenues) publicly-traded small business listed on U.S. exchanges. As always, it is both fascinating and frustrating.

Though the FSB 100 has many intriguing prospects, it is horribly laid out and almost impossible to assess in the format provided. For example, there’s no way on the FSB site to get a handle on the market cap of the list except one company at a time. It's another instance of a layout designed to generate unnecessary page views (and advertisement cpm’s) at the cost of reader convenience.

Here’s a more useful view of the data. I stripped out businesses with market caps over $500 million (there was even one with a market cap. over $1.5B — hardly a "small business"), and added key metrics (sources: Yahoo! Finance and Ino.com). Take a look for yourself, and let me know which stocks you think will be just as hot next year.

Sym	Name	Last	Mkt Cap	Trend	P/E	52-wk Range
LPHI	Life Partners Holdings Inc	16.70	248.15M	trend Δ ∇	8.75	13.61 – 36.06
UVE	UNIVERSAL INSUR HLDG	4.75	178.68M	trend Δ ∇	4.97	1.75 – 5.96
EBIX	Ebix Inc	37.32	380.33M	trend Δ ∇	14.90	17.12 – 40.30
DGIT	DG FastChannel, Inc.	20.29	423.90M	trend Δ ∇	29.79	11.66 – 24.44
AMPH	American Physicians Service Gro	22.42	154.79M	trend Δ ∇	7.86	16.42 – 23.61
TRCR	Transcend Services, Inc.	17.41	147.65M	trend Δ ∇	25.57	8.16 – 17.60
FHCO	Female Health Company (The)	6.10	155.48M	trend Δ ∇	25.74	1.76 – 5.00
RATE	Bankrate Inc	24.96	468.80M	trend Δ ∇	27.67	15.77 – 41.92
ECOL	American Ecology Corporation	18.10	328.48M	trend Δ ∇	17.16	13.56 – 33.83
NGA	North American Galvanizing & Co	6.09	99.24M	trend Δ ∇	8.27	2.15 – 8.66
NVEC	NVE Corporation	47.00	219.44M	trend Δ ∇	22.99	16.56 – 49.50
VSR	VERSAR INC	3.79	34.50M	trend Δ ∇	11.96	2.07 – 6.00
VDSI	VASCO Data Security Internation	7.74	290.15M	trend Δ ∇	12.92	3.85 – 14.34
ININ	Interactive Intelligence, Inc.	16.82	285.94M	trend Δ ∇	69.50	5.51 – 15.75
MLAB	Mesa Laboratories, Inc.	21.39	68.14M	trend Δ ∇	14.46	14.50 – 23.96
WLFC	Willis Lease Finance Corporatio	14.50	131.85M	trend Δ ∇	4.99	7.25 – 15.39
PFWD	Phase Forward Incorporated	14.37	619.76M	trend Δ ∇	45.47	9.01 – 22.99
NEOG	Neogen Corporation	29.82	440.50M	trend Δ ∇	33.28	16.50 – 31.95
HSR	HI SHEAR TECH CP	7.90	53.89M	trend Δ ∇	12.77	5.95 – 12.60
CRY	CRYOLIFE INC	5.57	157.46M	trend Δ ∇	4.93	3.93 – 16.64
MED	MEDIFAST INC	11.91	171.36M	trend Δ ∇	26.35	3.35 – 11.79
GHM	GRAHAM CP	12.16	119.75M	trend Δ ∇	7.10	6.85 – 54.91
NRCI	National Research Corporation	26.43	176.02M	trend Δ ∇	22.10	19.00 – 35.58
KTEC	Key Technology, Inc.	9.73	48.59M	trend Δ ∇	12.03	7.10 – 33.75
SNHY	Sun Hydraulics Corporation	16.79	283.30M	trend Δ ∇	15.04	10.30 – 42.94
BABY	Natus Medical Incorporated	10.97	306.95M	trend Δ ∇	19.55	6.46 – 26.00
HBE	Henry Bros. Electronics, Inc.	5.60	33.71M	trend Δ ∇	23.53	4.30 – 7.52
HSTM	HealthStream, Inc.	2.71	57.95M	trend Δ ∇	16.23	1.58 – 3.09
TIS	ORCHIDS PAPER PROD	21.95	141.71M	trend Δ ∇	19.56	5.95 – 22.27
ESYS	Elecsys Corporation	3.75	12.36M	trend Δ ∇	12.80	2.14 – 7.66
BOLT	Bolt Technology Corporation	10.58	91.46M	trend Δ ∇	7.32	5.25 – 22.55
MPR	MET PRO CP	10.56	154.18M	trend Δ ∇	17.90	5.88 – 16.70
ABAX	ABAXIS, Inc.	19.88	437.06M	trend Δ ∇	36.95	10.17 – 24.17
GCOM	Globecomm Systems Inc.	7.46	155.47M	trend Δ ∇	7.95	3.96 – 10.94
UFPT	UFP Technologies, Inc.	4.23	24.48M	trend Δ ∇	6.16	3.47 – 12.18
WSCI	WSI Industries Inc.	2.2399	6.45M	trend Δ ∇	58.94	1.06 – 10.25
VII	VICON INDS INC	5.60	25.71M	trend Δ ∇	8.45	3.54 – 6.45
EEI	Ecology and Environment, Inc.	13.90	56.80M	trend Δ ∇	10.94	7.30 – 15.70
ATRI	ATRION Corporation	133.50	264.20M	trend Δ ∇	16.57	63.00 – 136.77
SIF	SIFCO INDUSTRIES INC	10.40	55.06M	trend Δ ∇	8.04	3.91 – 11.65
SLP	Simulations Plus, Inc.	1.77	28.37M	trend Δ ∇	19.45	0.79 – 2.05
STON	StoneMor Partners L.P.	14.92	177.41M	trend Δ ∇	55.67	8.69 – 18.73
IIN	IntriCon Corporation	2.88	15.41M	trend Δ ∇	N/A	2.41 – 9.00
KMGB	KMG Chemicals, Inc.	7.02	77.93M	trend Δ ∇	13.42	2.25 – 11.92
TRNS	Transcat, Inc.	4.87	35.97M	trend Δ ∇	23.41	3.81 – 9.24
DTLK	Datalink Corporation	4.18	54.01M	trend Δ ∇	22.72	2.16 – 6.45
RMTR	Ramtron International Corporati	1.18	31.54M	trend Δ ∇	N/A	0.90 – 4.20
MTOX	Medtox Scientific, Inc.	9.40	80.25M	trend Δ ∇	18.91	5.95 – 18.05
HTCO	Hickory Tech Corporation	8.72	113.72M	trend Δ ∇	14.61	4.75 – 8.98
CTWS	Connecticut Water Service, Inc.	21.28	180.99M	trend Δ ∇	20.38	17.31 – 28.95
CASS	Cass Information Systems, Inc	35.40	326.46M	trend Δ ∇	17.53	23.20 – 39.15
PNNW	Pennichuck Corporation	22.46	95.52M	trend Δ ∇	44.21	14.75 – 24.80
SSYS	Stratasys, Inc.	11.26	227.70M	trend Δ ∇	25.65	7.58 – 21.69
BOOT	LaCrosse Footwear, Inc.	9.76	61.45M	trend Δ ∇	13.26	7.00 – 17.63
ANGO	AngioDynamics, Inc.	13.02	318.03M	trend Δ ∇	42.14	9.12 – 17.50
DCAI	Dialysis Corporation of America	5.20	49.89M	trend Δ ∇	19.40	4.15 – 8.34
SPEC	Spectrum Control, Inc.	10.21	128.37M	trend Δ ∇	14.06	3.17 – 10.33
NATH	Nathan’s Famous, Inc.	13.41	75.24M	trend Δ ∇	11.07	11.01 – 16.25
EGLE	Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.	5.45	256.32M	trend Δ ∇	3.96	2.55 – 30.46
PSEM	Pericom Semiconductor Corporati	9.09	230.03M	trend Δ ∇	22.44	4.66 – 16.20
INMD	IntegraMed America, Inc.	7.80	68.35M	trend Δ ∇	17.97	4.30 – 8.20
AXR	AMREP CP NEW	10.45	62.66M	trend Δ ∇	18.46	9.76 – 62.66
EGOV	NIC Inc.	7.75	487.62M	trend Δ ∇	42.82	3.28 – 7.99
SPAN	Span-America Medical Systems, I	11.15	30.41M	trend Δ ∇	7.19	7.76 – 13.50
SUAI	Specialty Underwriters’ Allianc	6.59	104.18M	trend Δ ∇	21.12	2.00 – 6.55
CLRO	ClearOne Communications Inc.	2.87	25.62M	trend Δ ∇	4.78	2.26 – 5.00
SMTS	Somanetics Corporation	15.00	181.32M	trend Δ ∇	20.55	10.18 – 26.17
ACTU	Actuate Corporation	4.85	216.79M	trend Δ ∇	21.65	2.20 – 5.34
ANEN	Anaren, Inc.	18.50	268.71M	trend Δ ∇	34.71	7.80 – 18.49
ASYS	Amtech Systems, Inc.	5.00	44.79M	trend Δ ∇	31.85	2.25 – 11.54
ARGN	Amerigon Incorporated	6.71	143.47M	trend Δ ∇	117.72	2.14 – 9.48
DGII	Digi International Inc.	10.83	266.63M	trend Δ ∇	38.13	6.26 – 12.87
MSEX	Middlesex Water Company	14.89	199.96M	trend Δ ∇	17.64	11.64 – 18.52
SHEN	Shenandoah Telecommunications C	20.28	479.34M	trend Δ ∇	30.96	13.89 – 28.41
OYOG	OYO Geospace Corporation	24.24	144.06M	trend Δ ∇	14.45	9.00 – 57.00
BZC	BREEZE-EASTERN CORPO	6.20	58.06M	trend Δ ∇	10.11	9.97 – 12.82
CTIB	CTI Industries Corporation	1.75	4.91M	trend Δ ∇	5.26	1.20 – 7.30
ISNS	Image Sensing Systems, Inc.	9.25	36.86M	trend Δ ∇	8.89	6.12 – 15.12
TGE	TGC Industries, Inc.	4.86	88.84M	trend Δ ∇	8.95	1.00 – 8.50
KEQU	Kewaunee Scientific Corporation	10.95	27.98M	trend Δ ∇	6.60	6.50 – 15.98
ARTNA	Artesian Resources Corporation	17.62	130.88M	trend Δ ∇	18.65	12.81 – 18.50
ELRC	Electro Rent Corporation	9.88	239.82M	trend Δ ∇	16.83	6.81 – 16.00
HOC	HOLLY CP	18.28	911.31M	trend Δ ∇	6.86	10.84 – 36.62
XETA	XETA Technologies, Inc.	2.20	22.49M	trend Δ ∇	15.17	1.06 – 3.50

DISCLOSURE: No positions.

Comments

[IanDSmith:]

This list would be really useful by activities field so competitors can see what is getting sales traction in this economy

Jul 18 04:03 PM

[Tom Armistead:]

Thank you for doing to work to develop this list.

PSEM I have owned on and off for years, the attraction is it is cash rich and frequently trades for less than the combined value of the actual business operations and the excess cash. A small tech play where it will be hard to lose money, I sold out at 5.83 a while ago and have been waiting for a chance to get back in at a similar price.

Jul 18 05:03 PM

[Burton A. J...:]

Thank you for a well thought out and cogent presentation.
I do my own research, and this type of article is immensely helpful.

Burton A. Johnson, MD, JD
bajvalueinvesting.com

Sep 01 03:26 PM