Beyond Meat, Inc.

Shares of plant-based meat producer <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/BYND/">Beyond Meat</a> fell nearly 5% in premarket trading on Tuesday after the company <a href="https://investors.beyondmeat.com/news-releases/news-release-details/beyond-meatr-reports-delay-annual-report-form-10-k-full-year">said</a>&nbsp;it would not be able to file its annual report on time. Beyond Meat stock has been “a colossal disappointment,” Motley Fool contributor Will Ebiefung <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/03/14/3-reasons-to-sell-beyond-meat-stock-before-its-too/">wrote</a>&nbsp;a few days before.

Beyond Meat shares selling off on annual report delay, preliminary 4Q revenue

Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.

Wells Fargo has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/13/wells-fargo-upgrades-this-discount-retail-chain-on-store-growth-and-value-shopping-tailwinds.html">upgraded</a>&nbsp;mid-cap discount retailer Ollie’s Bargain Outlet as the company expands its store network and increases comparable-store sales, while it may also benefit from new tax incentives in the U.S. As a result, the analysts say “confidence is building into an attractive '26 set-up.”

'Confidence is building': Wells Fargo upgrades mid-cap discount retailer Ollie's

Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc.

Shares of Petco, a pet-supplies retailer, jumped 34.6% on Thursday after the company improved its outlook for 2026 and said it expects sales to rebound, helped by an expanded assortment of services and pets sold in stores – with tarantulas seen as a new pet trend in the U.S. Jefferies raised its target price for Petco stock, saying the shares do not reflect the progress made so far or the potential for further changes and trade at a discount versus peers.

Petco shares soar on 4Q/2026 earnings, driven by services, fresh food, and tarantulas

CarMax, Inc.

Carvana Co.

Activist investor Starboard Value has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-11/activist-starboard-is-said-to-build-350-million-stake-in-carmax">acquired</a>&nbsp;about $350 million worth of shares in CarMax, a mid-cap retailer of used cars. With the arrival of a new chief executive, the company faces a “timely opportunity to address fixable execution gaps and unlock CarMax’s full value potential,” the activist said.

'A big opportunity': Activist Starboard takes stake in used car retailer CarMax

Aeva Technologies, Inc.

The Hackett Group, Inc.

Extreme Networks, Inc.

TipRanks has <a href="https://www.tipranks.com/news/3-small-cap-tech-stocks-with-strong-buy-ratings-and-big-upside-in-2026">identified</a>&nbsp;three small cap tech stocks with "strong buy" ratings and big upside in 2026. Year to date, their share performance has diverged, yet Wall Street still sees upside of at least 49%.

TipRanks names three tech small caps that Wall Street thinks have at least 49% upside

Ituran Location and Control Ltd.

Shares of <a href="https://en.oninvest.com/article/the-higher-the-crime-rate-the-higher-the-demand-for-our-services-an-interview-with-the-head-of-ituran">Ituran Location and Control</a>, an Israeli small cap listed in the U.S. that provides satellite-based vehicle monitoring services, offer about 15% upside, according to an update on the company by Freedom Broker (seen by&nbsp;Oninvest). New initiatives are expected to drive growth in subscriber numbers, while dividends and share buybacks should support the stock, the analysts say.

Freedom Broker raises TP on telematics company Ituran after recent earnings

Absci Corporation

Mitek Systems, Inc.

Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc.

The AI Small Cap Index, assembled for Oninvest by analyst Aldiyar Anuarbekov, delivered a strong gain in 2025. The index includes 43 small caps whose businesses are linked to AI infrastructure, sensing technologies, robotics, and quantum computing. For 2025, the equal-weight index climbed 34.6%, while the cap-weight index rose 58.2%. For comparison, the broad-market S&amp;P 500 gained 16.3%, while the Russell 2000, which tracks smid-cap companies, advanced 11.3% over the same period.

Three AI small caps that look ready to extend gains as investors grow more selective

Archer Aviation Inc.

Joby Aviation, Inc.

Electric air-taxi developer Archer Aviation is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/flying-taxi-maker-archer-sues-joby-accusing-rival-of-playing-down-reliance-on-china-df9a8ae9">suing</a>&nbsp;rival Joby Aviation, alleging it misled regulators, concealed ties to China, and imported aerospace components from the country disguised as shipments of socks. Shares of both companies nevertheless rose – markets were reacting to the White House selecting them to participate in a program to develop air taxis.

'Thousands of pounds of socks from China': Flying-taxi maker Archer sues Joby

Investors should take a look at shares of air taxi developer Joby Aviation, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/03/09/this-10-stock-could-be-your-ticket-to-millionai/">argues</a>&nbsp;Steven Porrello, a Motley Fool contributor. The startup, whose stock trades below $10 per share, is already among the leaders in the nascent electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft market. Over the longer term, the stock could deliver significant gains, Porrello says.

Motley Fool: Joby is $10 eVTOL stock with 'explosive potential'

Victoria's Secret & Co.

Shares of Victoria’s Secret &amp; Co., owner of the eponymous lingerie brand, <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VSCO/">fell</a>&nbsp;more than 12% on Thursday, even after the company <a href="https://www.victoriassecretandco.com/news-releases/news-release-details/victorias-secret-co-reports-2025-fourth-quarter-and-full-year">reported</a>&nbsp;strong fourth-quarter results and sales that beat Wall Street forecasts. The results, however, fell short of investors’ elevated expectations, <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/victorias-secret-earnings-stock-price-f850f6e4?mod=RTA">argues</a>&nbsp;Guggenheim Partners analyst Simeon Siegel.

Victoria's Secret posts longest sales growth streak in four years, but stock tanks

Primo Brands Corporation

Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Dauch Corporation

ProPetro Holding Corp.

ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.

Freedom Broker, at the request of Oninvest, has analyzed which small cap stocks are most widely held by hedge funds as of the end of the fourth quarter. The sample includes 15 names with market capitalizations below $6 billion as of then, with 13 of them offering Wall Street target prices of $20 per share or less.

Freedom looks at top small-cap holdings among hedge funds; most are below $20 a share

The Wendy's Company

Wendy’s is the <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/qsr-50-2025-top-fast-food-burger-chains-ranked-by-sales/#:~:text=2,%2D97">second-largest burger chain</a> in the U.S. by sales, trailing only McDonald's. Yet the company, which has been in business for more than five decades, is going through a rough patch. Over the last year, its shares have roughly halved in value, sales and profits have declined, and pressure from shareholders is mounting – including from activist <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/wendys-stock-activist-investor-nelson-peltz-0bfc50de?mod=mw_quote_news&amp;adobe_mc=MCMID%3D75889249592239885323644039103887073922%7CMCORGID%3DCB68E4BA55144CAA0A4C98A5%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1771923921&amp;_gl=1*1ieusx9*_gcl_au*NjQxNTE5NTU2LjE3NzEzMjIyMzQ.*_ga*MTY5NDIyMTYyMi4xNzcxMzIyMjM0*_ga_K2H7B9JRSS*czE3NzE5MjM0MzUkbzEwJGcxJHQxNzcxOTIzOTE5JGoyOCRsMSRoMTEwMTU0Mzg2OQ">Nelson Peltz</a>, the former chair of Wendy’s board.

Wendy's stock is down 50% in LTM. Can Nelson Peltz right the ship?

Star Equity Holdings, Inc.

Noble Capital Markets has initiated <a href="https://dashboard.channelchek.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/STRR_20260304_28032.pdf">coverage</a>&nbsp;of Star Equity Holdings with an “outperform” rating and a valuation implying upside of about 60% from current levels. It says the diversified holding company is seeking replicate the playbook of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway in the micro-cap space.

Noble initiates on 'Mini Berkshire in the making' Star Equity with 60% upside 

Ondas Inc.

BlackSky Technology Inc.

Iridium Communications Inc.

Oppenheimer analysts have identified three small companies whose technology could help the U.S. and its allies defend against drone attacks in the Middle East. “It appears the US and Israel have significantly underestimated Iran’s drone capabilities,” Oppenheimer analyst Timothy Horan wrote in a research note <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/anti-drone-stocks-iran-war-ondas-blacksky-iridium-4066149d?mod=RTA">cited</a>&nbsp;by Barron’s.

Oppenheimer names three promising small caps making counter-drone technology

Small caps are more vulnerable than large caps to further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, according to a BofA <a href="https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/russell-2000-how-exposed-is-it-to-the-iran-shock-4537982">note</a>. The main risk is a stagflation shock triggered by higher oil prices. At the same time, small caps tend to recover faster than their large-cap peers after risk-off periods, BofA points out.

Small Caps