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Pick These 3 Small-Cap Hidden Gems for Growth in 2026
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Key Takeaways
EverQuote benefited from recovering carrier spending and higher engagement across its insurance marketplace.
Orion Group was supported by steady infrastructure demand and improving project pipeline visibility.
Standard Motor gained from resilient aftermarket demand and progress integrating the Nissens business.
Small-cap investing requires patience and selectivity, particularly when market volatility reshapes investor priorities. While broad sentiment can shift quickly, companies with visible revenue streams, disciplined cost structures and improving profitability tend to remain anchored to fundamentals.
The U.S. economy continues to navigate a mixed environment, with growth remaining uneven across sectors as shifting consumer behavior and the current tariff landscape influence business decisions. Large-cap companies often attract the bulk of market attention, while smaller companies tend to be more sensitive to changes in demand, capital spending and operating trends. As conditions evolve, this sensitivity can lead to more apparent shifts in fundamentals, bringing selective small-cap stocks into focus for investors looking ahead to 2026.
Identifying Small-Cap Growth Candidates for 2026
Let’s take a structured approach by narrowing the focus to small-cap companies with Zacks Ranks #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy). The screen also emphasizes Growth and Value Scores of A or B, along with expectations for year-over-year sales and earnings growth in 2026. Greater weight is given to companies supported by demand visibility and execution strength rather than short-term catalysts.
Based on these criteria identified using the Zacks Stock Screener, the discussion now turns to three small-cap companies with identifiable growth drivers and improving earnings visibility into 2026. These are EverQuote, Inc. (EVER - Free Report) , Orion Group Holdings, Inc. (ORN - Free Report) and Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP - Free Report) .
EverQuote, with a market capitalization of approximately $980 million, operates an online marketplace that connects insurance carriers and agents with consumers shopping for coverage. The company primarily serves the auto insurance market, with additional exposure to home and renters insurance. Demand trends across core P&C categories remain supportive, with the company benefiting from higher carrier spending as underwriting conditions normalize and customer acquisition budgets expand. These dynamics continue to support steady traffic and monetization across the platform.
Operating momentum remained strong through 2025. During the first nine months of the year, revenues increased approximately 41% year over year, reflecting higher carrier engagement and improved revenue per quote request. The company continues to benefit from increased spending by enterprise carriers as well as broader adoption of its technology-driven offerings across the marketplace, supporting sustained top-line growth.
The company is focused on extending growth through product innovation and scale. Continued investment in AI-driven tools such as Smart Campaigns is aimed at improving advertising efficiency and deepening customer engagement across the platform. These efforts are intended to support sustained revenue growth while expanding operating leverage over time. With carriers still operating below peak historical spending levels, the company sees room for further budget expansion. Over the longer term, the company continues to target scale, with expectations to surpass $1 billion in annual revenues as growth extends into 2026.
EVER’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
So far this year, EverQuote stock has gained 34.3%. This performance compares favorably with the Zacks Internet - Software industry’s growth of 6.6% and the S&P 500 index’s rise of 16.3%. The company has a Growth Score of A and a Value Score of B, supporting its inclusion under the screening framework. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 EPS has increased to $1.74 from $1.55 over the past 60 days. This indicates expected earnings growth of 19.1% year over year on projected revenue growth of 14.4%. EVER stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
With a market capitalization of approximately $410 million, Orion Group operates as a specialty construction company focused on marine and concrete services, supporting infrastructure projects across transportation, ports, defense and industrial end markets. The company benefits from exposure to public and private infrastructure investment, where long project cycles and specialized capabilities support demand visibility. Activity across marine and concrete markets has remained steady, supported by federal, state and commercial spending.
Project visibility continues to improve. In the first nine months of 2025, revenues increased approximately 7% year over year to $619 million, reflecting steady execution across the company’s core markets. The opportunity pipeline remains healthy, supported by ongoing contract awards and bidding activity across marine infrastructure, including port facilities, dredging and defense-related work, and continued momentum in concrete projects tied to data centers, industrial facilities and manufacturing-related construction.
The company continues to focus on project flow and execution as opportunities move through the pipeline. Pipeline growth and improved bookings visibility support continued activity, while recent actions taken to expand capacity position the company to pursue larger projects. In October 2025, the company increased its aggregate bonding capacity by $400 million, which expands its ability to pursue larger projects and supports long-term growth as infrastructure opportunities continue to develop.
ORN’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Year to date, Orion Group stock has gained 40.2%. This compares with the Zacks Building Products Heavy Construction industry’s 41% growth and the S&P 500 index’s 16.2% rise. The company has a Growth Score of A and a Value Score of B. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has increased to 27 cents from 23 cents over the past 60 days. This indicates expected earnings growth of 44.7% on projected revenue growth of 4.8%. ORN stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Standard Motor: Aftermarket Demand Supports Earnings Visibility
Standard Motor, with a market capitalization of approximately $855 million, operates in the automotive replacement parts market, supplying vehicle control, temperature control and engineered solutions products. The company’s portfolio is weighted toward nondiscretionary repair categories, where demand is driven by vehicle maintenance needs. A growing and aging vehicle fleet continues to support steady replacement demand across core product lines, providing resilience across market cycles.
Operating performance remained steady through 2025. In the first nine months of the year, consolidated sales increased 25.5% year over year, supported by solid aftermarket demand and contributions from the Nissens Automotive acquisition. The company continued to execute on multiple operational initiatives during the period, with progress made across manufacturing, sourcing and distribution with the integration of the Nissens business into the broader platform.
The company expects increasing benefits from the Nissens integration as it moves into 2026. Integration efforts remain focused on expanding product offerings, improving supply chain efficiency and capturing cross-selling opportunities across regions. With continued execution on these initiatives and stable demand from professional repair channels, Standard Motor remains positioned to support earnings visibility and longer-term growth into 2026.
SMP’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Standard Motor’s stock has gained 25.4% so far this year. This performance stands in contrast to the Zacks Automotive – Replacement Parts industry, which has declined 11.8% over the same period, while the S&P 500 index has risen 16.2%. The company carries a Growth and Value Score of A. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has increased to $4.31 from $4.27 over the past 60 days. This reflects expected earnings growth of 10% on projected revenue growth of 2.3%. SMP stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
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Pick These 3 Small-Cap Hidden Gems for Growth in 2026
Key Takeaways
Small-cap investing requires patience and selectivity, particularly when market volatility reshapes investor priorities. While broad sentiment can shift quickly, companies with visible revenue streams, disciplined cost structures and improving profitability tend to remain anchored to fundamentals.
The U.S. economy continues to navigate a mixed environment, with growth remaining uneven across sectors as shifting consumer behavior and the current tariff landscape influence business decisions. Large-cap companies often attract the bulk of market attention, while smaller companies tend to be more sensitive to changes in demand, capital spending and operating trends. As conditions evolve, this sensitivity can lead to more apparent shifts in fundamentals, bringing selective small-cap stocks into focus for investors looking ahead to 2026.
Identifying Small-Cap Growth Candidates for 2026
Let’s take a structured approach by narrowing the focus to small-cap companies with Zacks Ranks #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy). The screen also emphasizes Growth and Value Scores of A or B, along with expectations for year-over-year sales and earnings growth in 2026. Greater weight is given to companies supported by demand visibility and execution strength rather than short-term catalysts.
Based on these criteria identified using the Zacks Stock Screener, the discussion now turns to three small-cap companies with identifiable growth drivers and improving earnings visibility into 2026. These are EverQuote, Inc. (EVER - Free Report) , Orion Group Holdings, Inc. (ORN - Free Report) and Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP - Free Report) .
EverQuote: Carrier Spending Recovery Supports Expansion
EverQuote, with a market capitalization of approximately $980 million, operates an online marketplace that connects insurance carriers and agents with consumers shopping for coverage. The company primarily serves the auto insurance market, with additional exposure to home and renters insurance. Demand trends across core P&C categories remain supportive, with the company benefiting from higher carrier spending as underwriting conditions normalize and customer acquisition budgets expand. These dynamics continue to support steady traffic and monetization across the platform.
Operating momentum remained strong through 2025. During the first nine months of the year, revenues increased approximately 41% year over year, reflecting higher carrier engagement and improved revenue per quote request. The company continues to benefit from increased spending by enterprise carriers as well as broader adoption of its technology-driven offerings across the marketplace, supporting sustained top-line growth.
The company is focused on extending growth through product innovation and scale. Continued investment in AI-driven tools such as Smart Campaigns is aimed at improving advertising efficiency and deepening customer engagement across the platform. These efforts are intended to support sustained revenue growth while expanding operating leverage over time. With carriers still operating below peak historical spending levels, the company sees room for further budget expansion. Over the longer term, the company continues to target scale, with expectations to surpass $1 billion in annual revenues as growth extends into 2026.
EVER’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
So far this year, EverQuote stock has gained 34.3%. This performance compares favorably with the Zacks Internet - Software industry’s growth of 6.6% and the S&P 500 index’s rise of 16.3%. The company has a Growth Score of A and a Value Score of B, supporting its inclusion under the screening framework. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 EPS has increased to $1.74 from $1.55 over the past 60 days. This indicates expected earnings growth of 19.1% year over year on projected revenue growth of 14.4%. EVER stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Orion Group: Infrastructure Pipeline Supports Growth
With a market capitalization of approximately $410 million, Orion Group operates as a specialty construction company focused on marine and concrete services, supporting infrastructure projects across transportation, ports, defense and industrial end markets. The company benefits from exposure to public and private infrastructure investment, where long project cycles and specialized capabilities support demand visibility. Activity across marine and concrete markets has remained steady, supported by federal, state and commercial spending.
Project visibility continues to improve. In the first nine months of 2025, revenues increased approximately 7% year over year to $619 million, reflecting steady execution across the company’s core markets. The opportunity pipeline remains healthy, supported by ongoing contract awards and bidding activity across marine infrastructure, including port facilities, dredging and defense-related work, and continued momentum in concrete projects tied to data centers, industrial facilities and manufacturing-related construction.
The company continues to focus on project flow and execution as opportunities move through the pipeline. Pipeline growth and improved bookings visibility support continued activity, while recent actions taken to expand capacity position the company to pursue larger projects. In October 2025, the company increased its aggregate bonding capacity by $400 million, which expands its ability to pursue larger projects and supports long-term growth as infrastructure opportunities continue to develop.
ORN’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Year to date, Orion Group stock has gained 40.2%. This compares with the Zacks Building Products Heavy Construction industry’s 41% growth and the S&P 500 index’s 16.2% rise. The company has a Growth Score of A and a Value Score of B. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has increased to 27 cents from 23 cents over the past 60 days. This indicates expected earnings growth of 44.7% on projected revenue growth of 4.8%. ORN stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Standard Motor: Aftermarket Demand Supports Earnings Visibility
Standard Motor, with a market capitalization of approximately $855 million, operates in the automotive replacement parts market, supplying vehicle control, temperature control and engineered solutions products. The company’s portfolio is weighted toward nondiscretionary repair categories, where demand is driven by vehicle maintenance needs. A growing and aging vehicle fleet continues to support steady replacement demand across core product lines, providing resilience across market cycles.
Operating performance remained steady through 2025. In the first nine months of the year, consolidated sales increased 25.5% year over year, supported by solid aftermarket demand and contributions from the Nissens Automotive acquisition. The company continued to execute on multiple operational initiatives during the period, with progress made across manufacturing, sourcing and distribution with the integration of the Nissens business into the broader platform.
The company expects increasing benefits from the Nissens integration as it moves into 2026. Integration efforts remain focused on expanding product offerings, improving supply chain efficiency and capturing cross-selling opportunities across regions. With continued execution on these initiatives and stable demand from professional repair channels, Standard Motor remains positioned to support earnings visibility and longer-term growth into 2026.
SMP’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Standard Motor’s stock has gained 25.4% so far this year. This performance stands in contrast to the Zacks Automotive – Replacement Parts industry, which has declined 11.8% over the same period, while the S&P 500 index has risen 16.2%. The company carries a Growth and Value Score of A. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has increased to $4.31 from $4.27 over the past 60 days. This reflects expected earnings growth of 10% on projected revenue growth of 2.3%. SMP stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.