What Has Private Equity Done to Small-Cap Stocks?

May 21, 2025 | Hayley McCollum, Senior Research Analyst, Catherine Hillier, Senior Research Analyst

Private markets have grown exponentially over the last two decades, driven by attractive long-term returns, diversification benefits, and early-stage value creation. As companies stay private longer, much of their initial growth can be realized outside of public markets, which could challenge the small-cap premium and contribute to a shift in the composition of public markets. The following newsletter examines this dynamic and potential impact on small-cap stocks.

Read > What Has Private Equity Done to Small-Cap Stocks?

Hayley McCollum
Senior Research Analyst

Get to Know Hayley

Catherine Hillier
Senior Research Analyst

Get to Know Catherine

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

Related Content

Bar chart showing average monthly VIX levels from 1990 through October 2026. The x-axis displays months of the year from January through December, and the y-axis displays VIX level. October has the highest average VIX level among all months, while April has the lowest. The chart also includes a current VIX level and a long-term average VIX level for comparison. Source: Bloomberg as of October 2, 2026. Data series begins in 1990. For full dataset, please contact marquettemarketing@marquetteassociates.com.

10.05.2026

Spooky Season

For investors, the spookiest thing about October might not be the ghosts and monsters that are bound to show up…

Line chart showing 10-year U.S. Treasury rate, 5-year/5-year breakeven inflation rate, and 10-year real yield from December 2025 through September 2026. The left axis shows rates from 3.6% to 5.4%, and the right axis from 1.6% to 3.0%. The Treasury rate and real yield rise notably in late 2026, while the breakeven inflation rate remains relatively range-bound around 2.3%–2.4%. For full dataset, please contact marquettemarketing@marquetteassociates.com.

09.28.2026

Getting Real on Inflation

The phrase “expectations of higher inflation” has become a staple in financial news to explain the increase in nominal U.S….

Dual-axis line chart comparing LBO/M&A/Recapitalization Activity, its average level, and the SOFR (90-Day) rate from 3Q18 through 2Q26. LBO/M&A/Recapitalization Activity ranges from approximately $0 billion to $100 billion, while SOFR ranges from 0% to approximately 5%. For full dataset, please contact marquettemarketing@marquetteassociates.com.

09.21.2026

Let’s Make a Deal

For much of the past several years, the conventional view has been that higher interest rates and stretched valuations would…

09.15.2026

Continuation Vehicles: Worth the Wait?

Over the past decade, continuation vehicles (“CV”) have become one of the fastest-growing trends in private equity. Private equity funds…

Line chart comparing annualized return and annualized risk for stock-bond portfolio combinations from 1976-2019 and 2020-2026. Two lines show the range of return and risk outcomes across portfolio allocations during each period. For full dataset, please contact marquettemarketing@marquetteassociates.com.

09.14.2026

No More Free Lunch?

There are many great things about working at Marquette Associates, but “Free Lunch Tuesday” is right at the top of…

Combination stacked column and line chart showing U.S. Buyout (private equity) Net Asset Value holding periods, 2011 to 2025. Column categories include holding periods

08.31.2026

Zombie, Inc.

Private equity has always had a few portfolio companies that refused to leave the party. Today, however, the industry appears…

More articles

Subscribe to Research Email Alerts

Research Email Alert Subscription

Research alerts keep you updated on our latest research publications. Simply enter your contact information, choose the research alerts you would like to receive and click Subscribe. Alerts will be sent as research is published.

We respect your privacy. We will never share or sell your information.

Thank You

We appreciate your interest in Marquette Associates.

If you have questions or need further information, please contact us directly and we will respond to your inquiry within 24 hours.

Contact Us >