5 under $15 small-cap stocks to explore: NPK, CHR, NFI, BOS & EQX

Canadians willing to take risks generally look for small-cap stocks as they could provide exposure to growing companies. Verde Agritech (TSX: NPK), Chorus (TSX: CHR), and NFI Group (TSX: NFI) are some of the small-cap stocks in Canada.

The S&P /TSX Composite Index surged by over seven per cent quarter-to-date (QTD). Also, Statistics Canada revealed on Tuesday, August 16, that Canada’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) slowed to 7.6 per cent in July 2022 relative to the prior month, which seems to have boosted market sentiments. This deceleration in CPI could also spark some interest in small-cap stocks, which involve higher risk than large-cap and mid-cap stocks.

For investors with a risk appetite, Kalkine Media® has come up with the following five TSX small-cap stocks, currently priced under C$ 15, that can be explored to capture substantial gains in the future.

1. Verde Agritech Ltd (TSX: NPK)

Verde Agritech saw its top line zoom by 362 per cent year-over-year (YoY) to C$ 24.86 million in Q2 2022. The agriculture products company stated that revenue in Brazilian Real jumped by 327 per cent year-over-year in Q2 2022. The crop nutrition firm also improved its gross margin to 79 per cent in the second quarter this year, up from 72 per cent posted in the prior year’s same quarter.

The small-cap company saw substantial growth of 3,426 per cent in its net income to C$ 9.62 million in Q2 2022 compared to Q2 2021. On Tuesday, August 16, Verde announced a strategic sales partnership with Latin America-based crop products distributor Grupo Lavoro to promote and offer the company’s multi-nutrient potassium products.

Verge Agritech stock galloped by over 627 per cent in 12 months. The NPK stock spiked by nearly 225 per cent year-to-date (YTD).

2. Chorus Aviation Inc (TSX: CHR)

Chorus Aviation saw a notable surge of 96.3 per cent in its operating revenue to C$ 392.34 million in Q2 2022 compared to Q2 2021. However, the small-cap aviation company posted operating expenses of C$ 385.52 million in the latest quarter, up by 140.3 per cent YoY. Increased operating expenses led to a net loss of C$ 40.4 million in Q2 2022 compared to a net profit of C$ 21.51 million in Q2 2021.

The air travel company expects its consolidated revenue to range from C$ 1.5 billion to C$ 1.73 billion for fiscal 2022. The air transportation firm also projects cash flow from operations to range between C$ 0.25 billion and C$ 0.29 billion this fiscal year.

Chorus Aviation stock jumped by almost five per cent in a week. 

©Kalkine Media®; ©Garis Studio via Canva.com

3. AirBoss of America Corp (TSX: BOS)

AirBoss manufactures and distributes a wide range of rubber-based products to serve resource, automotive, industrial and defense sectors. The small-cap industrial company reported net sales of US$ 110.54 million in Q2 2022 compared to US$ 118.44 million in Q2 2021. The rubber products maker also saw its net profit reduce to US$ 2.49 million in the latest quarter, down from US$ 18.32 million in the second quarter of 2021. However, AirBoss is set to pay a quarterly dividend of C$ 0.1 on October 17.

AirBoss stock increased by roughly 14 per cent from a 52-week low of C$ 13.06 clocked on August 5. Refinitiv data suggests the BOS stock be on a moderate trend, with its RSI value at 44.08.

4. NFI Group Inc (TSX: NFI)

NFI Group reported a revenue of US$ 398 million in Q2 2022, marking a decline of 32 per cent from the previous year’s second quarter. However, NFI Group improved its liquidity position, including cash-on-hand and available capacity under its credit facilities, at US$ 629 million in the latest quarter, reflecting a YoY improvement of 62 per cent. NFI highlighted a minimum liquidity requirement of $300 million.

On August 17, NFI revealed that New Flyer of America, its subsidiary, was awarded a contract by San Mateo County Transit for electric buses and chargers. The NFI stock gained by nearly 13 per cent in one month. As per Refinitiv findings, this EV stock seems to be on a moderate-to-high momentum as its RSI value was 59.86 on August 16.

5. Equinox Gold Corp (TSX: EQX)

Equinox produced 120,813 ounces of gold in Q2 2022, up from 117,452 ounces produced in the prior quarter. The small-cap gold company reported selling 120,395 gold ounces in the latest quarter, comparatively up from 119,324 recorded in Q1 2022. Equinox saw its revenue at US$ 224.6 million in the second quarter of this fiscal year, higher than the US$ 223.2 million posted in Q1 2022.

On the balance sheet, Equinox posted increased cash and cash equivalents (CCE) (unrestricted) to US$ 159.7 million at the end of Q2 2022, relative to US$ 151.2 million at the end of the first quarter of this year.

Equinox Gold stock grew by roughly seven per cent in one month. On August 16, the EQX stock had a moderate RSI value of 44.96, according to information fetched from Refinitiv.

Bottom line

Small-cap stocks are generally vulnerable to market fluctuations and hence, are highly volatile. However, on the positive side, these stocks may offer significant growth exposure and notable returns under favourable market conditions. Therefore, investors with high-risk capabilities can consider the TSX stocks mentioned above.

Please note, the above content constitutes a very preliminary observation based on the industry, and is of limited scope without any in-depth fundamental valuation or technical analysis. Any interest in stocks or sectors should be thoroughly evaluated taking into consideration the associated risks.