Historically when investors become more cautious, the shift has not been good for small- and mid-sized companies, says Stovall. The stocks of larger companies fare relatively better. “The reason is that if investors fear choppier seas, they would rather be in a larger boat,” he says.
Ashraf Mohammed/Reuters/File
Golfer Tiger Woods (right), soccer player Thierry Henry (center), and tennis player Roger Federer shave during the launch of the new Gillette champions programme in Dubai in this 2007 file photo. Procter & Gamble, which owns the Gillette brand, is one of the large-company stocks that investors may consider in 2011 as they shift out of small- and mid-sized companies.