Five Cheap Small-Caps Poised to Gain

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- Investors have been ditching small-cap stocks for blue-chips in recent months, causing the prices of lesser-known companies to drop. Here are five cheap companies with clean balance sheets.

5. German American Bancorp(GABC) is a bank in southern Indiana.

The numbers: Third-quarter profit decreased 4% to $3.2 million, or 29 cents a share. Revenue dropped 4% to $20 million. German American Bancorp's gross margin rose from 66% to 71%, and its operating margin increased from 31% to 32%. The company is adequately capitalized, with $60 million of cash reserves. A debt-to-equity ratio of 1.3 indicates higher-than-ideal leverage.

The stock: German American Bancorp has increased 41% this year, more than major U.S. indices. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 15, a discount to the market and regional bank peers. The shares have a 3.4% dividend yield. >>See #4