Tiny Bjurman Makes Name Among Micro-Cap Funds

Tiny isn't small enough for the folks at Bjurman & Associates. They think the biggest opportunities can be found in the littlest places, so they limit their investing in only retail mutual fund to the really small stocks.

That hasn't stopped their fund from registering some nice-size returns, though -- especially when compared with the performance of others in the micro-cap arena. Since its inception in March 1997, Bjurman Micro-Cap Growth has returned 25.5%, well above the category average gain of 13.5%. It ranks fifth among 38 funds in its category, according to Lipper.

No, Bjurman isn't a household name -- but it's far from unknown in the business. The Los Angeles firm, which has been overseeing money for corporations, pensions and high-net-worth investors for nearly three decades, has more than $1.5 billion under management. ...