A look at some small-cap stocks making news - or about to.
Canada’s S&P/TSX Small Cap Index (TXTW-I) is up by about 77 per cent over the past 52 weeks as of Monday’s close. It hit a record 1,472.51 on March 2. The Russell 2000 in the U.S. is up about 42 per cent over the past 52 weeks. It hit a record of 2,888.62 last Wednesday.
Small-cap summary:
Pet Valu Holdings Ltd. (PET-T) shares sank on Tuesday after the retailer reported flat same-store sales growth for its first quarter and results that missed expectations. It also signalled that higher fuel costs and “evolving consumer demand” could impact its full-year outlook.
Before markets opened on Tuesday, the company reported revenue of $287.9-million compared to $279.1-million a year earlier. “The increase was primarily due to higher retail sales and franchise and other revenues,” it stated. The result was in line with expectations of $287.6-million, according to S&P Capital IQ estimates.
Same-store sales growth was flat compared to 1.4 per cent same-store sales growth for the same period last year.
Adjusted EBITDA was $55.9-million, down nearly 5 per cent from a year ago, and below expectations of $61.4-million.
Adjusted net income was $21.6-million or 31 cents per share compared to $25.4-million or 36 cents per share last year. The expectation was for earnings of 37 cents.
“Our first quarter performance was shaped by heightened value-seeking behaviour, as devoted pet lovers leaned into our compelling programs to capture savings on quality specialty products,” said CEO Greg Ramier.
“In response to the evolving consumer demand and cost environment, we are adapting to deliver value efficiently, reinvest responsibly, and realize planned savings,” he added. “Our updated 2026 outlook reflects these actions, providing a new profitability trajectory for the year, while maintaining our industry leadership.”
In its outlook, the company said it expects revenue growth between 2 and 4 per cent for fiscal 2026, which it noted will be a 52-week fiscal year, compared to a 53-week fiscal year in fiscal 2025.
It also said it expects flat to 2 per cent same-store sales growth.
Adjusted EPS is expected to be similar to last year, it stated.
It estimates the 53rd week in fiscal 2025 contributed approximately 2 per cent of reported revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income that year.
TD analyst Michael Van Aelst said in a note that the stock was weak heading into the quarter amid investor concern about weak same-store sales growth (SSS).
“While SSS miss was small, consumers are clearly looking for value, and PET held its SSS flat with heightened promotions which pushed earnings below expectations,” he wrote in a note. “Given the weak Q1 print and lowered EBITDA margin and EPS guidance, we expect that PET shares will be weak today, and that street EPS estimates will need to come down. We expect valuation to be below historical averages until SSSG and EPS growth re-accelerates.”
The stock was down 13 per cent in early morning trading.
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Parex Resources Inc. (PXT-T) shares fell on Tuesday after the company reported lower profit for its first quarter ended March 31.
Before markets opened on Tuesday, Parex reported net income of $4.6-million or 5 cents per share versus $80.6-million or 82 cents a year earlier. The expectation was for 7 cents per share in the latest quarter, according to S&P Capital IQ estimates.
“The decrease is primarily attributed to unrealized losses on commodity risk management contracts, an increase in deferred tax expense, higher cash settled share-based compensation expense, and the recognition of one-time costs, partially offset by lower current income tax,” the company stated.
Funds flow from operations (FFO) of $113.7-million or $1.18 per share compared with $121.9-million or $1.24 a year earlier.
Adjusted EBITDA of $132.7-million compared to $135.5-million last year.
The company also provided what it described as “step-change guidance,” including second-half production guidance of 82,000 to 91,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), up 93 per cent at the midpoint compared to the first quarter 2026 average production.
“Over the first half of 2026, Parex executed a series of strategic transactions that have positioned us to be Colombia’s largest independent E&P, while adding complementary assets that enhance scale, deepen the portfolio, and strengthen our platform profitability for long-term growth,” said CEO Imad Mohsen in a release. “This transformed version of Parex is positioned to deliver an unparalleled portfolio of development and exploration opportunities, generate substantial free cash flow, unlock new world-class reserves, and establish the Company as one of the leading growth opportunities in the global oil and gas sector, creating meaningful value for all stakeholders.”
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Sylogist Ltd. (SYZ-T) announced the suspension of its quarterly dividend “to support its capital allocation priorities” and lower first-quarter results versus a year ago.
Before markets opened on Tuesday, the Calgary-based company said revenue of $14.7-million was down from $16.3-million a year earlier. The expectation was for revenue of $15.3-million, according to S&P Capital IQ estimates.
Adjusted EBITDA of $1.2-million was down from $2.6-million last year and below expectations of $1.7-million.
Its net loss was $3.8-million or 16 cents per share, wider than a loss of $935,000 or 4 cents a year earlier.
“We view the Q1 results as neutral for the shares as the results were in line with our estimates,” stated Acumen Capital analyst Jim Byrne in a note. “The company is undergoing a transition as it looks to find a new CEO and implement a growth strategy for the future.”
The analyst said the company’s revenue and adjusted EBITDA results were in line with his estimates.
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Organigram Global Inc. (OGI-T) shares slumped on Tuesday after the company reported lower year-over-year second-quarter revenue that also missed expectations.
Before markets opened on Tuesday, the cannabis company reported net revenue of $59.8-million for the quarter ended March 31, down from $65.6-million in the second quarter last year. The company said the drop was primarily due to lower vape and infused pre-roll sales. The expectation was for revenue of $68.8-million, according to S&P Capital IQ.
Its net loss was $900,000 compared to net income of $42.5-million last year.
“The decrease in net income in the current period was primarily attributable to lower fair value gains on derivative liabilities and preferred shares, as well as lower net revenue and gross margins compared to the prior year period. In addition, the current period results were negatively impacted by a $5.8 million impairment loss related to the Company’s hemp-derived products business in the U.S.,” the company stated.
Adjusted EBITDA of $870,000 was down 82 per cent from $4.9-million a year earlier.
“The financial impact of the competitive and operational challenges encountered earlier in Fiscal 2026 is believed to have been largely realized in the first half of the year, and we are now beginning to see performance stabilize,” said chief financial officer Greg Guyatt.
“While margins and profitability were pressured during the quarter, the underlying cost structure of the business continues to improve, supported by higher yields, operational efficiencies, and prior investments in automation. We expect to resume our trajectory of margin expansion and profitability improvement through the second half of the year, supported by expected growth in net revenue and international sales, alongside positive contributions from the consolidation of Sanity Group.”
In its updated outlook, the company said it expects net revenue to exceed $350-million in fiscal 2026. The expectation is for fiscal 2026 revenue of $382.8-million.
It said adjusted EBITDA and adjusted gross margin are expected to exceed fiscal 2025 performance, and free cash flow will be approximately break-even.
The stock was down 12 per cent in early morning trading.
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Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund (CHE-UN-T) shares dropped on Tuesday after the company reported mixed results for its first quarter.
After markets closed on Monday, the fund reported revenue of $503-million, up nearly 8 per cent from last year.
Adjusted EBITDA of $113.5-million, down nearly 6 per cent from a year ago.
Net earnings of $25.4-million, down $23.7-million year-over-year “primarily due to higher finance costs, unfavourable unrealized foreign exchange losses and lower Adjusted EBITDA year-over-year,” it stated.
“Due to geopolitical events, several products that Chemtrade manufactures have seen significant price volatility in the last several weeks,” the company added. “While this volatility makes forecasting results for the remainder of 2026 challenging, Chemtrade is maintaining its 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance unchanged.”
In a first-look note titled “The quiet before the crescendo,“ National Bank analyst Zachary Evershed said revenues were below his expectation of $521.2-million and consensus of $515.3-million.
Adjusted EBITDA was above his $110.4-million forecast on 21.2 per cent margins and in line with the Street’s $114-million forecast with 22.1 per cent margins.
He said earnings per unit of 23 cents were just below his call and the consensus of 25 cents.
“With support from strong FCF [free cash flow] and a healthy balance sheet at 2.5x Net Debt/EBITDA, and with the goal of exiting 2026 at a similar level, we take a favourable view of the commitment to continue returning capital to shareholders,” he wrote. “We believe M&A remains a 2027e story, though CHE continues to evaluate opportunities.”
He has an “outperform” and $23.50 target on the stock.
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Cineplex Inc. (CGX-T) shares fell on Monday and were down again in early Tuesday trading after the company’s latest earnings report missed expectations.
Before markets opened on Monday, the company reported revenue grew to $291-million in the quarter, up 16 per cent from $261.7-million last year. It said its first-quarter revenue was the highest since 2019. Box office revenues of $127.4-million grew 25 per cent over the prior year, driven by blockbuster hits such as Project Hail Mary and Hoppers. Still, the result missed expectations of $294.2-million, according to S&P Capital IQ.
Its net loss was $22.4-million or 36 cents per share compared to a loss of $36.6-million or 58 cents per share during the same period last year. The expectation was for a loss of 30 cents in the most recent quarter.
National Bank Financial analyst Adam Shine trimmed his target to $13.50 from $14 and maintained his “outperform” after the report.
“Our target is based on our estimated 2027 net asset value, with implied EV/EBITDAaL [(Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization, and after Leases] multiples of 9.4x 2026E & 8.1x 2027E (ex online booking fee penalty of $0.62/share as appeal process continues). Awaiting CEO succession news,” he wrote.
Related: Cineplex CEO says no sale in the works, but company open to potential merger or acquisition
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Cronos Group Inc. (CRON-T) shares rose on Monday and were higher again on Tuesday after the cannabis company reported higher revenue and profit for its first quarter.
Before markets opened on Monday, the company reported revenue of US$45.2-million, up from US$32.3-million last year. “The increase was primarily due to higher cannabis flower sales in Israel and other countries, which carry no excise taxes, and higher cannabis extract and flower sales in the Canadian market,” it stated.
Net income of US$15.7-million or 4 cents US per share increased from US$7.7-million or 2 cents US a year earlier.
Adjusted EBITDA of US$5.1-million was up from US$2.3-million last year.
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Kneat.com Inc. (KSI-T) shares closed up more than 10 per cent on Monday amid reports that the company is undergoing a strategic review.
“Without commenting on the accuracy of the details in the report, the company confirms that its board of directors has formed a special committee to review and consider strategic alternatives and that CIBC Capital Markets has been engaged as financial advisor to the special committee,” it stated in a release during market hours on Monday.
“The special committee is continuing the strategic review, which commenced in February 2026, though no definitive agreement has been reached at this time and no assurance can be given that any agreement or any transaction will result from this process.”
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Doman Building Materials Group Ltd. (DBM-T) reported lower revenue in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, which the company attributed to price decreases.
Before markets opened on Monday, Doman reported revenue of $762-million, down from $793.2-million a year earlier. The result was below expectations of $779.2-million, according to S&P Capital IQ.
Net earnings of $23.9-million compared to $23.6-million a year ago.
Earnings per share came to 27 cents per shares, ahead of the Street’s forecast of 17 cents and National Bank analyst Zachary Evershed’s estimate of 16 cents, the analyst said in a note.
He said the company’s revenue was also above his $752.4-million estimate, while EBITDA of $68.1-million on 8.9-per-cent margins was above his $61.2-million forecast on 8.1-per-cent margins and the Street’s $58.9-million forecast on 7.6 per-cent margins.
Mr. Evershed increased his target to $13.50 from $12.50 and maintained his “outperform” (buy) after the earnings, citing “increased confidence in the durability of the margin profile.”
He added: “We rate DBM ‘outperform’ as it continues to improve underlying profitability despite a difficult near-term environment, setting up for a bullish long-term outlook when housing markets bounce back, driven by strong demographics and under-building over the last decade.”
Stifel analyst Ian Gillies described it as a “solid quarter with strong margins while [the] rest of [the] year outlook is largely unchanged.”
He said Doman delivered EBITDA of $68-million, which beat consensus by 14.6 per cent, driven by “strong” gross margins of 17 per cent.
“We do not believe this level of gross margins is sustainable, but a strong 1Q26 should position DBM to meet the high end of its gross margin guidance of 16.0% (2025: 16.2%; 2026E: 16.2%),” the analyst wrote.
He increased his target price to $12.25 from $12 and maintained his “buy” recommendation.
CIBC analyst Hamir Patel maintained his “neutral” rating on Doman and raised his price target to $12 from $11.50.
“While we remain cautious on the near-term industry outlook given that elevated mortgage rates continue constraining R&R [repair and remodelling] activity, DBM continues to navigate the tough conditions well, with disciplined pricing, procurement and cost management,” he wrote. “We believe DBM is well positioned to capitalize on robust medium- to long-term demand for treated lumber in North America, supported by high home equity levels and an aging housing stock. At the same time, the current wood products market challenges may unlock additional M&A opportunities for Doman.”
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Minto Apartment REIT (MI-UN-T) reported higher revenue but swung to a loss for its first quarter ended March 31.
After markets closed on Monday, the REIT reported revenue of $39.4-million, up 3.7 per cent compared to the same quarter last year.
Its net loss was $101.6-million, compared to net income of $15.7-million last year.
Adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) came in at $11.1-million or 18 cents per unit, down from $12.7-million or 20 cents last year. The expectation was for AFFO of 21 cents, according to S&P Capital IQ.
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Upcoming small-cap earnings:
May 12: RFA Financial Inc. (RFA-T), Parex Resources Inc. (PXT-T), True North Commercial REIT (TNT-UN-T), BTB REIT (BTB-UN-T), Altius Minerals Corp. (ALS-T), Grown Rogue International Inc. (GRIN-CN), Goeasy Ltd. (GSY-T), Pet Valu Holdings Ltd. (PET-T), Terago Inc. (TGO-T), Algoma Steel Group Inc. (ASTL-T), AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. (AGTF-T), Organigram Global Inc. (OGI-T)
May 13: Superior Plus Corp. (SPB-T), Bird Construction Inc. (BDT-T), Total Energy Services Inc. (TOT-T), BSR REIT (HOM-U-T), Pollard Banknote Ltd. (PBL-T), Automotive Properties REIT (APR-UN-T), Slate Grocery REIT (SGR-UN-T), Mattr Corp. (MATR-T), Dream Unlimited Corp. (DRM-T), AutoCanada Inc. (ACQ-T), Kneat.com Inc. (KSI-T), Aimia Inc. (AIM-T), North American Construction Group Ltd. (NOA-T), Boyd Group Services Inc. (BYD-T), Pro REIT (PRV-UN-T)
May 14: Corby Spirit and Wine Ltd. (CSW-A-T), H&R REIT (HR-UN-T), Interfor Corp. (IFP-T), Plaza Retail REIT (PLZ-UN-T), Velan Inc. (VLN-T), Vecima Networks Inc. (VCM-T), Canada Goose Holdings Inc. (GOOS-T), Quarterhill Inc. (QTRH-T), American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP (HOT-UN-T) , Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (WPRT-T)
May 15: HLS Therapeutics Inc. (HLS-T), Information Services Corp. (ISC-T)
May 21: Lightspeed Commerce Inc. (LSPD-T)
May 27: EQB Inc. (EQB-T), Coveo Solutions Inc. (CVO-T)
May 29: Laurentian Bank (LB-T)
June 9: Stingray Group Inc. (RAY-A-B)