High-quality small caps cut your risk

Article Excerpt

Some dividend investors avoid small-cap stocks, as they feel their dividends are not as reliable as larger companies. While dividend cuts are more likely at smaller firms, these two stocks offer a nice combination of growth and income. CALIAN GROUP LTD. $68 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol CGY; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 11.3 million; Market cap: $768.4 million; Dividend yield: 1.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.calian.com) provides business services to the healthcare, defence, security, aerospace, engineering, agriculture and technology industries. Calian pays a quarterly dividend of $0.28 a share; the annual rate of $1.12 yields 1.6%. That payment went up five times between 2010 and 2012. It has been held steady for investors since then. The company recently acquired Computex Technology Solutions for $38 million. It provides managed IT and cybersecurity services in several U.S. states. The purchase should add $75 million to Calian’s annual revenue. Meantime, the company’s focus on secure Canadian government contracts continues to pay off…