Leading benchmark for US small-cap stocks looks set to extend its advance

THE Russell 2000 is a stock market index widely recognised as the leading benchmark for small-cap stocks in the US market.

After lagging for much of this year, the Russell 2000 has shown signs of catching up with its large-cap peers as investors rotate into different sectors.

On Aug 19, 2025, the Russell 2000 rose 2.6 per cent month-to-date, outpacing the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 indices, which gained between 0.7 per cent and 1.7 per cent. There are reasons to remain optimistic about the performance of the Russell 2000 for the rest of this year.

Growing optimism that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates later this year has been a primary driver behind the Russell 2000’s stronger performance lately.

The weak July non-farm payrolls report indicated an addition of 73,000 jobs, falling short of the market expectation of 110,000 jobs. This was accompanied by sharp downward revisions to the previous two months’ data, totalling 258,000 fewer jobs than initially reported.

On the inflation front, the July consumer price index rose at 2.7 per cent year on year and 0.2 per cent month on month, which were in line with market expectations of 2.8 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively.

BT in your inbox

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

The combination of a weakening labour market and contained inflation led traders to price in 50 basis points of rate cuts by the end of 2025. This boosted bullish sentiment for small-cap stocks, which typically carry more debt relative to earnings than large caps and are more sensitive to interest-rate fluctuations.

Another factor that could fuel the Russell 2000 outperformance for the rest of this year is the high short exposure by hedge funds to the index, which currently stands at a record US$20 billion. Such deep net short positioning can result in sharp rallies during a short squeeze if investors rush to cover positions in the face of rising prices.

From a technical standpoint, the Russell 2000 looks poised for further legs in the current rally. The index has been trending steadily higher within an uptrend channel since May this year. This came as the index had broken out above the neckline resistance of an inverse head-and-shoulders formation at 2,110 points. These are positive signals supporting a bullish recovery.

The projected target level is close to the 2,470 points level, which is confluent with the all-time high formed at the end of November 2024.

In conclusion, the Russell 2000’s August rally restores some faith in small caps, especially on the back of revived Fed cut hopes and strong technical signals. The index looks set to extend its advance towards the target level at 2,470 points, which represents a 9 per cent upside from current levels and a potential re-test of its all-time highs.

The writer is senior research analyst, Phillip Securities Research