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The technical definition of market capitalization, often dubbed as market cap, is “the market value of the outstanding shares of a company”. In simpler words, the market value of all the shares that are held by a company’s shareholders is known as market capitalization.
The formula for the market cap of a company is as follows
Market capitalization = total number of outstanding shares multiplied by the market price of each share.
Let’s look at a quick example to understand this better.
There’s a company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange. If the company has around 10 lakh shares currently trading at Rs. 500 each in the stock market, the market capitalization of that company would be Rs. 50 crores (10 lakh shares x Rs. 500).
Based on the market capitalization, companies are classified into three different categories:
What do these terms represent? What is the difference between large cap, mid cap and small cap stocks? In 2017, the Securities and Exchange Board of India laid down certain rules to classify companies according to their market cap. This was done to maintain uniformity in the financial markets for investments and trading.
According to SEBI’s rules, all companies that are listed on the stock exchanges are ranked based on their market cap. The top 100 companies are categorised as large cap companies. Mutual funds that invest in the stocks of these large cap companies are categorised as large cap funds.
Large cap companies generally have an excellent track record. The market cap of these companies is significantly high, coming in at around Rs. 20,000 crores or more. These stocks are also often included in broad market indices such as NIFTY and SENSEX, primarily because they command a very strong market presence.
As per SEBI’s classification, the companies from rankings 101 to 250 in terms of market capitalization are known as mid-cap companies. Their market cap generally tends to range from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 crores. Since mid cap companies have a moderate to strong market presence, they may or may not be widely included in broad market indices.
SEBI’s rules state that all the companies that are ranked from the 251st position onwards in terms of market cap are automatically categorised as small-cap companies. Small-cap companies generally don’t have a long track record. These companies could either be relatively new start-ups or businesses that are still in the developmental stage.
In terms of market cap, these companies generally come in below Rs. 5,000 crores. Consequently, these companies tend to enjoy little to no market presence and therefore are mostly not included in broad market indices.
To understand the main differences between small cap vs mid cap vs large cap, see the table below:
| Particulars | Large cap | Mid cap | Small cap |
| Company Type & Stature | Established, well-known, market leaders | Growing companies expanding market reach | Emerging companies still proving potential |
| Market Capitalization Range | Typically top 1-100 companies by market cap | Companies ranked 101-250 by market cap | Companies with market cap below 250th rank |
| Ideal investor profile | Conservative investors with a long-term investment horizon | Moderately risk-tolerant investors with a long-term investment horizon | Aggressive investors with short-term goals |
| Risk | Possess relatively lower risk | Riskier than large cap | Considerably riskier |
| Availability of information on the companies | Often less volatile and highly liquid | Slightly volatile and quite liquid | Highly volatile and not very liquid |
| Potential for growth | A higher potential to generate stable returns | Moderate potential for growth | Considered to be high |
| Sensitivity to Market Conditions | Less sensitive, defensive in downturns | More sensitive than large caps, less than small caps | Highly sensitive, can be severely impacted in downturns |
The Association of Mutual Funds of India periodically releases a list of stocks according to their market capitalization, based on the data provided by the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI).
Before you invest in mutual funds, make sure you check out the most recent lists to know the companies in which the funds invest your money, so you can verify if they are aligned with your risk profile and your investment goals. A mutual fund app can be a helpful tool for accessing and reviewing this information.
To explain it in very simple terms, the total value of a company’s publicly traded shares, which we see on the stock market, is referred to as market capitalisation. It depends on current market conditions.
Only based on your goals related to investment and appetite for risk, will you be able to determine which is the best choice for you between small cap vs mid cap vs large cap. If you want to choose large-cap funds, the returns will be steady, while mid-cap funds allow more opportunities for growth. Lastly, small cup funds tend to be the riskiest, but also award the best returns.
Nifty 50 is an index that lists the 50 best large-cap funds in the country that have done well.
SEBI has placed certain rules in place that allow one to determine the difference between large cap, mid cap and small cap, based on market capitalisation:
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