If the vaccines see off the Covid-19 pandemic, smaller companies could lead the charge out of the lockdown-induced recession. Many private investors instinctively shy away from smaller companies, but there are ways of investing in this sector without taking outsize risks, and the potential rewards could make it worthwhile. In recent years, big has been beautiful, with US mega-cap tech stocks such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Google-owner Alphabet driving stock market growth as their valuations soared past the $1 trillion mark. However, many analysts believe they now look expensive and are vulnerable to stiffer regulation and higher corporate taxes under US President Joe Biden.