4 Last-Minute Stocking Stuffer Stock Picks

The

is winding down and shoppers are looking for last-minute bargains. Investors too are looking for bargains as they plan changes to their portfolios before the end of the year.

Four possible "stock stuffer" picks come courtesy of Marketfy Maven

:

,

,

and

.

A word of warning from Shaughnessy, founder of

, about investing in microcaps such as these: "The fact of the matter is that microcap companies can take several quarters or years to come into fruition, thus continued analysis is a requirement. Investors must constantly revisit and review their thesis' on what they own and why they own it." With that in mind, below is a quick look at how Asure Software, Crossroads Systems, RADCOM and SuperCom have fared and what analysts expect from them.

SecretCaps has called this

workplace management software provider an "undervalued SaaS growth story," and Asure recently announced a partnership with Tokyo-based DOUMA. Asure has a market capitalization above $33 million. Its forward earnings multiple is less than the price-to-earnings ratio of much larger competitor

.

The one analyst surveyed by Thomson/First Call who follows Asure rates the stock at Strong Buy. The price target, or where that analyst expects the share price to go, is about 31 percent higher than the current share price. Shares have not traded in that neighborhood since October of 2007.

Despite a rise of more than 5 percent in the past month, the share price ended last week down marginally year-to-date. Over the past six months, the stock has underperformed larger competitors ADP and

, as well as the broader markets, but it outperformed Crossroads Systems.

This data storage and protection company sports a market cap of almost $37 million. Though it reported declining revenue and a net loss for its most recent quarter, it also trumpeted the record revenue from its

, which relaunched in the third quarter.

has been frequently buying batches of shares, going back at least as far as last July. He has acquired 60,000 shares so far in December, at prices ranging from $2.24 to $2.39, for a total of more than $138,000. That brought his total stake to over 2.48 million shares.

The share price is more than 22 percent lower than six months ago, compared to a gain of about 9 percent in the Nasdaq. In that time, the stock has also underperformed much larger competitors EMC and NetApp. It has been below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages since early this month.

Recently an analyst from H.C. Wainwright

on this Israel-based company, citing higher confidence in the market potential for the company's

offering. RADCOM has a market cap of about $86 million. Note that both the return on equity and the operating margin are in the red.

The analyst from H.C. Wainwright reiterated a Buy rating in the recent call, and a move to the new price target would represent a gain of about 21 percent for the shares. That target would also be a level the share price has not seen since way back in March of 2006.

At the end of last week, the share price was up about 101 percent year-to-date. The stock hit a new 52-week high on the day of the aforementioned upgrade. The stock has outperformed not only the others featured here over the past six months, but much larger competitor

as well.

This Israeli company reported record results for its most recent quarter, including the third consecutive period of strong growth in revenue. SuperCom has a market cap of more than $137 million. It trades at less than nine times forward earnings, and the return on equity is a healthy 32 percent.

Both of the polled analysts recommend buying shares, and they see plenty of room for shares to run, as their mean price target is almost 33 percent higher than the current share price. That consensus target would be a new multiyear high, a level shares have not seen since March of 2008.

Despite a 12 percent retreat last week, the share price is still up around 118 percent since the beginning of the year. But shares are poised to fall below the 200-week moving average for the first time this year. The stock has underperformed the Nasdaq over the past six months, though it has also outperformed Asure Software and Crossroads Systems.