Ask any investor for a small-cap tip, and they'll likely deliver one with more conviction than a soccer player begging for a free-kick. How often do they put the money where their mouth is? A safe bet would be rarely. 

But when multiple experts are backing the same horse, it's probably worth taking a good look. Blue Ocean Equities recently published research into the most popular stock picks across over 40 small-cap managers based on their top holdings - sounds like a fountain of ideas to us. 

So, we turned to Ben Rundle from Hayborough Investment Partners and Martin Hickson from 1851 Capital for their views on four stocks making waves across the small-cap universe - but have their valuations peaked? Our two guests also share their top picks of the year.