Does the S&P 500’s feeble foray into new-high territory have you a little too spooked to go looking for stocks to buy? You’re not alone.

Interestingly, though, not all stocks are wickedly overbought. Small-cap stocks — as evidenced by the Russell 2000 Index — haven’t yet pushed their luck by tiptoeing into new-high territory. In fact, several outstanding small caps still look like outright bargains at their present prices.

But which of these names are the current creme of the crop, positioned to move higher from here? In no particular order, these are the market’s top four small-cap stocks to buy.

Small-Cap Stocks: Matrix Service (MTRX)

If you think oil prices have been permanently subdued, think again. Once energy prices recover — and they will — the market’s going to fall back in love with Matrix Service Co. (MTRX).

Matrix Service is a heavy construction name specializing in energy infrastructure buildouts. The last four months haven’t been especially kind to MTRX shares. In fact, the 44% pullback Matrix Service stock went through between June’s peak and October’s trough make it one of the poorest-performing small-cap stocks for the period. The sellers seem to have overshot, though, with the forward-looking P/E now a paltry 13.

And even if crude oil prices are slow to recover, the overall heavy construction industry is on a growth track. Engineering and construction consultants FMI recently posted an outlook calling for 6% growth in manufacturing construction this year, and a projected growth rate of 8% for manufacturing-based construction in 2015.

Small-Cap Stocks: ePlus (PLUS)

The chart of ePlus (PLUS) is more compelling than its fundamentals right now, though both are bullish at this time.

From a technical perspective, ePlus shares have finally been squeezed out of a converging wedge AND above a major horizontal ceiling around $59.00. With more than a year’s worth of buildup though, the breakout over the past two weeks still has a lot of time to make up for.

The shape of the chart isn’t the only reason this business software and hardware outfit made the list of the market’s top small-cap stocks to buy. In fact, ePlus is also in the midst of its fifth year of earnings growth, and the pros say next year will be its sixth consecutive year of bottom-line growth. The market eventually rewards reliability.

Small-Cap Stocks: Sanderson Farms (SAFM)

Say whatever you want about the condition of the chicken industry. It doesn’t change the fact that, with a trailing and forward-looking P/E in the single-digits, Sanderson Farms (SAFM) ranks among the market’s top small-cap stocks to buy.

Yes, SAFM shares tanked between late July and mid-October, with the stock plunging 10% on October 16th alone. That sharp, high-volume selloff also seems to have been a capitulation, though. Since then, Sanderson Farms shares have bounced 9%, yet still have plenty of room to run with earning-based valuations still at rock-bottom lows.

On a side note, while beef prices are up a hefty 20% or so for the past twelve months, chicken prices have barely budged during that time, with no end in sight to that trend. Consumers as well as restaurants are growing fonder of chicken, playing right into the hands of Sanderson Farms.

Small-Cap Stocks: Dorman Products (DORM)

Even with the 33% selloff over the second and third quarters of this year, auto parts maker Dorman Products (DORM) won’t be winning any value awards anytime soon; the trailing P/E of 18.5 is still on the frothy end of the palatability scale. So why is DORM one of the top small-cap stocks to buy here? Because Dorman stock has snapped out of a bearish funk and worked its way into a technical uptrend.

The chart below illustrates the idea. A trend line guided DORM lower between April and September, but that resistance line was snapped at the beginning of last month. The bulls never looked back.

That being said, frothy price or not, the likely earnings growth rate of 13.8% this year and a projected growth rate of 13.7% for 2015 almost justify the trailing twelve-month P/E ratio.

As of this writing, James Brumley did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.