The Russell 2000 Index is a stock market index that compromises small and mid-cap companies and is considered by investors to be a measure of the overall performance of stock markets smaller-cap stocks.

The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM) is an ETF that tracks the Russell 2000 Index. Over the last year, it has seen a drop in share price of approximately 3%. The stocks I list below are all part of the Russell 2000 Index and offer investors looking for exposure to small and mid-cap companies some interesting picks to look into.

BellRing Brands (BRBR)

BellRing Brands (NYSE:BRBR), based in St. Louis, Missouri, operates as a provider of nutrient products. Their products include Dymatize, which is their whey protein powder; Premier Protein, their pre-mixed protein shakes; and PowerBar, which is a sports nutrition bar. BellRing Brands sells its products through large retailers, convenience stores, drug stores, specialty stores, and their e-commerce segment.

BellRing Brands is a subsidiary of Post Holdings (NYSE:POST), a large consumer goods manufacturer. In October 2019, BellRiing Brands spun off Post Holdings and began trading publicly on the NYSE.

Over the past year, BellRing Brands has seen an 88% increase in their share price. They have been constantly profitable and capitalized on the growing interest in health and wellness products. Their reported earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, stated that total revenue increased by 20% and net income grew by 13% compared to the previous year.

BellRing Brands is a great choice for investors looking for a robust company in the health and wellness industry. They are expected to release their following earnings report on November 21.

Weatherford International (WFRD)

Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD) is a company that provides equipment services for the energy sector. They service drilling operations for oil and natural gas wells and other related oilfield services.

Year-to-date, Weatherford International has seen its share price more than double. Within their third-quarter earnings release, it stated that they saw an increase in total revenue of 17%, and their net income rose by more than three-fold. Weatherford saw revenue growth year-over-year for their segments: drilling and evaluation, well construction, and production. They also saw double-digit growth in all their international markets.

Weatherford International is a company that has been performing very well within the energy sector lately, while others have somewhat struggled. They are poised to take advantage of the greater need for oilfield services from larger energy companies. And with their growing list of multi-year contracts just in their third quarter from well-known companies, including Ecopetrol, Qatar Energy, and Aramco. Weatherford is an excellent choice for investors seeking exposure to the energy market.

Rambus (RMBS)

Rambus (NASDAQ:RMBS), located in San Jose, California, is a semiconductor producer. They offer products such as DDR chips that offer increased memory capabilities and bandwidth IP solutions for use in protecting data, and they are also putting more focus on their machine learning and generative AI business segment. They also provide data protection for the automotive, data center, and government sectors.

Within the last year, Rambus has seen its share price grow by approximately 70%. This is due to several factors, including the increased attention investors pay to companies that can benefit from generative AI. They have also seen decent profits throughout this last year.

On October 30, Rambus released its earnings report for the third quarter, which stated a decrease in revenue of 6% compared to the previous year. They reported a net income of $1 million in the third quarter of 2022. And in the third quarter of 2023, they reported a net income of $103 million. 

Rambus offers investors who are looking for companies with growing generative AI and machine learning exposures a great option. 

As of this writing, Noah Bolton did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.