Read all about it: Why Europe's smaller companies can defy the headlines

At the risk of appearing ancient, I can remember when negative headlines helped sell millions of newspapers. Now they help generate millions of clicks. The medium may have changed, but the maxim remains the same: "If it bleeds, it leads". It is easy enough to understand why this philosophy has endured. Not many readers would be too enthralled by headlines such as "Woman treats herself to beautiful bracelet", "Another sunny day in Greece" or, even more non-thrillingly, "Power tools prove popular". For informed investors, though, even the most trivial-sounding feel-good tales can mean a...