Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) is expected to unveil its new Internet search engine to the public next week, an attempt by the software heavyweight to grab back some of the Internet search market from behemoth Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG).

When parent companies decides to let go of a subsidiary, the process is known as a spin-off. Jim Nelson says these spin-off stocks can provide some of the best investment opportunities going. In fact, they repeatedly outperform the parent company in the aftermath of separation.

It’s got to be frustrating for Jerry Yang. The 40-year-old co-founder and CEO of Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) is sitting on top of the world’s most popular web site, yet he can’t compete with Google Inc.’s (GOOG) more effective search-engine advertising machine.

The Dow plunged over 370 points in yesterday’s going, wiping out Friday’s spectacular gains for big-name stocks.

But there are profits to be made in the small-cap market says Laura Cadden in Today’s Financial News. She’s found three great small-cap stocks going for bargain prices. All three have solid valuation ratios and strong short-term growth prospects.

They are Javo Beverage Company (OTC:JAVO), The Home Shopping Network (NASDAQ:HSNI), and Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO).