The gamble is not very risky. These are priced low and in the assortment of such stocks picked up, even if one shoots into prominence, the windfall is ensured.

So, what's there in the lots drawn by these operators every day? SRG Infotech, Cauvery Software, Shyam Software, Softrack Venture, International Computech, European Software. The list is long, higher number of shares are traded every day and the prices of some have already peaked.

SRG Infotech, Cauvery Software, Shyam Software, Softrack Venture, International Computech and European Software have been topping the volume charts. The daily trading volumes have even crossed the 20-lakh level on the NationalStock Exchange in case of SRG Infotech. The daily average trading volume on NSE for SRG in the past has been more than 14 lakh shares followed by cauvery Software (over 2 lakh shares on NSE), Int Computech, Softrack Venture and Shyam Software with an average daily traded volume of over 60,000 shares on BSE.

At the same time, some of the better known software or the information technology stocks have lost operators' fancy in the past few trading sessions and have seen erosion in their values. None of the bigger software companies have been able to achieve their highs scaled during June this year. Infosys Technologies has lost Rs 400 in the past few sessions to Rs 2,350. NIIT is down by Rs 340 from Rs 1,680 to Rs 1,340, Square D Software is down Rs 74 to Rs 214 and Mastek after touching a high of Rs 340 is currently trading at Rs 212.

Some of these stocks have already appreciated and are trading close to their 52-week highs. However, SRG Infotech, which is trading in the no-delivery period has not seenmuch of an appreciation in its value and moved up from Rs 2.2-2.5 to the current value of Rs 3.1. The ones like SRG Infotech, Cauvery Software, International Computech, Softrack Ventures and Shyam Software are lying well below their 52-week highs, but have seen lot of buying in the past few days. Marketmen feel that the market is certainly looking at winners from these low lying stocks.

In an attempt to capitalise on opportunities in the software sector, SRG Infotech is reportedly close to acquiring another software company and the company has convened a board meeting on September 21 for the same. SRG is currently engaged in the business of registrars and software development with an annual turnover of over Rs 16 crore.

The surge in the stock's volumes is partly because the scrip is trading in a no-delivery period and partly because of the expectations of encouraging performance. Currently, more than 70 per cent of SRG's turnover comes from software development and the balance from the registrar businessand its clientele includes OBC, IOC, Bongaigaon Refineries, Oil India Limited, Modi Rubber and NTPC.

According to marketmen, all the low lying software companies may not be worth investing, but certainly a few can prove to be potential winners. ``Who had though that Leading Edge would zoom past the Rs 900 mark from Rs 50 in less than a year,'' said a BSE broker.

Another NSE member felt that although the smaller companies have been attracting huge volumes, there is no clear shift of focus to these counters.