Why Do Active Funds Lag Even With Winning Picks?

Picking winning stocks is just part of the battle to beat an index. Active managers make investing moves when opportunities arise or dry up. They also rely on a team of analysts and state-of-the-art tools to help them uncover the next big investment idea. Yet, an in-depth dive into the top 100 largest active US stock funds reveals most active managers earn lower returns than their index. So, what are the pros' missteps? And what can everyday investors like you learn from them? Jeff Ptak analyzed years of stock fund data. The managing director of manager research for Morningstar explains what he found.

The Biggest Active Stock Funds Picked the Right Stocks. They Still Lagged

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome
00:00:55 What is a hypothetical 'do-nothing' portfolio?
00:02:54 Hits and misses during 2025's strong market
00:04:16 The do-nothing portfolio's performance during up and down years
00:05:17 Hypothetical $10K growth over a decade
00:06:27 How active managers can do a better job of beating their index
00:07:35 Overcoming the urge to make portfolio tweaks  

Watch more from Morningstar:

Target-Date Funds With Annuities Are Gaining Ground. Is That Good for Your Retirement Plan?

AI ETFs Are on the Rise. Are They Worth the Risk?

Don’t Leave Tax Savings on the Table: How to Conduct a Midyear IRA Checkup

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