The managers running the biggest active funds picked stocks that beat the market in 2025 — and most still lagged their benchmark. A Morningstar do-nothing experiment and a body of academic research explain why active funds underperform even when the picking is good: skilled buying undone by poor selling, the hidden cost of trading, and the incentives that keep managers churning. The UK evidence points the same way.
Welcome to Deep Dive, a new TEBI series where we take a closer look at the latest research shaping investing, cutting through complexity to show what really matters for investors. The first in the series looks at low-volatility investing. For 50 years, academics and investors argued about whether low-volatility stocks deliver superior returns. New research solves the paradox: both sides were right about different halves of the strategy. Here's what that means for your portfol
Robin Powell
Oct 1, 202511 min read
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