AJ Bell: Active equity funds gain ground on trackers in first half of 2023

Active funds outperforming passives

Valeria Martinez
clock • 2 min read

The performance of active equity funds has seen an uptick relative to trackers in the first half of the year after a bleak 2022, according to AJ Bell’s Manager versus Machine report.

Active equity fund managers saw a substantial improvement in performance in the first six months of this year, with 44% outperforming a passive alternative, up from 27% in 2022.  However, the active versus passive battle continues to be overwhelmingly won by tracker funds over the long-term. The report found that over the last ten years, only 38% of active managers have beaten a passive comparator.  Moreover, the popular global sector continues to disappoint, with only a third of global active funds managing to beat a passive competitor in the first half of 2023. Over a ten-year perio...

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