Are shares disconnecting from reality?
What effect is passive investing having on shares, and are ETFs going the same way?

The rise of passive investing is making markets “less efficient and more fragile”, says Tom Stevenson in The Telegraph. Somewhere between a third and half of equity assets under management are now passive, meaning they are held by funds seeking to track market indexes without trying to beat them. Passive investing offers lower fund manager fees than the active variety.
The problem? Too much passive investing makes for less discerning capital allocation, with money blindly pouring into markets according to “fund flows” and “weightings”. Share prices are thus prone to becoming disconnected from reality – although more inefficient markets do at least open the way for active stock pickers to spot mispricing opportunities and scoop up bargains.
Are ETFs following?
A new generation of actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is trying to do just that, says The Economist. Inflows into “active” ETFs have surged from less than $5 billion in 2019 to over $100 billion last year. Investors should be wary. ETFs have revolutionised markets.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
But active ETFs are undoing that progress, charging high fees in exchange for complicated promises of “volatility protection”, or exposure to illiquid assets in private equity and debt. They are usually a “rip-off”. Another popular trend is “thematic” ETFs, which let investors play everything from pet care to Chinese cloud computing, says James Mackintosh in The Wall Street Journal. But the approach is failing.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated markets for most of this year, yet AI-themed ETFs have actually underperformed the US and global stock benchmarks (you would have done better by just buying Nvidia). Three AI ETFs even managed to shed value in 2024 – picking the right theme at the right time and still losing money must be “galling”.
This article was first published in MoneyWeek's magazine. Enjoy exclusive early access to news, opinion and analysis from our team of financial experts with a MoneyWeek subscription.
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Alex is an investment writer who has been contributing to MoneyWeek since 2015. He has been the magazine’s markets editor since 2019.
Alex has a passion for demystifying the often arcane world of finance for a general readership. While financial media tends to focus compulsively on the latest trend, the best opportunities can lie forgotten elsewhere.
He is especially interested in European equities – where his fluent French helps him to cover the continent’s largest bourse – and emerging markets, where his experience living in Beijing, and conversational Chinese, prove useful.
Hailing from Leeds, he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford. He also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Manchester.
-
Four income funds to add to your ISA
Adding one of these four income funds to your stocks and shares ISA ahead of tax year end could pay dividends
By Dan McEvoy Published
-
Are regular savings accounts worth it?
A 7% interest rate is eye-catching, but how much can you save in a regular saver account and how does the interest rate work exactly?
By Ruth Emery Published
-
Three top-notch Taiwanese companies cashing in on the advent of AI
Opinion Eric Chan, investment director and co-manager of the Aberdeen Asian Income Fund, highlights three potential Taiwanese winners in the technology industry
By Eric Chan Published
-
Weight-loss drugs could revolutionise the economy – the investments to buy now
The new generation of weight-loss drugs are a boon for the overweight, but they also promise to change our relationship with food and revolutionise the economy
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published
-
Find tomorrow’s Asian giants while they are still smaller companies
Opinion Nitin Bajaj, portfolio manager of the Fidelity Asian Values trust, picks three Asian companies to invest in.
By Nitin Bajaj Published
-
AI will maintain Moody’s market lead, says Stephen Connolly
Opinion Veteran data provider Moody's has adapted well to the modern world, and is one of Warren Buffett’s longest-held investments
By Stephen Connolly Published
-
Is BlackRock World Mining gearing for a recovery?
Opinion After a frustrating year, BlackRock World Mining is positioned for growth and to capitalise on the sector's recovery
By Rupert Hargreaves Published
-
Should you limit exposure to US tech stocks?
An end to the AI boom would shake both US funds and global trackers. Here’s one way to trim exposure to US tech stocks
By Cris Sholto Heaton Published
-
The mystery of America’s gold and why an audit matters
How much gold does the US actually have? Dominic Frisby explains why it matters
By Dominic Frisby Published
-
Art vs AI: artists’ uprising takes on the bots
AI performs impressively, but it’s all based on human work that was taken without payment. The government thinks this is fine. Copyright holders beg to differ
By Simon Wilson Published