Active management

In the first half of the year, fewer than a third of U.S. domestic equity fund managers delivered annualized returns that outpaced the S&P Composite 1500.

“Investors are going into lower, more passive mutual funds because they don't want to pay the fees,” an expert says.

“A typical Gen Z-er may not be as interested in owning a mutual fund," says Contrafund's Will Danoff.

A rising appetite for achieving specific investment objectives, such as sustainable investing, is the main driver behind the projected rise in their popularity.

JPST, which tracks investment-grade securities maturing in a year or less, has attracted over $3.7 billion in flows this year.

Some of the biggest laggards have managed short-term gains of more than 40%.

Among some 500 large-cap U.S. mutual funds, those with at least one-third of manager positions held by women have beaten those with none, data show.

“The reality is they were always supported by a large team,” according to CEO Jenny Johnson.

While Guinness Atkinson pursues the first full mutual fund-to-ETF conversion, similar moves have begun elsewhere in the fund industry.

The fund industry's latest arrivals underline the seismic shifts underway in the business of asset management.