There's a new idea of alpha in the market that big fund managers are pursuing

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses strategies for generating alpha, or outperformance, in investment portfolios, emphasizing the importance of diversification beyond U.S. large-cap stocks amid current market volatility and macroeconomic uncertainties. Group 1: Portfolio Construction Strategies - Asset management firms like Pimco and State Street Investment Management are focusing on generating differentiated returns through broader portfolio construction strategies that include cash, bonds, and commodities [1][2]. - Matthew Bartolini from State Street highlighted that 2025 marked the first year since 2019 where stocks, bonds, gold, and commodities all outperformed cash, suggesting a shift in investment strategy towards "craftsmanship alpha" [3]. - Investors are encouraged to manage cash effectively, with enhanced cash accounts potentially yielding 1%-2% more than traditional cash accounts [4]. Group 2: Fixed-Income and Bond Strategies - Pimco suggests that investors should seek extra returns from bonds rather than trying to beat the S&P 500, exemplified by their newly launched actively managed PIMCO US Stocks PLUS Active Bond ETF (SPLS) [5]. - Schneider from Pimco noted the importance of looking beyond U.S. markets due to divergent monetary policies across countries, which present relative-value opportunities [6]. - Investors are advised to consider a broader range of fixed-income exposures, including securitized assets, rather than focusing solely on corporate credit [7]. Group 3: Diversification and Asset Allocation - Bartolini emphasized that improving portfolio design does not necessitate abandoning the U.S. market, but rather looking at additional asset classes to mitigate U.S. market risks [8][9]. - There is a call for greater blending of assets, as many investors currently have up to 80% exposure to U.S. equities, which may lead to structural underweighting in real assets like gold and commodities [11]. - The article notes that small-cap stocks have outperformed large-caps since mid-2025, with the Russell 2000 Index trading at an all-time high and showing a nearly 9% increase this year, contrasting with the flat performance of the S&P 500 [13].