It's a prime time to pick stocks right now, says Morgan Stanley, they have some ideas. ...

Core Insights - Active funds have struggled to outperform index funds over the past year, even during volatile market conditions [1][4] - Only 33% of actively managed mutual funds and ETFs had higher asset-weighted returns than their index counterparts from July 2024 to June 2025, a decline of 14 percentage points from the previous year [2] - Long-term performance shows that only 21% of active strategies outperformed their index counterparts over the past 10 years [4] Performance by Sector - Success rates for active funds vary significantly by sector, with U.S. large-cap stock funds consistently underperforming their index counterparts [5] - Only 14% of actively managed U.S. large-cap funds have beaten the S&P 500 over the past decade [5] - Active managers tend to perform better in less liquid markets, such as fixed income, real estate, and small-cap stocks [6][7] Fee Impact - Fees are a critical factor in the performance disparity between index and active funds, with index funds averaging a 0.11% fee compared to 0.59% for active funds [9] - Higher fees necessitate that active funds achieve greater relative returns to compensate for the fee difference [9] - The impact of fees on long-term earnings is significant; for instance, a 1% fee can result in $29,000 less over 20 years compared to a 0.25% fee [10] Market Behavior - Index funds inherently own all securities in a market index, ensuring they capture both winners and losers, while active managers risk missing out on market rebounds [11] - Active managers often adjust their strategies in response to market events, which can lead to missed opportunities [11]

Group 1 - Mining is a high-risk business with potential for significant returns, particularly in the exploration phase [1] - Hercules Metals operates in the exploration segment, which is characterized by numerous risks throughout the mining process [1] - The current market presents challenges due to extreme valuations, making stock selection critical for identifying undervalued opportunities [1] Group 2 - The focus is on researching relatively unknown companies with high potential upside and favorable risk/reward profiles [1] - Companies discussed are primarily speculative and should not constitute core holdings in a diversified portfolio [1]

Company Overview - Building Benjamins is a free stock picking and market commentary investment newsletter published by Tradition Investment Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser [1] - The founder, Benjamin Halliburton, has a notable background in investment management, having founded Tradition Capital Management in 2000 and received multiple accolades for his performance [1] Founder Background - Benjamin Halliburton began his investment career at Merrill Lynch in 1986 and has been continuously involved in investing since then [1] - He earned an MBA with a focus on finance from Duke's Fuqua School of Business in 1990 and was recognized as a Fuqua Scholar [1] - Halliburton holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and was the top-performing portfolio manager at Brundage, Story and Rose, where his strategy outperformed the S&P 500 during the 1990s bull market [1] Performance Recognition - Halliburton was named "PSN Manager of the Decade" for All-Cap in the 2000s and for Dividend Value in the 2010s, highlighting his successful investment strategies [1] - He was recognized as the youngest partner at his firm and received high praise from senior managing partners for his investment acumen [1]