Stock pickers are making a big comeback

Stock pickers are having a big year. 
In the first half of 2017, 54% of active managers outperformed their benchmark Russell 1000 index, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
It was the first time the bank's data showed that more than half of managers beat their benchmarks in the first half of the year. At this pace, they're headed for their best year since 2007.
This outperformance was driven by following the crowd: Active managers tended to have large positions in the popu