Within the world of corporate governance, there has hardly been a more important recent development than the rise of the ‘Big Three’ asset managers—Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors, and BlackRock. Due to the popularity of index funds and ETFs, these asset managers now represent some of the largest owners of US public companies. And because of their size and corporate governance influence, a robust scholarly literature has identified the promises and perils of Big Three ownership. In a new book chapter, we identify a series of proxies, or shorthand terms, that first appeared in the foundational works in this literature and have become commonplace in both scholarly articles and the financial press. We further show how this shorthand can contribute to misperceptions and confusion.
The first shorthand is the use of the term ‘Big Three’ to refer to three distinct asset managers. Each of the Big Three manage vast amounts of money in indexed products—amounts that have grown dramatically thanks to the rising popularity of index-based investing. However, there are important differences between each asset manager, both in terms of the composition of the assets they manage and their own institutional structure and operations (and our chapter describes these differences in detail). As such, it does not always make sense to lump these institutions together. The focus on these three institutions has also limited scholarly focus in important ways. For example, the term excludes Fidelity, even though it is larger than State Street in terms of AUM and has also benefitted from a steady inflow of investor funds over the past several years.
The second shorthand is to equate the Big Three with ‘passive’ funds. This misperception is widespread, with many papers—including prior work by one of us—studying the Big Three’s governance practices to better understand the incentives of passive fund managers. Although this shorthand can be useful under certain circ*mstances, we show that it has important limitations. After all, each of the Big Three also manage large amounts of active money, and the index funds that they offer are themselves far from hom*ogenous.
This brings us to the final shorthand—the idea that ‘index funds’ are all passive and interchangeable. We explore the limitations of this shorthand by showing that the concept of ‘passive investing’ is undertheorized, and that there is ample diversity across index funds. In other words, just as there are closet indexers, or active funds that are really quite ‘passive,’ index funds vary dramatically in terms of the discretion that is awarded to—and used by—portfolio managers, the fees that are levied, and the trading strategy that is used. As such, the active/passive dichotomy that is used both by scholars and portfolio managers to market their mutual funds obscures important features of this market.
The final section of our chapter discusses the implications of these observations for future scholarship. Taken together, they shed light on conversations about how the rise of ‘passive’ investing affects corporate governance. Beyond scholarly relevance, these observations matter for policymakers seeking to respond to these market developments with legislative action. For example, the INDEX Act, a bill recently introduced in the Senate, would require investment advisers to pass through the votes of ‘passively managed funds,’ defined as any fund that tracks an index or discloses that it is a passive fund or index fund. As we show, this definition sweeps ‘closet active’ funds under its umbrella.
Our analysis also sheds light on other pressing corporate governance conversations, and in particular, those about the growth and appropriate role of large asset managers. We chart these implications in further detail and highlight questions for future research.
Dorothy Lund is Associate Professor of Law at USC Gould School of Law.
Adriana Z. Robertson is the Donald N. Pritzker Professor of Business Law at the University of Chicago Law School.
This post is part of an OBLB series on Board-Shareholder Dialogue. The introductory post of the series is available here. Other posts in the series can be accessed fromthe OBLB series page.
FAQs
Within the world of corporate governance, there has hardly been a more important recent development than the rise of the 'Big Three' asset managers—Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors, and BlackRock.
What are the big three index companies? ›
Vanguard, Blackrock, and State Street, the largest US investment funds, form the Big Three, often referred to as the "Three that own the US".
Who are the largest index asset managers? ›
Largest companies
| Rank | Firm/company | AUM (billion USD) |
|---|
| 1 | BlackRock | 9,090 |
| 2 | Vanguard Group | 7,600 |
| 3 | UBS | 5,710 |
| 4 | Fidelity Investments | 4,240 |
16 more rowsThis Article examines the large, steady, and continuing growth of the Big Three index fund managers—BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street Global Advisors.
Who are the Big 3 passive investors? ›
A robust literature describes the incentives and stewardship practices of the “Big Three” asset managers (BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street Global Advisors), often referring to these asset managers as “passive.” This is so common that the “Big Three,” “index fund,” and “passive manager” are used almost ...
Who owns BlackRock and Vanguard? ›
Who Owns BlackRock? BlackRock is publicly owned, with its shares held by various shareholders, including institutional investors like Vanguard Group and State Street Corporation and individual shareholders. The specifics of these shareholders can change over time.
Who are the Big Three index providers? ›
4.1. Concentration of the index provider industry
| Index provider | ETF issuer |
|---|
| Name | Market share | Name |
|---|
| S&P Dow Jones | 53.24% | iShares |
| CRSP | 14.51% | Vanguard |
| FTSE Russell | 12.37% | State Street |
2 more rows(“BlackRock”); State Street Global Advisors, a division of State Street Corporation (“SSGA”); and the Vanguard Group (“Vanguard”)—collectively known as the “Big Three,” own an increasingly large proportion of American public companies.
What are the big three stock indexes? ›
The top three U.S. stock indexes
- Dow Jones Industrial Average Index. $Dow Jones Industrial Average(. ...
- Nasdaq Composite Index NASDAQ Composite Index. $Nasdaq Composite Index(. ...
- S&P 500 S&P 500 Index. $S&P 500 Index(.
The top 5 of asset managers included in this ranking are BlackRock, 9,464 US$b, (They hit 10tn AUM as per December 2021), Vanguard, with 8,400 US$b, UBS Group, one of two European Asset Managers who made the Top 10 with 4,432 US$b, Fidelity with 4,230 US$b, and State Street Global Advisors with 3,860 US$b.
You may want to consider BlackRock if you're looking for a more traditional investment firm. The Blackstone Group caters mostly to high-net-worth individuals and exclusively manages alternative assets. If you require a more exclusive approach to investing, this could be a good fit.
Who is the largest asset manager in the world? ›
BlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment company. It is the world's largest asset manager, with $10 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2023. Headquartered in New York City, BlackRock has 78 offices in 38 countries, and clients in 100 countries.
What index fund does Warren Buffett use? ›
Key Points. Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett has regularly recommended an S&P 500 index fund. The S&P 500 has been a profitable investment over every rolling 20-year period in history. The S&P 500 returned 1,800% over the last three decades, compounding at a pace that would have turned $450 per month into $983,800 ...
Who are the big three asset management companies? ›
Along with BlackRock and State Street, Vanguard is considered to be one of the Big Three index fund managers that play a dominant role in corporate America.
Who is the godfather of index funds? ›
John Bogle was the founder of the Vanguard Group and a major proponent of index investing. Commonly referred to as "Jack," Bogle revolutionized the mutual fund world by creating index investing, which allows investors to buy mutual funds that track the broader market.
Who are the major asset managers? ›
The top 5 of asset managers included in this ranking are BlackRock, 9,464 US$b, (They hit 10tn AUM as per December 2021), Vanguard, with 8,400 US$b, UBS Group, one of two European Asset Managers who made the Top 10 with 4,432 US$b, Fidelity with 4,230 US$b, and State Street Global Advisors with 3,860 US$b.
What are the 3 main asset management types? ›
Historically, the three main asset classes have been equities (stocks), fixed income (bonds), and cash equivalent or money market instruments. Currently, most investment professionals include real estate, commodities, futures, other financial derivatives, and even cryptocurrencies in the asset class mix.
Who is the world's largest asset manager? ›
BlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment company. It is the world's largest asset manager, with $10 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2023. Headquartered in New York City, BlackRock has 78 offices in 38 countries, and clients in 100 countries.
