Pedestrians in the Times Square neighborhood of New York.  (Photo: Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) –If stock pickers are becoming an endangered species, this may be the latest sign. Investors now have more money in large-cap equity funds tracking indexes than in actively run funds of the same type.

The lines crossed in the fourth quarter, according to data from Morningstar Inc. Passive mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and so-called smart beta funds in the sector held $2.93 trillion in assets as of Dec. 31, compared with $2.84 trillion on the active side.

The gap has been narrowing for years as investors pour money into low-fee index funds while higher-cost stock-pickers struggle to consistently beat markets. Based on the flow trends, passive funds tracking U.S. stocks of all sizes could pass up their active rivals this year.

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