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Large vs Small Cap Stocks Show Surprising Shift in 2025

By: Gustian Farrow, Head of StoneX TV • Content Channels

Large vs Small Cap Stocks Show Surprising Shift in 2025

Michael Lytle, Chief Investment Officer at StoneX Wealth, analyzes unusual performance trends between large and small cap stocks in 2025.

Key Takeaways

  • 2025 shows muted returns compared with prior years
  • Small caps outperformed large caps in recent weeks
  • More balanced leadership across sectors and styles emerging

Muted Returns in 2025

Lytle notes that unlike previous years where large caps often outperformed small caps by 15 percent or more, 2025 has produced far more muted returns. He points out that this mirrors 2022, another difficult year when stocks and bonds both struggled.

Small Cap Outperformance

In recent weeks, small caps have sharply outperformed large caps. “That’s the last two weeks, small cap outperforming large by a pretty sizable margin”. Lytle compares this move to the short-lived “great rotation” of July 2024, when small caps briefly surged before the market returned to its prior trend.

Comparisons with Past Cycles

Reviewing charts of prior years, Lytle highlights that leadership usually alternates decisively. In contrast, 2025 so far has lacked a clear winner, with large caps only achieving high single-digit outperformance at their peak.

Balanced Leadership Emerging

Lytle suggests that 2025 may mark the start of more even leadership across market segments. “More even leadership across sectors, even leadership across growth and value, and even leadership across cap in a way that we really haven’t seen in some time”. Whether this trend continues remains to be seen, but the current pattern stands out compared with past years.

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---- Written by Gus Farrow

---- Expert by Michael Lytle, StoneX Wealth, Chief Investment Officer

 

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