New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- The large-cap segment has underperformed the mid- and small-cap segments over the years, but a closer look at individual stock performance suggests that the weakness may not be as broad-based as the headline index returns indicate.

According to the NSE website, the Nifty 50 has delivered a 6.04% return in the last 3 years, compared with 14.60% for the Nifty Midcap 150 and 14.42% for the Nifty Smallcap 250.

However, among the Nifty 50 stocks, only 10 have delivered negative returns in the last 3 years.

ITC has been the biggest laggard among the Nifty 50 stocks, with a three-year negative return of 14.05%. It was followed by TCS, Infosys, Asian Paints and Wipro.

This means that 40 out of 50 Nifty stocks have remain...