New Delhi, Jan. 6 -- It's been hard for a stockpicker to beat the tech-driven gains of indexes and passive funds in recent years. One strategy investors have turned to is activist investing, where a hedge fund buys in to a company and seeks new management, spinoffs, or a merger.

Veteran activist funds like Elliott Investment Management and Starboard Value were among the busiest, but nearly 30% of the funds launching campaigns last year were first-timers-according to a review of 2025 activism released Monday by Barclays Bank.

Last year proved a great setup for activism, said report author Jim Rossman, who heads Barclays shareholder advisory group.

"Just about everything worked in their favor in 2025," Rossman said. In the first part of ...