Yes, it's been a problem for a few years especially those who are totally out of direct stock mkt and only relying through MF for equity exposure.
If I dig up my old posts, I've used MF for small caps and sectoral themes.
With small/mid caps in their own kind of bear mkt since peak of Jan 2018, guys who played in that space like Porinju also are in drawdowns. Even RJs picks were about there.
What I was trying to say, is that the style of picking all stocks and sitting won't work, mkt does a lot of sectoral rotation and one needs to adapt to that. See Auto stocks, none are nowhere near ATH even pre covid.
IT/Pharma few years ago were in their own multi year bear mkt and now have gone into their best ever performace.
So this whole style of investing is going to change and you can't have 80-100 names from all sectors.
While mkt will churn, this kind of MF will lack good returns due ever existing baggage they will be pulling.
The burden is partly due to AUM, not easy to get in and out so maybe this adaption will be a boon in disguise.
Smaller AUM, smaller footprint, less negligence and a wake up call.
I tend to not write-off sectors, there are always great minds and they will innovate themselves out of extinction