(Bloomberg Markets) — One point seems to be lost in the mania over index-based investing: Stockpicking can actually be a lot of fun. At least this is how Stephon Jackson feels about the subject. As he becomes head of a new investment adviser at T. Rowe Price Group Inc., due to transition in 2022, he’s looking to work with managers who share his enthusiasm for active management. The strategies that will move to the new division accounted for about $167 billion as of Sept. 30. The group, called T. Rowe Price Investment Management (TRPIM), will pursue six strategies and operate as a standalone business, providing portfolio managers with more freedom to control the size of stakes they take in certain companies.
Jackson, 58, a 13‑year veteran of T. Rowe Price’s equities division, relocated from London to his hometown of Baltimore in March as worldwide pandemic lockdowns took hold. He spoke