Investment Trends in Focus: Key Themes for 2026
Preview
2025 delivered one of the most complex market backdrops in recent memory: geopolitical shocks that briefly upended U.S. exceptionalism, an unprecedented scale of AI-driven investment and the rapid rise of private credit as a critical — but untested — source of financing. Our Investment Trends in Focus report cuts through the noise to show what truly drove markets — and what these forces mean for 2026.
You’ll discover:
- Changes in the impact of geopolitical institutions and what that shift could mean for global investors.
- How AI investment reached historic levels and why its pace across capex, R&D and productivity may redefine how investors assess long-run competitive advantage.
- Where the physical limits of AI are emerging, from grid capacity to renewable integration, and how these constraints have created new winners across sectors and regions.
- What the surge in private credit reveals about market behavior, and why rising write-downs could be early signs of a system approaching its first real test.
Understanding how these forces interact is essential for navigating the year ahead. Get the insights that matter — grounded in data, shaped by research and focused on the themes that will define 2026.
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