Regional funds are maintaining exposure to gold, silver and platinum while pivoting toward copper, lithium and rare earths as strategic bets.
Kristina Shperlik
Korea and Taiwan dominate AI hardware while Japan, China and ASEAN capture infrastructure-driven gains, creating a decade-long regional growth story beyond US mega-caps.
From China and South Korea to Indonesia and the Philippines, EM Asia is poised for a multi-year re-rating as healthier debt levels, governance reforms and local capital cut reliance on foreign investment flows.
AI-driven workloads and accelerating digitalisation are pushing regional data centres to the core of institutional strategies, as investors recalibrate capital structures and expand beyond established Tier 1 markets.
Political turmoil in late 2024 created a valuation floor. A year later, Korea became one of the world's best-performing markets as investors began believing corporate reforms might actually work.
Whether the year brings soft‑landing reflation or late‑cycle slowdown, gold remains one of the few assets well‑positioned to benefit under both outcomes.
The investment story is pivoting from troubled property to green tech, advanced manufacturing, and AI—where global capital sees structural growth despite macro risks.
From AI-driven capex and service digitalisation to a weaker US dollar and stronger domestic markets, investors see emerging Asia, selective European value, and high‑quality franchises as the main winners in a fragmented global equity landscape.
The Dutch pension giant views New Zealand as a core market where it sees long‑term conviction and measurable environmental outcomes.
With living and data centres drawing capital while China logistics and parts of industrial lagging, investors must be selective amid tighter pricing and development risks.
As China pivots from a property-driven model, institutional capital is chasing high-growth opportunities in AI and the energy transition, fuelling demand for onshore A-share listings, and redefining the strategic role of Hong Kong in facilitating global allocations.
As the year winds down, investors must balance optimism with caution, positioning portfolios for both festive cheer and potential lumps of coal.
