In a Volatile Context, Corporate Leaders and Investors Are Turning to Asia and AI

Corporate executives and institutional investors are focusing on Asia—particularly mainland China—as the cornerstone of their growth‑repositioning strategies. This is the principal finding of an independent HSBC survey released ahead of the bank’s annual HSBC Global Investment Summit.

The survey, conducted in mid‑March with 3,000 international firms and institutional investors, was carried out against the backdrop of recent global developments. It reveals that, after a decade marked by cumulative global shocks, companies are adapting and continuing to invest.

• 94% of the sample still sees strong international growth opportunities.

• 87% say they are more willing to take calculated risks than five years ago.

• Almost three‑quarters of respondents (72%) anticipate a shift from moderate to significant repositioning of their activities within the next three years, while reassessing the markets they operate in and the way they invest.

Artificial Intelligence and Technology Drive Strategic Decisions

AI and technology now rank among the primary drivers of international expansion and capital‑deployment strategies. For half of the respondents, access to AI, critical technologies, and supporting infrastructure will shape international strategies over the next three years—on par with market growth and customer demand.

• 51% identify solid AI‑and‑data infrastructure combined with competitive energy costs as key determinants for increasing market exposure, closely followed by strong growth prospects and client demand (52%).

• The most significant expected AI benefits over the next three years are:

  • 56% – enhanced workforce productivity and efficiency.

  • 48% – improved forecasting and modelling capabilities.

  • 46% – greater innovation, idea generation, and operational‑cost savings.

  • 32% anticipate AI taking a more strategic role within three years, fundamentally reshaping core business models, product/service offerings, delivery methods, and value creation.

Portfolio Positioning Around AI and Technology

According to the survey, 49% of institutional investors plan to increase exposure to AI‑ and technology‑related themes as the primary strategy for client‑portfolio positioning in 2026, reflecting the current economic climate. Only 14% foresee making no substantial changes to their overall approach.

Volatility: Companies Are Recalibrating Strategies

Volatility is no longer viewed as a temporary anomaly but as a defining characteristic of the global economy—an opinion shared by 95% of respondents. Consequently, 88% have recalibrated their capital‑allocation approach in response to rising volatility.

• More than half (53%) report extending their investment horizons relative to three years ago, indicating a shift toward longer‑term positioning despite heightened uncertainty.

• This trend is evident across major markets: United Kingdom (69%), United States (68%) and mainland China (78%). Respondents also indicate that their organisations now hold higher liquidity levels than three years prior.

Respondents from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates maintain a firm medium‑term strategy despite the current Middle‑East situation; their confidence in short‑ and long‑term growth opportunities aligns with that of other surveyed markets. The survey shows that firms and investors in the UAE (95%) and Saudi Arabia (98%) are concentrating on supply‑chain reorganisation, with 94% expecting cross‑border trade and investment to become increasingly regionalised.

Trade and Investment Are Becoming More Regional: Mainland China Takes Center Stage

The survey highlights a shift toward regionalisation of globalisation: 93% of respondents plan to increase cross‑border trade or investment over the next five years, while 91% expect those flows to be increasingly concentrated within regional networks.

• Mainland China emerged as the market most likely to gain importance in respondents’ economic relationships over the next five years, cited by 41% of decision‑makers—more than any other region globally. This growing Asian focus is part of a broader re‑organisation of global trade.

• Established markets remain pivotal. Continental Europe and the United Kingdom were identified by 38% of respondents as essential to their future economic relationships over the next five years, underscoring that, although Asia is gaining strategic weight, traditional economic hubs continue to play a vital role in global growth and connectivity.

Even amid market uncertainty, companies and investors are betting on growth opportunities. The survey shows that 89% are actively increasing capital deployment in high‑growth markets, reflecting strong confidence in long‑term returns despite volatility.

“Our survey conducted for the Global Investment Summit reveals a structural transformation of the global economy. Trade and investment flows are taking on an increasingly regional character, Asia is gaining strategic importance, and technology is redefining both the means and destinations of capital deployment,” said Michael Roberts, CEO of HSBC Bank plc and Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking. “Corporate leaders and institutional investors are recalibrating the markets in which they operate, invest and allocate capital as complexity rises.”