AI to cement its place at the core of 2026 investment strategies

Artificial intelligence will remain the centerpiece of investment strategies, global brokerages said in their 2026 outlooks, with the benchmark S&P 500 index on track to post another year of gains.

"We think fears of a collapse in the AI narrative are overdone and expect economic expansion to continue for yet another year," Barclays strategists said.

Still, risks loom. Inflation surprises, stretched valuations and tariff tensions could trigger corrections, even as analysts expect AI and Federal Reserve rate cuts to keep the bull market alive.

Strategists expect global economic growth to be resilient. Global GDP should rise between 2.4% and 3.3%, as per estimates.

The benchmark index will rise nearly 12% to 7,490 by end-2026, marking a fourth straight year of advances if 2025 closes higher, according to a Reuters poll. — Reuters