Business leaders and investors look to Asia and AI amid volatility – HSBC survey

SINGAPORE, 17 April 2026 – Globally, senior leaders and institutional investors are prioritising Asia, and mainland China in particular, as they reposition for growth. This is according to a new independent survey from HSBC supporting its annual HSBC Global Investment Summit*.

The survey of 3,000 international businesses leaders and institutional investors in 10 markets, was conducted in mid-March against the backdrop of recent world events. It includes respondents from Singapore – widely recognised as a regional treasury centre, international wealth hub, and global hub for sustainability and innovation. The survey shows that after a decade of cumulative global shocks, businesses are adapting and still investing.

Globally, 94% of respondents continue to see strong opportunities for international growth, while 87% say they are more willing to take calculated risks than they were five years ago. Nearly three in four (72%) anticipate moderate to significant repositioning of their businesses over the next three years, as they reassess where they operate and how they invest.

AI and technology drive strategic decisions

AI and technology are now among the leading drivers influencing international expansion and capital deployment strategies. Technology is now central to the global investment decisions of business leaders and institutional investors. Access to AI, critical technologies and infrastructure will be the most important influence on respondents’ international strategies over the next three years (50%), on par with market growth and client demand (49%). This is even more pronounced in Singapore, where 88% cite access to critical technologies and infrastructure as a strong influence on their international strategy.

Having strong AI and data-related infrastructure and attractive energy costs is also one of the most important drivers when deciding to increase exposure to individual markets (51%), just behind strong growth prospects and customer demand (52%). For Singapore-based businesses and institutional investors, strong AI and data-related infrastructure is likewise among the top reasons to increase exposure to a given market, alongside growth prospects and customer demand.

Globally, respondents believe that the most significant potential benefits of AI over the next three years will be improved productivity and workforce efficiency (56%). Forecasting and modelling (48%), and increased innovation, ideas and operational cost savings (46%) were also significant. That said, a meaningful 32% expect AI to play a more strategic role in three years’ time by fundamentally reshaping their core business model. This indicates an anticipated shift in not just how work gets done, but what products and services are offered, how they are delivered, and how value is created.

In Singapore, expected benefits are led by improved productivity and workforce efficiency (55%), followed by better forecasting and decision-making (50%) and transformation of the core business model (37%).

According to the report, globally, 49% of institutional investors cite increasing exposure to AI and technology themes as their most common strategy for positioning client portfolios in 2026 in response to the current economic climate. This is the primary focus for portfolio repositioning. Only 14% expect to make no material changes to their overall approach.

Volatility: businesses are recalibrating

Volatility is no longer viewed as a temporary disruption but as an anticipated feature of the global economy, a view held by 95% of global respondents and 98% in Singapore. In response, 88% of respondents globally and 91% in Singapore said that they have recalibrated their capital allocation approach as a reaction to increased volatility.

Organisations are also extending their investment timeframes to align with a more complex landscape. More than half (53%) of global respondents, said that their investment horizons have lengthened compared to three years ago, signalling a shift towards longer-term positioning despite ongoing uncertainty. This trend is evident across major markets including the UK (69%), the US (68%) and mainland China (78%), with respondents saying their organisation holds more liquidity compared with three years ago.

Respondents in Saudi Arabia and the UAE appear to be steadfast on their medium-term strategies despite uncertainty, with their strong responses on the opportunities for growth in the short and longer term being in line with other markets surveyed. The survey showed that businesses and investors in the UAE (95%) and Saudi Arabia (98%) are turning to supply chain reconfiguration, with 94% of respondents stating that cross border trade and investment will become more regional in pattern.

Trade and investment are regionalising – mainland China becomes the focal point

The survey points to globalisation becoming more regional in structure, with 93% of organisations planning to increase cross-border trade or investment over the next five years, and 91% expecting those flows to concentrate more heavily within regional networks.

In Singapore, 95% plan to increase cross-border trade and investment over the next five years, and 95% expect those flows to become more regional in pattern.

Global respondents identified mainland China as the market expected to grow most in importance to their economic relationships over the next five years, cited by 41% of decision-makers - more than any other region globally.

In Singapore, mainland China is cited by 57% of respondents as growing in importance over the next five years, above the global average. ASEAN is cited by 68% of Singapore respondents as a growing economic priority, the highest citation rate of any market for any destination in the survey.

The survey also highlights that established markets continue to play a critical role in global strategies. Continental Europe and the UK were each identified by 38% of respondents globally as key to their future economic relationships over the next five years, underlining that, while Asia is rising in prominence, traditional economic centres remain integral to global growth and connectivity.

For Singapore-based respondents, North America is cited by 28% and Continental Europe by 24% as growing in importance over the next five years, underlining that regional concentration does not mean global disengagement.

Even amid market uncertainty, businesses and investors are leaning into growth opportunities. The survey shows that 89% of respondents globally are actively increasing capital deployment in high-growth markets, reflecting a strong conviction in long-term returns despite volatility.

In Singapore, 86% say they are actively increasing deployment in high-growth markets despite the uncertain backdrop, and 85% say they are more willing to take calculated risks in pursuit of growth than they were five years ago.

Mr Gilbert Ng, Head of Banking, Corporate and Institutional Banking, HSBC Singapore said: “The Global Investment Summit survey findings point to more than a reaction to volatility; they signal a fundamental reset in where growth will be created and how it will be captured.”

“Singapore sits at the crossroads of global capital and some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, making it uniquely placed to benefit from the trends highlighted in this survey. HSBC will continue to support our clients’ ambitions by connecting them to partners and opportunities across ASEAN and beyond, helping them navigate volatility, and financing the technology and infrastructure powering the region’s next wave of growth.”

Media enquiries:

Betty Fong | betty.c.y.fong@hsbc.com.sg | +65 6658 4103
Clarabelle Tan | clarabelle.h.y.tan@hsbc.com.sg | +65 94513329