Latest Industry Trends News
AI remains the dominant structural trend shaping industries in 2026 planning
Corporate and investor planning now treats generative and foundation-model AI as a multi-year productivity investment that is reshaping capex and hiring priorities; many advisory reports list AI transformation as the top megatrend to watch for 2026 and beyond.
Capital flows rotate into tech, infrastructure and alternative assets
Q3–Q4 2025 behavior shows investors reallocating into growth sectors — notably information technology and infrastructure — while alternative assets (gold ETPs, Bitcoin) and ETFs captured significant inflows as defensive positioning shifted.
Central-bank divergence influences market positioning into 2026
Policymakers are taking different stances across regions: some easing to support slowing growth while others hold or tighten to control inflation, a divergence that is changing currency moves, capital flows and equity leadership.
Slalom and consultancies publish 2026 industry outlooks focused on AI and sector-specific shifts
Slalom released a suite of 2026 industry outlook reports highlighting AI, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail trends to guide leaders through transformation and technology adoption.
K-shaped economic dynamics and concentration of consumption persist
Analysts warn of a K-shaped economy where top earners and select firms drive disproportionate consumption and investment, raising concerns about resilience and unequal benefits from 2025’s productivity gains.
Manufacturing and property weakness weigh on China’s recovery narrative
Late-2025 analysis shows China’s recovery remains uneven: manufacturing and exports support growth but domestic demand and the property sector remain weak, posing downside risks for commodity and regional demand.
Market breadth broadens as investors rotate away from mega-cap concentration
Year-end 2025 market data indicate a broadening rally with small-cap and cyclical outperformance after investors shifted from stretched mega-cap tech into opportunities across sectors.
Human capital agenda gains focus alongside AI to manage workforce transitions
Industry voices emphasize that AI’s impact is socio‑technological, creating a human-capital agenda around reskilling, talent strategies, and organizational change management for 2026.
Renewable energy and digital infrastructure fundraising accelerates
Infrastructure fundraising rebounded in H1–Q3 2025, with renewables and digital infrastructure benefiting from policy support and private capital, accelerating corporate investment cycles into 2026.
FX and geopolitical risks shape corporate hedging and cross-border investment
Currency moves in 2025—including a weaker USD year-to-date and regional FX stress tied to geopolitics—are prompting firms to revisit hedging strategies and long-term FX forecasts ahead of 2026.
Defensive sectors underperformed but may regain importance if macro conditions deteriorate
Data show consumer staples and materials underperformed in parts of 2025 as investors favored innovation-led growth, but analysts caution these sectors could rebound if growth or market sentiment worsens.