NatixisPrivate± Mixed
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According to a strategist survey released by Natixis Investment Managers, US AI-related companies are expected to continue driving equity markets in the second half of 2026. Of the 33 strategists surveyed, 91 percent cited AI as the main factor, 67 percent predicted US stocks would outperform, and 42 percent identified the US as the market likely to deliver the highest returns. Meanwhile, 97 percent flagged inflation as the primary risk for the second half, a sharp rise from 79 percent in the previous year's survey amid heightened geopolitical risks. Additionally, 85 percent assessed market concentration risk as moderate to high, while only 12 percent anticipated an AI bubble bursting. On monetary policy, 58 percent expect the Federal Reserve to hold rates steady, whereas 76 percent forecast rate hikes by both the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan, with the policy divergence between the US and Japan and Europe underpinning the bullish stance on US equities.