Perspectives

Ashley Lester, chief research and development officer, and Axel Kilian, chief client officer, examine a pivotal moment for markets entering 2026. Drawing on MSCI's research, they explore geopolitics, institutional uncertainty, AI investment at scale, market concentration and infrastructure, focusing on the market signals investors should watch.

Markets are evolving faster than ever - uncertainty is rising, portfolios are becoming more complex and AI is reshaping how investment decisions are made. We bring together sharp insights from global investment and risk leaders on navigating today's shifting landscape: from new market dynamics and emerging risks to the growing move toward total-portfolio thinking. Whether you manage portfolios, advise clients or simply want to stay informed, hear what could shape the year ahead.

How do you track private equity returns in a liquid, transparent form? Experts from MSCI and Goldman Sachs Asset Management discuss how data and analytics came together with deep industry insights to build the MSCI World Private Equity Return Tracker Index and GSAM's associated ETF.

The great wealth transition has arrived, and with it comes a new client base for wealth managers who demand personalization, tech-driven solutions and portfolios that reflect their values. April Rudin of The Rudin Group, join our own Govinda Quish and Dimtris Melas walk us through these shifts, along with a side trip into the global economic and market environment in which they exist.

The great wealth transition has arrived, and with it comes a new client base for wealth managers who demand personalization, tech-driven solutions and portfolios that reflect their values. April Rudin of The Rudin Group, join our own Govinda Quish and Dimtris Melas walk us through these shifts, along with a side trip into the global economic and market environment in which they exist.

Globally, investors are rethinking the "pie chart" of traditional asset allocation. Many are adopting the total portfolio approach (TPA) - a holistic way of assessing how every investment contributes to the risk and return of the entire portfolio. In this episode, Oleg Ruban, MSCI's Head of APAC Research, and Ian Patrick, Chief Investment Officer of Australian Retirement Trust, discuss how that shift is taking shape across Asia-Pacific. They explore why some institutions are embracing TPA while others remain cautious, the cultural challenges of breaking down investment silos and how climate goals and AI are reshaping portfolio decisions.

The world's most innovative companies - leaders in AI, fintech, space tech and beyond - are staying private longer and growing bigger before going public. That means much of today's growth story is unfolding out of reach for many investors. In this episode MSCI's Mehdi Alighanbari, Caplight's Javier Avalos and Derek Yan of KraneShares discuss the fast-growing market for venture-backed private companies. They explore how secondary markets, new data, evolving regulation and index-based products are making this once-opaque space more transparent and accessible.

After years of U.S. market dominance, the tide may be turning. MSCI's Ashley Lester and Axel Kilian reveal what they're hearing from global investors—from rising interest in Europe and Asia to growing concerns about currency risk and private equity liquidity. This mid-year check-in offers timely insights into how capital may be repositioning for what's next.

After holding on and repeating the mantra, "stay alive until 2025," six months into the new year, commercial real estate investors find themselves anxious about the way forward. But are there actual signs of distress? Our panel of real estate experts explain.

Questions abound around inflation, interest rates, trade disruption - and beneath it all, fixed-income and derivatives markets adapting at speed. With Treasury auctions stirring unease and a dramatic shift in how global investors are positioning, it's no surprise that bonds and derivatives are back in focus. But the questions are bigger than just "what and where to buy." They're about what tools to use, which risks to hedge and how to think long-term while volatility dominates the conversation.