The Business Times
business-time-50
CIO CORNER

2026 outlook: Blowing bubbles

There is clearly a tug of war of narratives as we head into 2026

Summarise
google-preferred-sourceAdd BT as a preferred source
阅读简体中文版 (beta)
    • The equity market rally likely still has legs, but diversification strategies have become even more essential.
    • The equity market rally likely still has legs, but diversification strategies have become even more essential. PHOTO: PIXABAY

    Steve Brice

    Published Tue, Jan 6, 2026 · 03:12 PM

    TALK of an asset market bubble is intensifying. However, we believe this equity market rally is backed by strong earnings growth and cash flows – and therefore, it still has legs.

    High valuations are evident across equities, credit and precious metals. We believe investors need to access as many sources of diversified returns as possible to ensure they are positioned for long-term stability and growth.

    There is clearly a tug of war of narratives as we head into 2026. The optimists argue we remain in a bull market supported by strong earnings growth, easing financial conditions and growth-supportive policies.

    CIO CornerMarket outlook

    TRENDING NOW

    Traffic through the strait has been resuming but with interruptions, and there is still little clarity over a permanent solution for passages through the chokepoint.

    Qatari LNG ship struck in Strait of Hormuz, testing US talks

    This comes after a Citi note on Tuesday that lifted target prices for all Singapore banks, with a leading preference and “buy” call for DBS.

    DBS, OCBC and UOB shares hit all-time highs as sentiment improves

    Aster deputy CEO Andre Khor, citing the age of the “polycrisis”, says: “It’s very important to be agile, to be focused on execution… We don’t know all the answers but we keep going forward.”

    ‘Baptism of fire’: Andre Khor on leading Singapore refiner Aster through an energy crisis

    Singapore is ranked as the world’s most expensive city for cars and placed third globally for residential property, according to Julius Baer.

    Singapore retains top spot as most expensive city for HNWIs, with five Apac cities in global top 10

    Latest T-bills Treasury Bills Results & Interest NewsLatest SSB Singapore Savings Bonds NewsLatest COE Certificate of Entitlement News
    Latest Johor-Singapore SEZ NewsLatest BTO Build To Order & Sales of Balance NewsLatest STI Straits Times Index NewsLatest SGX Dividends, Share Price NewsLatest Bonds Market NewsLatest Singapore Stocks To Buy NewsLatest Singapore Economy News
    View More