We now turn to another highlight on our calendar – the announcement of this year’s winners of the Asian Private Banker Asset Management Awards for Excellence.

Now in its 14th year, the awards recognise asset managers serving private banking and wealth management clients across Asia.

Beyond investment performance, the awards also recognise how managers respond to changing market conditions, develop their investment strategies and meet clients’ evolving needs.

We’ll be announcing this year’s winners throughout the week. Before then, let’s look at some of the key trends that emerged from this year’s submissions.

Alternative investments continued to attract strong interest from private banking clients in 2026, particularly private credit, open-ended private market strategies and hedge funds. Infrastructure also drew inflows, as investors looked for long-term growth and stable returns.

In equities, global, income and quantitative strategies attracted the strongest flows. In fixed income, emerging market debt, global investment-grade bonds and short-term global bonds were among the preferred choices.

This year’s submissions also point to growing interest in flexible strategies that can adapt to changing market conditions. Fund managers are combining macroeconomic analysis with company-level research to identify opportunities, while placing greater emphasis on quality, diversification and risk management.

Managers are also looking at longer-term economic changes, from decarbonisation in industrials to sustainability in real estate. Quantitative tools and factor analysis are helping to inform investment decisions, alongside a focus on limiting downside risks.

Overall, the trends point to investors in Asia becoming more selective about where they put their money. They are looking for strategies that diversify portfolios, manage risk and deliver returns across different market cycles.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, and thank you to all the fund managers who participated in the awards. We enjoyed meeting you and hearing more about your investment strategies and approaches.

Next up, we turn to the private banks and their propositions for this year’s Awards for Distinction. We look forward to another round of insightful discussions and hearing what the private banks have to bring to the table.