Trade wars and geopolitical tensions led investors towards safe-haven assets gold and precious metal silver in 2025. They fetched exponential returns of 85% and 165%, respectively, on the Multi Commodity Exchange, widely overshadowing global equities. The MSCI World Index is up around 21%. But easing interest rates globally and thus, lower cost of financing, along with better economic growth prospects, could be tailwinds for equities in 2026. In December, global fund managers’ equity allocation rose to a net 42% overweight—highest since December 2024, showed the latest BofA Securities survey. This optimism stems from global growth and corporate profit expectations rising to the highest level since 2021.
