Schroders Survey Finds APAC Investors Shift Toward Active Management

APAC investors are adjusting portfolios amid geopolitical uncertainty, market concentration concerns and volatility expectations, with active management, diversification and defensive positioning emerging as key investment priorities.

APAC Investors Reposition Portfolios

APAC investors are reassessing portfolio strategies as geopolitical tensions and market concentration risks reshape the investment landscape, according to Schroders’ Global Investor Insights Survey 2026.

The survey found that 87% of investors in the region expect higher market volatility over the next year, driven by concerns over Middle East conflicts, uncertainty surrounding US foreign policy, and energy security challenges. As a result, investors are prioritising capital preservation and diversification while actively repositioning portfolios.

Only 5% of APAC investors plan to keep their current strategic allocations unchanged. More than half are seeking buying opportunities, increasing geographic diversification beyond the United States, and allocating more capital to defensive assets such as cash and short-duration investments.

Concerns about index concentration are also growing, prompting many investors to turn to active management. Confidence in active strategies remains high, with 86% believing active management can help achieve investment objectives through flexibility, opportunity capture and responsiveness to geopolitical developments in rapidly changing markets.