Alternatives

• Donald Trump is shifting U.S. trade strategy to restrict the development and use of non-American alternatives to U.S. financial, technological, and defense networks. • The U.S. is pressuring allies to adopt American systems by tying market access, security guarantees, and technology use to commercial and political agreements. • This move comes as Europe and Asia plan to develop their own independent digital currency, space, and air-defense projects over the next five years.

• A Brookfield survey reveals that 83% of high-net-worth (HNW) women in Asia now hold alternative assets, surpassing the 73% of HNW men. • The study focused on 275 investors from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, each possessing at least US$2.5 million in household investable assets. • These results indicate that wealthy women in the region currently hold stronger investment convictions regarding alternative asset classes than their male counterparts.

• Institutional investors are increasingly diversifying their portfolios by targeting energy assets across growth economies in Asia. • This shift is driven by the massive power demand required to support cloud migration and the rapid expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure. • By moving into these emerging markets, asset owners aim to mitigate concentration risks associated with mature, saturated markets.