Important Notes:
10 August 2026
Nathan W. Thooft, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Multi-Asset Solutions and Global Equities, Senior Portfolio Manager
Paul Kalogirou, Head of Client Portfolio Management, Asia & Global Multi-Asset Solutions


Global equity markets have recently experienced greater volatility. Much of this has been driven by earnings announcements from AI hardware, semiconductor and large cloud-computing companies. Concerns about potential interest rate hikes have also added to investor uncertainty.
After a prolonged period of strong performance in AI-related areas, market expectations have become demanding. Even companies reporting solid results have experienced sharp share-price moves when their outlook has only met, rather than exceeded, investor expectations.
Against this backdrop, the GEDI Fund remains focused on its core objective: generating income while maintaining diversified exposure to potential capital growth.
The GEDI Strategy has exposure to technology and AI-related opportunities, but these areas are not the dominant drivers of its results.
Its broader diversification and income focus mean that growth-led market factors may have a more moderate effect on performance – both when technology markets rise and when they fall. This does not remove market risk, but it may help reduce the Strategy’s reliance on a narrow group of companies or a single investment theme.
Recent volatility reflects more than the strength or weakness of reported earnings. Investors are paying closer attention to what companies say about the future.
The main areas under scrutiny include:
Our observation is that AI-related spending remains strong, However, evidence of how this spending can support broader revenue growth, productivity improvements and future earnings remains key market focus.
Markets have therefore become less tolerant of situations where investment is rising much faster than near-term revenue opportunities. We believe companies that can demonstrate sustained demand and a credible route to generating returns from AI investment may be better placed, while those that disappoint elevated expectations may experience larger price movements.
Market leadership has also been concentrated within a relatively small group of AI-linked companies. This concentration may increase volatility because changes in expectations for a limited number of large businesses may have an outsized effect on the wider market.
We believe AI may remain a long-term source of growth. At the same time, near-term volatility is likely to continue as markets reassess valuations, earnings expectations and the pace at which AI is adopted.
Potential changes in interest-rate expectations may create an additional source of uncertainty. We remain focused on diversification, income generation and selective participation in growth opportunities.
We also expect market participation may broaden beyond the largest AI-related companies. This may create opportunities in other sectors and regions, including businesses that may benefit indirectly from technology investment or from a wider improvement in economic activity.
Periods of consolidation or correction remain possible, particularly in parts of the semiconductor and AI infrastructure markets where valuations and expectations are elevated. We therefore believe it is important to balance participation in the long-term theme with careful management of concentration and valuation risk.
We have gradually increased the Strategy’s sensitivity to equity market movements over recent months. These changes have been measured rather than concentrated in a single area.
Key adjustments have included:
The change in options positioning has included selling shorter-dated calls linked to defensive utility shares and buying longer-dated calls linked to the technology sector. In simple terms, this is intended to give the Strategy more potential participation in future technology-led gains while continuing to manage overall exposure.
Based on our estimates, the combined positioning changes have reduced annual income potential by around 0.6 percentage points, assuming the positions are maintained for 12 months. This reflects a deliberate trade-off: modestly lower income potential in exchange for greater participation in potential future market gains.
We are selective in areas that may benefit from semiconductor and AI infrastructure investment. These have been balanced with broader exposure to financially sound companies and quality-oriented businesses that may benefit from a wider economic cycle.
We expect further opportunities may emerge as markets rotate and valuations adjust. However, selection remains important. The aim is not to make AI the dominant source of risk, but to participate in its potential growth while maintaining the Strategy’s broader income and diversification objectives.
Real assets and the infrastructure behind AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is often positioned as a story of models and applications, but its growth depends heavily on something far more tangible. Real assets such as data centres, power grids, and raw materials form the physical that supports AI development. As structural forces reshape the investment landscape, real assets are emerging as an enabler of the AI buildout.
The engine behind AI: Semiconductors are fuelling the next era of technology
Semiconductors belong to one of the most specialised yet globally integrated industry chains. From design, equipment, and materials to manufacturing and commercialisation, the production of a smartphone chip alone spans many countries across continents, creating tremendous opportunities for companies, consumers, and investors. With semiconductors increasingly becoming the backbone of an artificial intelligence (AI) race few are prepared for, understanding this sector is key to unlocking where the next wave of technology competition is heading.
AI innovation: Asia helps build many of the world’s technologies behind it
When electricity first arrived, the world built the necessary infrastructure – power plants, transmission lines – before the real transformation could take hold. A similar process is happening with artificial intelligence (AI). Today's massive investment in chips, data centres, and power grids is laying the foundation for a potential expansion in AI application that could take years to develop. In our view, the discussion is increasingly shifting from whether AI adoption will continue to how the enabling infrastructure is being built. Asia appears to be playing an important role in that development.
Real assets and the infrastructure behind AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is often positioned as a story of models and applications, but its growth depends heavily on something far more tangible. Real assets such as data centres, power grids, and raw materials form the physical that supports AI development. As structural forces reshape the investment landscape, real assets are emerging as an enabler of the AI buildout.
The engine behind AI: Semiconductors are fuelling the next era of technology
Semiconductors belong to one of the most specialised yet globally integrated industry chains. From design, equipment, and materials to manufacturing and commercialisation, the production of a smartphone chip alone spans many countries across continents, creating tremendous opportunities for companies, consumers, and investors. With semiconductors increasingly becoming the backbone of an artificial intelligence (AI) race few are prepared for, understanding this sector is key to unlocking where the next wave of technology competition is heading.
AI innovation: Asia helps build many of the world’s technologies behind it
When electricity first arrived, the world built the necessary infrastructure – power plants, transmission lines – before the real transformation could take hold. A similar process is happening with artificial intelligence (AI). Today's massive investment in chips, data centres, and power grids is laying the foundation for a potential expansion in AI application that could take years to develop. In our view, the discussion is increasingly shifting from whether AI adoption will continue to how the enabling infrastructure is being built. Asia appears to be playing an important role in that development.