Skip to main content
Back

Global tech and semiconductors: what’s been driving returns and what to watch next

27 April 2026

Ryan Davies, CFA Senior Portfolio Manager

Michael P. Evans, CFA Managing Director, Equity Client Portfolio Manager

Semiconductors have been one of the strongest parts of global equity markets so far in 2026, with performance supported by a powerful mix of demand and improving fundamentals. The headlines have focused on artificial intelligence (AI), but the opportunity set is broader than a single theme or a handful of companies. As AI infrastructure expands, it is driving investment not only in high-performance computing chips, but also in the networking and power technologies that keep modern data centres running. At the same time, parts of the industry outside AI are showing early signs of stabilisation and recovery.

Key points:

  • Semiconductors have led global markets in 2026, outperforming broader equities, with gains across multiple chip segments.
  • AI infrastructure is the main driver, lifting demand for compute, networking, and power-related chips.
  • Recovery is uneven beyond AI: industrial and auto are improving, while PCs and smartphones remain challenged.
  • Supply chains are becoming more resilient and localised, supporting ongoing investment in manufacturing and equipment.
  • Opportunities appear in connectivity, selective compute and power, and equipment, while risks include consumer softness, cycle swings, and potential policy or geopolitical shifts.

 

Download full PDF

 

  • Global Equity Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy update: Risks and opportunities

    In early April, developments in the Middle East showed signs of stabilisation, prompting a partial recovery and renewed risk-taking in equity markets. However, beyond ongoing geopolitical risks, other factors—including potential private credit contagion across banks and broader financials—continue to pose downside risks. Despite these uncertainties, we believe an income centric approach, combined with global diversification across growth, value and income equities, has provided both downside resilience and upside participation for the Global Equities Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy.

    Read more
  • Global Multi Asset Diversified Income Fund (GMADI) update amid recent Middle East developments

    Global markets turned to a risk off mode in March 2026 as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East eclipsed earlier optimism about growth and policy support. Equity and fixed-income markets declined as energy price shocks and uncertainty weighed on investor confidence. However, the diversified portfolio construction and income generation focus supported the Manulife Global Fund – Global Multi Asset Diversified Income Fund (“GMADI” or “the Fund”) in delivering relatively resilient performance ( 4%) .

    Read more
  • The real asset renaissance: securing power, materials, and energy in a deglobalized world

    Global supply chains are being reshaped by deglobalisation, geopolitics, and the race for energy and technological security, shifting the focus from efficiency toward resilience. In this environment of higher costs, persistent inflation pressures, and constrained supply, real assets may play an increasingly important role in helping investors navigate uncertainty and capture long‑term structural trends.

    Read more
See all
  • Latest asset allocation views for Asia Q2 2026

    Three key global themes for latest asset allocation view in Q2 2026 are: 1.Middle East conflict: energy risk and macro uncertainty; 2. AI: bubble or build-out; 3. Diversification isn’t dead; it’s different.

    Read more
  • Global Equity Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy update: Risks and opportunities

    In early April, developments in the Middle East showed signs of stabilisation, prompting a partial recovery and renewed risk-taking in equity markets. However, beyond ongoing geopolitical risks, other factors—including potential private credit contagion across banks and broader financials—continue to pose downside risks. Despite these uncertainties, we believe an income centric approach, combined with global diversification across growth, value and income equities, has provided both downside resilience and upside participation for the Global Equities Diversified Income (GEDI) strategy.

    Read more
  • Q&A: US equities outlook

    Michael J. Mattioli, Portfolio Manager, share his current view on US equities market, where geopolitical uncertainty and AI-driven change coexist with compelling opportunities.

    Read more
See all