The Takeaway
Now entering our fifth year for this survey, this year’s qualitative phase gathered perspectives and insights from a series of live, in-depth interviews with 25 asset owners from around the world.
This year, we recorded plenty of shifts in the market environment, global investment standards, regulatory standards, and policy in our conversation with global stewards of capital.
Notable observations were a concerning yet necessary concentration in US market, increasing diversification to build resilience across global portfolios, a healthy caution around AI and growing interest in private markets.
Institutional asset owners (AOs) continue to operate on the cutting edge of global investment policy, standards and strategy. Right now, they are also facing the challenge of navigating volatility on multiple fronts, whether that’s in capital markets, geopolitics, technology, or regulation and governance. So, it’s an opportune time to be seeking their perspective for the qualitative analysis phase of our annual Asset Owner Perspectives Survey.
Now entering the fifth year of our global asset owner conversation, we are learning more and more about the challenges facing AOs and how they are working through them. Our level of understanding is deepening, helping us to ask more insightful questions and identify emerging trends among this consistently evolving set of global investors.
With the help of Opinium Research, we conducted a series of live in-depth interviews with 25 asset owners across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific in March and April of this year. These conversations have yielded a number of useful insights and will help set the stage for our global quantitative study, to be fielded later this year.
©2026 Morningstar. All Rights Reserved. The information, data, analyses and opinions contained herein (1) include the proprietary information of Morningstar, (2) may not be copied or redistributed, (3) do not constitute investment advice offered by Morningstar, (4) are provided solely for informational purposes and therefore are not an offer to buy or sell a security, and (5) are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar has not given its consent to be deemed an "expert" under the federal Securities Act of 1933. Except as otherwise required by law, Morningstar is not responsible for any trading decisions, damages or other losses resulting from, or related to, this information, data, analyses or opinions or their use. References to specific securities or other investment options should not be considered an offer (as defined by the Securities and Exchange Act) to purchase or sell that specific investment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Before making any investment decision, consider if the investment is suitable for you by referencing your own financial position, investment objectives, and risk profile. Always consult with your financial advisor before investing.
Indexes are unmanaged and not available for direct investment.
Morningstar indexes are created and maintained by Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar® is a registered trademark of Morningstar, Inc.