As 2025 winds down, advisors are looking toward what next year might bring for investment strategies.
One story will remain inescapable in the new year: AI. Sky-high market caps and billions being traded back and forth between companies with limited results to show for it have raised fears of overconcentration and a bubble bursting. With ongoing investment at the local and state level — including data centers and AI tech hubs — adoption and use will continue to increase, said Derrick Alexander, owner and lead financial advisor at Greater Works Wealth in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“I don’t think we’ll see a bubble burst during this administration, unless there’s a direct push to slow down the AI industry,” he said.
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Not everyone is so optimistic. Steven Crane, founder of Financial Legacy Builders in Dayton, Ohio, said he sees bubble characteristics around AI.
“Anytime investors start believing technology will solve everything, you get inflated expectations,” he said. “Investors will need to diversify beyond tech, be comfortable with tactical adjustments and understand their own behavior. The era of easy money is gone.”
Though AI has dominated the headlines, it’s far from the only trending topic. Buzz around growing access to alternative investments has been building as well.
Lucas Wennersten, owner and founder of 49th Parallel Wealth Management in Scottsdale, Arizona, said he expects money to continue to flow into private equity and private debt.
“Fund companies are making great strides in making those types of investments available to more investors and providing better liquidity than in the past,” he said. “Alternative investments will also be available in retirement accounts, increasing the pool of potential investors.”
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Meanwhile, traditional investments will remain foundational in most portfolios. Jonathan Elliott, managing partner at wealth management firm Optima Capital Management in Tempe, Arizona, said he remains bullish on U.S. equities.
“U.S. corporate earnings continue to show strong momentum in this earnings season,” he said. “With equity returns typically tracking earnings growth and the market continuing to gain traction after the April 2025 correction, investors should benefit from a meaningful tailwind as we move into 2026 and beyond.”
Scroll down the slideshow to see what 10 industry experts identify as some of the most important investment trends for 2026:
