Brookfield’s 2026 Investment Outlook: A Defining Moment for Global Markets

Rhea-AI Summary

Brookfield (NYSE:BAM) published its 2026 Investment Outlook on December 16, 2025, saying a multi‑decade cycle is underway driven by rising electricity demand, rapid AI adoption and reoriented supply chains.

Key themes: an infrastructure "supercycle" for power, data and logistics; an "any‑and‑all" energy approach combining renewables, storage, nuclear and gas; private equity focus shifting to operational transformation; real estate benefitting from returning liquidity and selective, operational investing; and credit emphasizing disciplined underwriting and asset quality.

Key Figures

Outlook year 2026 Year covered by Brookfield’s Investment Outlook

Current price $53.21 Price prior to publication of 2026 Investment Outlook

52-week high $64.10 Upper end of 52-week trading range before this news

52-week low $41.78 Lower end of 52-week trading range before this news

Market cap $86,641,701,265 Equity value ahead of the 2026 Investment Outlook release

Daily move -1.08% Price change in the 24 hours before this news

Volume today 1,233,744 shares Trading activity vs 20-day average of 2,792,088 shares

200-day MA $55.17 Long-term moving average level pre-announcement

Market Reality Check

$51.70 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,233,744 is below the 20-day average of 2,792,088 (relative volume 0.44). low

Technical Price 53.21 is trading below the 200-day MA of 55.17 and about 16.99% under the 52-week high of 64.10.

Peers on Argus

While BAM is down 1.08%, key asset management peers are also negative: BN (-1.93%), APO (-1.77%), ARES (-0.97%), KKR (-2.16%), BLK (-1.21%). However, no sector-wide momentum signal was triggered.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 09	AI JV partnership	Positive	+2.4%	Announced $20B strategic AI infrastructure JV focused on Qatar and global markets.
Nov 26	Conference appearance	Positive	+1.5%	CEO scheduled to present at major Goldman Sachs financial services conference.
Nov 19	AI program launch	Positive	+1.5%	Launched $100B global AI infrastructure program via BAIIF with key partners.
Nov 17	Mortgage partnership	Positive	+0.9%	Tripartite partnership to build advanced mortgage finance platform in Saudi Arabia.
Nov 13	Debt offering	Positive	-0.6%	Priced $600M 2030 and $400M 2036 senior notes for general corporate purposes.

Pattern Detected

Recent news tied to strategic partnerships, AI infrastructure and capital markets activity has generally been followed by positive 24-hour price reactions, with only the debt pricing event showing a mild divergence.

Recent Company History

Over the last two months, Brookfield Asset Management has reported several growth-oriented developments. On Nov 13, 2025, it priced $1.0 billion of senior notes, followed by strategic partnerships in Saudi housing finance and AI infrastructure, including a $20 billion JV and a $100 billion AI infrastructure program. These events, plus conference participation, mostly saw positive 24-hour price moves. Today’s 2026 Investment Outlook reinforces themes of AI, infrastructure, and real assets highlighted in these prior announcements.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement outlines Brookfield’s 2026 Investment Outlook, emphasizing themes such as AI-driven infrastructure, rising electricity demand, and opportunities across private equity, real estate, and credit. Recent history shows the company highlighting similar trends via large AI programs and strategic partnerships. Investors may focus on how these themes connect to prior initiatives, the company’s positioning below its 200-day MA, and how execution across infrastructure, renewables, and private credit aligns with the broader macro environment.

Key Terms

infrastructure technical

"In infrastructure and energy, investment is ramping up to meet growing power needs."

Infrastructure is the network of long-lasting physical and digital systems—like roads, bridges, power lines, water pipes, data centers and broadband networks—that keep an economy running, similar to a city’s backbone. For investors it matters because these assets are costly to build but often provide steady, predictable cash flow or value over many years, are influenced by government policy and regulation, and can offer diversification or inflation protection in a portfolio.

private equity financial

"In private equity, value creation is shifting toward business transformation and away from financial engineering."

Private equity involves investing money directly into private companies or buying out public companies to make them private, with the goal of improving their performance and increasing their value over time. For investors, it offers an opportunity to earn returns by helping companies grow or restructure, often requiring a longer-term commitment and a higher level of involvement than typical stock investments.

financial engineering financial

"value creation is shifting toward business transformation and away from financial engineering."

Financial engineering is the creation and use of customized financial products and strategies—built from loans, investments and contracts—to change how money is earned, paid out or protected. Think of it as designing a bespoke toolbox that reshapes returns, risk and timing of cash flows; it matters to investors because these engineered structures can boost or mask performance and costs, so spotting complexity helps evaluate true value and hidden risks.

underwriting financial

"disciplined underwriting and a focus on asset quality are increasingly rewarded."

Underwriting is the process where a financial institution agrees to buy and then resell new stocks or bonds to investors. It matters because it helps companies raise money quickly and smoothly, while the bank takes on the risk of selling those securities at the agreed price. Think of it like a booker guaranteeing to sell all tickets for a concert before opening the doors.

asset-based finance financial

"Private credit’s growth is accelerating in areas such as infrastructure, real estate and asset-based finance,"

Asset-based finance is a type of lending where a company borrows money using tangible assets—such as accounts receivable (invoices), inventory, or equipment—as security, similar to using a valuable item as collateral at a pawn shop. Investors care because it affects a firm's access to cash and its risk profile: more asset-backed borrowing can provide quick funding but also ties borrowing limits to the value and liquidity of those assets.

deglobalization technical

"fueled by the converging megatrends of digitalization, decarbonization and deglobalization—structural forces"

Deglobalization is the trend of nations and companies reducing reliance on cross-border trade and long international supply chains, instead favoring local or regional sourcing and tighter trade controls. For investors it matters because it can shift costs, profit margins, growth opportunities and risk exposure—similar to a family deciding to buy more from nearby stores: prices, availability and where money flows all change, affecting which businesses gain or lose value.

digitalization technical

"fueled by the converging megatrends of digitalization, decarbonization and deglobalization—structural forces"

Digitalization is the process of converting business activities, records, and services into digital formats and using software and data to run operations more automatically and efficiently. For investors, it matters because companies that digitalize can lower costs, scale faster, improve customer reach and generate clearer data for decision-making — similar to switching from paper maps to GPS, which speeds travel and reveals better routes.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

The new winners are those that focus on fundamentals, creating one of the most defining investment periods in decades

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield today published its 2026 Investment Outlook, which highlights that the defining forces shaping the global economy are accelerating, creating one of the most significant investment periods in decades.

A structural, multi-decade cycle is underway, powered by rising electricity demand, rapid AI adoption, and the reorientation of global supply chains. In infrastructure and energy, investment is ramping up to meet growing power needs. In real estate, the winners are those with investment skills combined with operational expertise. In private equity, value creation is shifting toward business transformation and away from financial engineering. And in credit, disciplined underwriting and a focus on asset quality are increasingly rewarded.

Bruce Flatt, Brookfield CEO, said: “Across our businesses, a consistent theme is emerging, and it is one we have adhered to for decades—disciplined transformation. We are in an era that rewards operational excellence, efficient capital recycling and a focus on the fundamentals. As we enter 2026, the opportunity for long-term, disciplined investors is great.”

As global markets undergo rapid shifts driven by technology, industrial policy and rising energy needs, Brookfield continues to deploy disciplined capital into the real assets and essential services that underpin economic growth. Key investment themes for 2026 include:

Infrastructure: The convergence of megatrends has us in a once-in-a-generation investment supercycle

• The infrastructure supercycle continues, fueled by the converging megatrends of digitalization, decarbonization and deglobalization—structural forces whose foundations have only strengthened.
• Artificial intelligence and data sovereignty are driving explosive demand for digital infrastructure and compute capacity, which has had a domino effect in driving the needs for power and supporting infrastructure.

Sam Pollock, CEO, Infrastructure, said: “As AI, electrification and reindustrialization accelerate, infrastructure sits at the center of a once-in-a-generation investment supercycle. We’re partnering with corporates and sovereigns to deliver the essential power, data and logistics networks that underpin global growth. With demand expanding faster than traditional systems can support, our scale and operating expertise position us to meet these needs with durable, long-term solutions.”

Renewable Power & Transition: Access to power is a strategic priority and will continue to be a defining factor for economic growth

• Global electricity demand is accelerating faster than supply, propelled by the combined forces of digitalization, electrification and industrialization.
• No single technology can meet future load needs alone. Meeting this unprecedented rise in demand needs an “any-and-all” approach, with a focus on: renewables—the lowest cost source of bulk power in most regions of the world—for its economic advantage and speed; battery storage for flexibility; nuclear for scale and reliability; and natural gas for stability.

Connor Teskey, CEO, Renewable Power and Transition and Brookfield Asset Management President, said: “Electricity is a strategic priority for both governments and corporates. Our focus is on scalable, reliable and clean power—taking an ‘any-and-all’ approach to energy includes significant amounts of new renewables, storage, nuclear and gas—to meet soaring demand and support a diversified, secure energy future. As power is the defining input for economic growth, we are building platforms that can deliver cost-effective energy at the pace industries now require.”

Private Equity: Tailwinds and megatrends will energize the industry after a challenging period

• Global buyouts activity is accelerating, fueled by normalizing interest rates, attractive asset values in aging portfolios and corporate rationalizations.
• Industrial companies requiring operational transformation will offer great opportunity as deglobalization and digitalization—led by the AI revolution—drive necessary productivity improvements.

Anuj Ranjan, CEO, Private Equity, said: “Value creation now requires operational excellence, not financial engineering. As value investors focused on operational transformation in essential industrials and business services, we see an incredible opportunity set today to support the rewiring and enhancement of these industries as we enter the next industrial revolution driven by AI and digital acceleration.”

Real Estate: 2026 will be the year investors shift into tactical mode and find even more attractive opportunities to invest

• Financing markets are normalizing, with renewed liquidity enabling price discovery and reactivating deal flow across major markets.
• In 2026, real estate investing will depend on selectivity and getting results from operational value creation as the asset class recovers.

Lowell Baron, CEO, Real Estate, said: “With liquidity returning and price discovery underway, 2026 will reward investors who are selective and operationally focused. We see compelling opportunities across our business, with diversified housing, logistics and hospitality leading the way due to long-term structural demand. By pairing disciplined underwriting with active asset management, we are positioning high-quality assets to outperform in the next phase of the cycle.”

Credit: Market fundamentals will remain robust as demand for financing increases

• Private credit’s growth is accelerating in areas such as infrastructure, real estate and asset-based finance, as the asset class continues to mature.
• We see the potential for return dispersion to rise as investment results could increasingly depend on borrower, sector, collateral and structural differentiation.

Craig Noble, CEO, Credit: “In an environment where capital is plentiful and spreads have tightened, disciplined underwriting anchored in credit fundamentals and risk management is more important than ever. We always prioritize high-quality borrowers and structures that deliver resilient income and downside protection. This disciplined framework enables us to deploy capital at scale where we see the most attractive investment opportunities across the credit markets.”

Media: Rachel Wood Tel: (980) 428-3539  Email: rachel.wood@brookfield.com	Investor Relations: Jason Fooks Tel: (212) 417-2442 Email: jason.fooks@brookfield.com
John Hamlin Tel: +44 204 557 4334 Email: john.hamlin@brookfield.com

About Brookfield Asset Management

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE: BAM, TSX: BAM) is a leading global alternative asset manager, headquartered in New York, with over $1 trillion of assets under management across infrastructure, renewable power and transition, private equity, real estate, and credit. We invest client capital for the long term with a focus on real assets and essential service businesses that form the backbone of the global economy. We offer a range of alternative investment products to investors around the world — including public and private pension plans, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, insurance companies and private wealth investors. We draw on Brookfield’s heritage as an owner and operator to invest for value and generate strong returns for our clients, across economic cycles.

For more information, please visit www.brookfield.com.

Notice to Readers

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of other relevant securities legislation, including applicable securities laws in Canada, which reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, our operations and financial performance (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future results, events or conditions, and include, but are not limited to, statements which reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs and assumptions and which are in turn based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. The estimates, beliefs and assumptions of Brookfield are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other uncertainties and contingencies regarding future events and as such, are subject to change. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “target”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “foresee”, “could”, “estimate”, “goal”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, “strive”, “will”, “may” and “should” and similar expressions. In particular, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release include statements referring to Brookfield’s performance, and economic and market outlook, in 2026 and beyond.

Although Brookfield believes that such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable estimates, beliefs and assumptions, certain factors, risks and uncertainties, which are described from time to time in our documents filed with the securities regulators in the United States and Canada, not presently known to Brookfield, or that Brookfield currently believes are not material, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements. 

Readers are urged to consider these risks, as well as other uncertainties, factors and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based only on information available to us as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, Brookfield undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

FAQ

What are Brookfield's main 2026 investment themes for BAM?

Brookfield highlights an infrastructure supercycle, rising electricity demand, AI‑driven digital infrastructure, an "any‑and‑all" energy approach, private equity operational transformation, selective real estate opportunities and disciplined credit underwriting.

How does Brookfield expect electricity demand to affect BAM's strategy in 2026?

Brookfield says accelerating electricity demand makes power strategic, prompting investment across renewables, battery storage, nuclear and gas to deliver scalable, reliable energy.

What does Brookfield say about private equity opportunities for BAM in 2026?

Brookfield expects buyout activity to accelerate and favors operational transformation in industrials and business services over financial engineering.

How will real estate investing change for BAM in 2026 according to the outlook?

The outlook says financing markets are normalizing, rewarding selective, operationally focused real estate investors with opportunities in housing, logistics and hospitality.

What is Brookfield's 2026 view on credit markets for BAM?

Brookfield expects private credit growth across infrastructure, real estate and asset‑based finance and emphasizes disciplined underwriting, borrower quality and downside protection.

When was Brookfield's 2026 Investment Outlook released for BAM?

The Investment Outlook was published on December 16, 2025.