BOS: EAMs to Explore More Markets, Partnerships in 2026
Most external asset managers are seeking expansion in 2026 via the exploration of entry into new markets and the formation of partnerships, according to a survey by Bank of Singapore.
Slightly over half of external asset managers (EAM) said they will be exploring new markets and forming strategic partnerships in 2026, according to a Bank of Singapore survey of senior leaders and client-facing professionals from the segment, also known as financial intermediaries (FIM).
This is partly driven by client demand in holding assets in multiple jurisdictions, with Dubai being one of the financial hubs of interest.
Customer Experience, Tech Adoption
In terms of business focus, improving customer experience and engagement was ranked the top priority by 63 percent of the respondents. Areas cited for investment to address this include digitalizing the onboarding process, enhancing portfolio reporting across asset classes, improving service turnaround times and giving advisors more timely insights to support client conversations.
Another main focus for FIMs is to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence, digital transformation and automation (46 percent).
Investment Demand
On investments, one third of respondents said they expect fixed income solutions to see the highest growth in demand among clients. EAMs also expected increased demand in alternative investments (25 percent) and exchange-traded funds (23 percent).
And on the outlook, 43 percent of EAMs were neutral about the global economy, alongside 20 percent who claimed they were either pessimistic or very pessimistic. Geopolitical tension was named the main factor weighing down sentiment, with 44 percent of respondents citing it as the biggest macroeconomic risk for 2026.
«FIMs today know and understand the immense challenge that they face on two fronts – helping clients shift their portfolios amid the geopolitical environment and fast-changing investment environment due to technology innovations and also demographics; as well as the necessity to build scale and diversification in their businesses. It is heartening to see that they are taking concrete steps to meet those challenges,» said Lim Leong Guan, global head of FIMs, family office and wealth advisory, Bank of Singapore.
The survey was carried out between November 2025 and January 2026 with 90 respondents from the EAM market.
