HSBC Emerging Markets Sentiment Survey
  • Global Research
    • Emerging markets
    • General Research Insights

HSBC Emerging Markets Sentiment Survey

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Pushing the accelerator

The emerging market (EM) bulls aren’t marching any more – they are charging. Investors have turned even more optimistic on the outlook for EM, based on the findings of HSBC’s 22nd EM Sentiment Survey.

Don’t stop me now

The share of respondents with a ‘bullish’ view on EM prospects over the next three months edged up to 63% from 62% in September, which is the second highest reading in the survey’s history. At the same time, ‘bearish’ views disappeared entirely, bringing the net sentiment, net of bullish and bearish responses, to 63% from 55%, marking the joint highest net sentiment in the history of the survey.

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The improvement in sentiment is also reflected in behaviour: the weighted average ‘risk appetite’ score rose to 6.5 from 6.2, positioning increased across much of EM, and cash holdings dropped to record low of just 4.0% of the assets under management, signalling investors have already deployed a meaningful part of their dry powder.

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The survey was conducted between 20 October and 3 December 2025, capturing the views of 102 investors from 102 institutions, collectively managing USD401bn in EM assets.

The fieldwork coincided with a complicated environment for markets, as concerns of an AI bubble rose to the surface, US data was delayed by the government shutdown, and expectations for the outlook of US monetary policy wavered. Yet EM assets proved resilient, supported by firm economic activity and falling inflation.

When it comes to risks, the survey reveals that tariff concerns have fallen completely off the radar, with recession in major economies is now seen as the biggest downside risk to EM. ‘Fiscal deterioration in major economies’ and ‘geopolitical risks’ are each cited by 17% of investors.

On the upside, 38% of respondents identified a ‘reallocation of capital out of the US’ as the top catalyst for EM. This was followed by an ‘easing of geopolitical tensions’, which has increased in prominence.

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EM investors have also turned even more optimistic on the growth outlook, with the majority expecting activity in developing economies to accelerate over the next 12 months. They were also upbeat on the disinflation front.

So what does this backdrop mean for investment strategies?

The survey results reveal notable shifts in regional preferences. For one, the Middle East has surged to the top spot for both local currency and hard currency debt, marking a sharp improvement in sentiment. Investors see Asia as the region with better prospects for equities and FX.

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Net sentiment for EM FX has also increased in this survey, likely reflecting the still-favourable carry backdrop given the low FX volatility. EM equities are still expected to rise and outperform their developed peers, though survey respondents’ confidence has eased somewhat. Once again, China stood out as the top preferred destination for equities.

On the sustainability front, embedding sustainability into the investment decision-making process is facing challenges; our survey finds that developments are needed across regulation, funding and clear planning to drive the transition.

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Would you like to find out more? Clients of HSBC Global Investment Research can click here* to read the full report.

To learn more about HSBC Global Investment Research, including how to subscribe, please email us at AskResearch@hsbc.com

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