The analysis points out that global capital returned to the Southeast Asian stock market this month, positioning the region as one of the markets that must be watched in the 2026 global financial market. Attracted by cheap valuations and the need to diversify portfolios, foreign funds invested US$337 million in Southeast Asian emerging markets in December, which will be the highest level since September 2024. The Indonesian and Thai markets are leading the way in attracting investors back. In the past 11 months, investors have sold shares in the region for 10 months. Overall, capital outflows in 2025 are still around $15 billion. Christopher Wong, portfolio strategist at Fidelity International, said, “Investors generally need to expand their investments outside the US and in very crowded fields such as artificial intelligence, and ASEAN is expected to benefit from this.” He said the ASEAN market “has a very different growth engine behind it.”

The analysis points out that global capital returned to the Southeast Asian stock market this month, positioning the region as one of the markets that must be watched in the 2026 global financial market. Attracted by cheap valuations and the need to diversify portfolios, foreign funds invested US$337 million in Southeast Asian emerging markets in December, which will be the highest level since September 2024. The Indonesian and Thai markets are leading the way in attracting investors back. In the past 11 months, investors have sold shares in the region for 10 months. Overall, capital outflows in 2025 are still around $15 billion. Christopher Wong, portfolio strategist at Fidelity International, said, “Investors generally need to expand their investments outside the US and in very crowded fields such as artificial intelligence, and ASEAN is expected to benefit from this.” He said the ASEAN market “has a very different growth engine behind it.”