The 2026 update seeks steady compounding by rightsizing equity risk, anchoring in high-quality fixed income, and preserving sleeves in real assets and select alternatives so portfolios remain resilient across a range of outcomes. In this edition of the Weekly Market Commentary, we highlight some key elements of the 2026 SAA update.

Wall Street narratives rarely stay still, and recent weeks have underscored how quickly sentiment can change as perceived new information challenges the status quo.

After a stellar 2025 in which emerging market (EM) equities returned 34%, 2026 is off to a good start with the MSCI EM Index up 7% year to date. Last year’s near doubling of the S&P 500 return was driven mostly by a weakening U.S. dollar, which propped up EM returns, but attractive valuations and artificial intelligence (AI) investment played a role. This week we highlight five reasons we’ve warmed up to EM.