Affluent investors in Hong Kong and mainland China lowered their 2026 annual return expectations to 7.9% and 8.1%, respectively, while shifting their focus toward long-term wealth growth, according to a Tuesday DBS survey.

To achieve this, investors are broadening their portfolios. Stocks remained the top allocation at 41%, but alternative investments surged to 18% to become the second-largest asset class, alongside a growing appetite for exchange-traded funds over traditional mutual funds.

The survey also highlighted rising artificial intelligence adoption for investment research and noted that 63% of respondents hold overseas assets, mainly in Hong Kong.