As the founder of WhatAreTheBest.com, I have extensively analyzed investment opportunities across various markets. The 2026 investment opportunities will appear in markets outside the UK and US where valuation metrics align with policy backing and market expansion potential. The Chinese market offers investors exceptional valuation opportunities because its large-cap stocks have reached their lowest points in multiple years while receiving government support and benefiting from domestic spending and their position as global leaders in electric vehicle production and manufacturing. The Indian market attracts investors through its robust GDP expansion, ongoing infrastructure development, and its domestic manufacturing and service sector growth. The semiconductor and AI hardware sector in South Korea presents a compelling investment opportunity because its capital expenditure patterns will generate substantial stock market gains when market demand returns. The three markets require investors to concentrate on specific investments instead of spreading their money across various assets. Albert Richer, Founder WhatAreTheBest.com
I was thinking about stock opportunities outside the UK and US in 2026, I was focused on demographic momentum and domestic consumption. India stands out to me because the growth is driven by internal demand, not just exports. China is still attractive, but you have to be selective. Valuations make it seem like there's a lot of doom and gloom, but the sectors tied to energy transition and domestic tech are showing a lot of potential if policy stabilizes. South Korea is strong in semiconductors and manufacturing efficiency. The common thread here is that its all about productivity growth. I'm looking for those places where structural tailwinds outweigh short term noise from politics and economies.
Outside the UK and US in 2026, our most interesting equity ideas lie in markets where a combination of operating leverage, regulatory pressure and industrial policy are aligning to create real, rather than financial engineering, efficiency gains. China continues to attract for more selective, rather than thematic, exposure. Manufacturing, insurance and mobility businesses that have weathered ongoing margin compression, regulatory tightening and electric vehicle (EV) price wars with their share intact are often left with the most disciplined cost bases and vertically integrated supply chains in their sectors which Western peers find difficult to replicate. In India, structural drivers of demand for cars, insurance and consumer credit are mixing with advances in digital claims processing, payment systems and underwriting. The result is investable platforms replacing fragmented legacy operations. South Korea is notable for globally competitive, export-driven and operationally agile automotive and components groups, where governance reform and leadership in the automotive shift to batteries and advanced manufacturing are positioning well-capitalised firms to benefit from a rebalancing of global supply chains as a move away from geopolitical concentration risk.
I believe that the entire European defence industry—and here I include all European companies that offer dual-use products or services (that is, both military and civilian use)—is extremely interesting to observe. This is the case with Spain's Indra (dual use) or Germany's Rheinmetall. On the one hand, we have the conflict in Ukraine and the Russian threat to countries with a direct border. This is not only about direct warfare; we must also take into account a growing hybrid threat, such as drones, submarine cable cuts, or cyberattacks, which is driving demand for security and defence companies in this new reality. In addition, we have recently seen a partial federalisation of European debt to support the Ukrainian state, through the re-issuance of eurobonds, as already happened during the pandemic. If this instrument becomes normalised, we cannot rule out its use to circumvent the difficult fiscal situation of many governments, the growing demands of different social groups, and defence requirements. This instrument could enable the financing of new programmes and even the expansion of existing manufacturing lines. Finally, the United States has ceased to be a reliable partner, laying claim to territories belonging to an EU member state (such as Greenland, which belongs to Denmark), engaging in a trade war, and acting as an intermediary in the war in Ukraine in a way that increasingly echoes much of the Kremlin's narrative. For all these reasons, I believe that European defence companies—and especially listed dual-use companies on the old continent—deserve special attention in 2026.