Investment Intelligence from Asset Flows and Investor Research Activity
The Global Investment Intelligence Report highlights investment universes gaining and losing momentum based on asset flow trends and the research activity of asset owners, consultants, and financial advisors. Drawing on more than $75 trillion in manager-reported institutional and retail AUM and over 200,000 quarterly product profile reviews on the Nasdaq eVestment platform, the report delivers a data-driven view of evolving investor preferences and emerging trends across global markets. Updated each quarter, it provides timely insight into shifting areas of investment interest.
What’s New in the Q1 2026 Report
Enhanced Trending Analysis: Introduces a new Net Trend Score framework using 16 variables that combines asset flow data and investor, consultant, and advisor engagement signals to identify investment universes gaining or losing momentum, while distinguishing between short-term shifts, long-term trends, and changes in trend strength.
Institutional and Retail AUM: The report now incorporates Total AUM data, combining both institutional and retail assets reported by asset managers into Nasdaq eVestment. This expanded scope offers the benefits of broader market representation and cross-channel insights.
Expanded Engagement Coverage: Engagement metrics in the report (product profile reviews) now incorporate financial advisor activity from the Nasdaq eVestment platform alongside asset owner and consultant research activity, creating a more complete measure of market interest and demand.
Greater Transparency: New Trend Score Decomposition exhibits reveal exactly which flow and engagement metrics are contributing to each universe's momentum score.
Q1 2026: Universes Gaining and Losing Momentum
Despite negative returns across most major equity benchmarks during Q1 2026, investor behavior remained selective rather than broadly defensive. Several equity universes demonstrated strong momentum based on flows and research activity, including:
- ACWI ex-U.S. Large Cap Core Equity
- EAFE Small Cap Core Equity
- U.S. Enhanced Russell 1000 Equity
- U.S. All Cap Core Equity
- Global Passive All Cap Equity
- EM Large Cap Value Equity
- Europe ex-U.K. All Cap Core Equity
As Treasury yields increased and credit spreads widened during the quarter, several credit-sensitive fixed income universes experienced weakened momentum, including:
- U.S. Floating Rate Bank Loan
- U.S. Long Duration Credit
- Global Convertibles
- Global Credit
Master Limited Partnership (MLP) strategies registered improving trend signals as energy prices rose sharply during the quarter, supporting renewed investor interest in select real asset exposures.
