2026 Outlooks
From the data center boom powering AI-driven growth to global credit conditions, the energy transition, supply chain dynamics, and shifting geopolitics and policy, stay up to date with S&P Global’s latest 2026 outlooks.
Look Forward Journal
In a rapidly changing world in which markets transform and evolve at a pace never seen before, new risks and opportunities are constantly emerging and established wisdom is continually challenged.
Explore the latest editions of Look Forward, highlighting the trends shaping our future— the data-center surge powering AI-driven growth, Africa’s emerging economic potential, innovations transforming capital markets, and the evolving state of the global energy transition.
Industry Outlook Reports
The Age of Agility: Key Themes for 2026
If 2025 was a year of seismic shifts, 2026 will be a year of recalibration to both the aftershocks and the new disruptions we expect to trade patterns, the economy and the geopolitical landscape.
Top 10 Economic Insights for 2026
Our economists share their top 10 insights for the global economy in 2026—from stronger growth in developing economies to moderating inflation driven by lower crude oil prices.
The Decisive
Our experts provide insights and analysis to empower confident decision-making. Whether you're a business leader, investor, or simply curious about the forces shaping our world, The Decisive podcast is here to provide you with the knowledge you need to stay ahead. Join our team of seasoned analysts as they explore the ever-changing landscape of maritime, trade and supply chain, economics and country risk.
Overview
As we step into 2026, the chorus of voices warning of an impending credit downturn is getting louder. And yet, we see a number of factors that point to a more balanced--dare we say, resilient--picture ahead. This includes resilient economies, extended maturities for issuers, and improved interest rates.
At the same time, the rapid scale of AI fundraising, and valuations attained by players, have sparked concerns of possible hubris or the emergence of new risks, with the ultimate transformational nature of AI’s outcomes still anyone’s guess.
Against this backdrop, broader policy uncertainty represents a key risk to the outlook and a potential trigger for market volatility. Trade tensions may have peaked and markets have absorbed them, at least for now. But they are symptomatic of a long-term shift toward a more transactional and multipolar world order which will have longer term credit implications.
