BBL reveals its portfolio management strategy to survive in a turbulent world.

Bangkok Bank unveiled its in-depth investment strategy at Money Expo 2026 Bangkok, highlighting AI, Supply Chain, and energy infrastructure as 'golden opportunities.' It also presented an Advisory Model for diversifying portfolios through five carefully selected funds to professionally manage volatility in the second half of the year.

bank finance A seminar was held at... The 26th Money Expo 2026 Bangkok financial exhibition. At IMPACT Challenger, Muang Thong Thani, by... Mr. Kris Praphutthiwong, AVP Wealth and Private Banking, Bangkok Bank. Mr. Nattapol Pataraphooreerak, CFA, CFPe, Investment Strategist, BBL CIO Office, Bangkok Bank. I gave a presentation on the topic of "Reading the New World Strategy: Building a Surviving Portfolio," focusing on the interests of Ara Fund in an era of turbulent geopolitics.

Mr. Kris and Mr. Nattapol jointly presented a picture of the current global situation, highlighting its volatility and potential for constant change. The main impacts include structural energy problems that threaten long-term inflation, and countries heavily reliant on energy imports may be at risk of being affected by this situation.

However, even though AI is currently a megatrend supporting the global economy, global consumption remains highly fragile. This results in mixed global economic growth, not driven uniformly by all components. Furthermore, monetary and fiscal policies from many countries are still in the assessment phase, reducing the positive impact of global monetary policy, though not yet negatively.

Mr. Krit He further stated that the advent of AI technology has created immense changes and opened up enormous investment opportunities, not limited to technology companies but also having a wide-ranging impact on other sectors.

The technology and AI supply chain sectors have benefited from the unprecedented announcement of record-breaking AI capex by large technology companies, or the Magnificent 7 (such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft). This increased investment has resulted in massive inflows into AI supply chain stocks, positively impacting and driving exponential growth across the sector. Furthermore, China possesses significant strength in this integrated supply chain, encompassing raw materials, chip manufacturing, server production, and software.

The semiconductor sector also benefited, as AI requires extremely high data processing capabilities. Chip manufacturers were the direct beneficiaries, with overwhelming orders for memory chips leading to stronger performance from South Korean stock markets (such as SK Hynix and Samsung), as well as Japan, which has expertise in chip manufacturing and quality control, outperforming other Asian markets.

Mr. Nattapol Furthermore, the Infrastructure & Energy sector is another area worth watching, as AI computing and its applications rely on massive amounts of electricity. This benefits sectors related to energy infrastructure, power plants, and alternative energy, and these sectors have strong potential for continued growth. For example, the United States is accelerating the construction of infrastructure to fully support AI technology through electricity supply. Meanwhile, Thailand is also poised to benefit from becoming a data center hub, following the influx of big tech companies (such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and TikTok) seeking investment promotion from the Board of Investment (BOI). This sector will require robust electricity and water security.

This extends to the security and defense sector, because modern military operations demand high precision, making AI and Big Data a key priority for many countries to enhance national security.

Cautions to take when investing. Although the aforementioned sectors are interesting, current AI stock prices have already risen considerably in response to positive news. Therefore, what investors need to closely monitor are the capital expenditures (Capex) of hyperscaler companies (such as Microsoft and Google). If these companies continue to expand their investments, stocks in the AI ​​supply chain will likely continue to rise. However, if events cause them to slow down their investments, it could lead to significant volatility in stock prices.

Mr. Kris and Mr. Nattapol advised on investment strategies in the highly volatile market environment, influenced by geopolitical issues, inflation, and AI technology in 2026. They suggested a diversified investment portfolio strategy, recommending the following Advisory Port Model:

• Fixed Income: 30-40% allocation to maintain liquidity and manage risk in a low-interest rate environment.
• Stocks or risky assets (Equities): 50-60% to create opportunities for returns from the growth of listed companies.
• Alternative Assets: Use the remaining proportion to further diversify investments and create balance in the portfolio.

For attractive funds that address both current market conditions and AI technology trends, the following are some options:

1. BCAP Keen Fund: This fund addresses future trends and aligns with the AI ​​Supply Chain investment landscape. Its core investments focus on alternative energy and semiconductor sectors related to AI trends.
2. BCAP GTA Fund: Suitable for those who want a diversified portfolio (e.g., 40:60) and do not want excessive risk. This fund diversifies investments globally and includes Thai stocks.
3. Fund B Global: Suitable for those who wish to invest solely in top-performing global stocks through a single fund, as the overall economic outlook and earnings of global listed companies continue to show strong growth.
4. The BCAP GMA fund is distinguished by its diversification approach, partnering with global financial institution Pictet as an advisory partner. This helps retail investors access portfolios of leading global assets.
5. Gold funds: This is another option for those who want to diversify their risk in gold but are not comfortable buying or storing gold bars (dry gold) themselves.

Further advice for the second half of the year: Since the market will remain highly volatile over the next 3-6 months, the most important thing for investors is to avoid making emotional investment decisions. Investors should closely monitor news and information, such as receiving updates via the bank's Line Official Account, to stay informed about real-time changes in various assets and use accurate information to make informed decisions.