From volatility to opportunity: AI, longevity among market drivers in second half of 2025

SINGAPORE – The mid-year mark offers investors a valuable opportunity to reflect on recent market trends and recalibrate their views. In 2025, they find themselves caught between fears that resulted in elevated volatility and drivers that point to opportunities.

In the first half,

mounting US debt concerns and shifting trade policies

had led to a reassessment of US exceptionalism, the dollar’s role in portfolios, and the safety of Treasuries. During the height of investor fears, the S&P 500 fell nearly 13 per cent in four trading days, and the 30-year US Treasury yields briefly surged past 5 per cent. The US dollar has depreciated more than 10 per cent so far in 2025.