Standard Chartered: Corporates shift to selective capital allocation 2026

Standard Chartered published the CSRA Annual Insights 2026 report, announcing that global corporates are shifting to more selective capital allocation despite resilient growth.

• Main announcement: The CSRA Annual Insights 2026 report (analysing 1,080 listed companies across 19 sectors) finds robust balance sheets entering 2026 with an average 8% increase in debt headroom and 6% higher liquidity buffers, and highlights a shift toward targeted, disciplined capital deployment despite available capacity to invest.
• Background and details: The report identifies USD 2.6 trillion of working capital tied up globally as a low-risk internal funding source; calls out AI infrastructure and data centers as key investment drivers that are increasing strain on power and grid infrastructure; data are drawn from the S&P Global 1200 and Hang Seng Index samples.