Table of Contents
- Investor Sentiment in 2025: A Shift in Strategy
- 1. The Rapid Advance of Artificial Intelligence
- 2. A Renewed Focus on Alternative Investments
- 3. The Implications of Greater Longevity
- 4. New Approaches to Portfolio Risk Management
- 5. Navigating a Shifting Real Estate Market
- How to Approach These Investing Trends
- FAQ
Due to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, as well as significant economic shifts and demographic changes, there are five top investing trends to know about in 2025.
These include the proliferation of AI and digital infrastructure; the impact of longevity on health care and other sectors; a continued interest in alternative assets; the importance of risk management; and renewed signs of life in the real estate sector.
As the 2025 SoFi Investor survey reveals, investors may or may not follow these specific trends, but respondents seem optimistic about investing overall, and interested in developing aspects of their own long-term strategies.
Key Points
• Five top investing trends for 2025 include AI, longevity-related industries, alternative assets, risk management, and real estate.
• Despite geopolitical turmoil, investors surveyed for the 2025 SoFi Investor Survey show optimism and a willingness to adapt their strategies.
• The rapid advancement of AI presents opportunities and challenges, with AI funds reaching record highs but also raising concerns about volatility.
• Alternative investments are gaining renewed focus among investors due to their potential for diversification and higher returns, despite being higher risk.
• Investment trends are not guarantees of seeing a profit. Investors must research trends and consider them in light of their own financial goals and risk tolerance.
Investor Sentiment in 2025: A Shift in Strategy
In the last few years, investors have faced geopolitical turmoil, higher-than-average inflation and interest rates — and more recently, global trade and tariff issues. Nonetheless, the investors who responded to the 2025 SoFi Investor survey revealed a sense of optimism, and an ability to manage stress in light of these volatile times.
Investor Confidence
Of the 1,000 individuals surveyed, over two-thirds (68%) plan to expand or shift their investing strategies in the coming months, and 65% feel optimistic or content about their strategies — both signals of investor confidence.
In a similar spirit, although inflation has been at historic highs, only 19% of investors said they were investing less in their portfolios — and 82% either wanted to invest more or maintain their holdings.
And a striking 40% said they didn’t experience stress in relation to market ups and downs.
Following are some of the leading investment trends that investors may be watching as 2025 draws to a close and 2026 comes into focus.
1. The Rapid Advance of Artificial Intelligence
As artificial intelligence technology has continued to skyrocket, the impact of these innovations and the widespread adoption of AI across industries has presented opportunities for investors, as well as challenges.
While global assets in AI funds reached a record $5.5 billion in Q2 of 2025, according to Morningstar, this rapid growth has also been met with concerns about capacity, energy needs, and the possibility of a bubble.
Nonetheless, AI has a strong appeal for investors, owing to its potential for growth. Investors must also consider the volatility in this industry, as well. This may be one reason investors seem to favor U.S. AI-focused ETFs than, say, stocks, according to Morningstar — given that AI ETFs may provide greater diversification as well as access to thematic investing.
2. A Renewed Focus on Alternative Investments
Investors were pursuing alternative assets at a record pace throughout 2024 and into early 2025, according to Morningstar. This trend is echoed by the sentiment reflected in the SoFi Investor Survey, where some 47% of respondents said that they invest in alternatives.
The Accessibility of Alts
Alternatives tend not to be correlated with traditional assets like stocks and bonds, and as such they can offer some portfolio diversification. Alternative assets were once restricted to qualified investors, but are increasingly available to ordinary investors through certain types of ETFs and other instruments.
Examples of alternative investments include tangible assets like real estate and commodities, as well as collectibles like art and antiques.
But alternative assets may also refer to the use of specific strategies: e.g., hedge funds, derivatives, and venture capital, as well as private market investments.
These assets may deliver higher returns when compared with conventional assets, but they are considered higher risk, owing to the lack of transparency, lower levels of regulation, lack of liquidity, and other risk factors investors may want to consider.
3. The Implications of Greater Longevity
People are living longer, with adults over age 65 projected to reach nearly a quarter (23%) of the U.S. population in the coming 30 years, according to the Pew Research Center. The result of this increased longevity has been a steady expansion of the science, technology, and business of living longer — with some estimates putting the global longevity market at $600 billion by the end of 2025.
While many investors are aware of advances in health care and medicine, the longevity market has expanded to include consumer goods, travel, computer and mobile technologies, caregiving services, housing developments, and more. Investing in longevity has obvious societal benefits, many of which may enable people to live longer as well as healthier and more rewarding lives.
That said, for all its focus on aging, the longevity sector itself is young — and from an investing perspective, it may be difficult to predict the winners and losers in the years to come. Nonetheless, this is a trend that’s unlikely to reverse, and investors may want to keep an eye on the opportunities emerging here.
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4. New Approaches to Portfolio Risk Management
In the face of market swings, the majority of investors surveyed by SoFi (73%) chose to hold onto their assets rather than sell. This focus on staying the course is an important component of overall portfolio risk management, especially in light of ongoing volatility in many sectors.
Some tried-and-true strategies for managing portfolio risk factors include diversification, using dollar-cost averaging, and lowering overall portfolio volatility by rebalancing and similar approaches.
It’s also possible to gain a deeper understanding of one’s actual risk tolerance by seeking out a professional portfolio risk analysis, which can stress-test the holdings in your portfolio, and may provide insights about ways to adjust your investments.
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5. Navigating a Shifting Real Estate Market
The real estate market will continue to be an area of focus for investors and potential homebuyers in 2025 and into 2026, largely owing to pent up demand while interest rates were high.
If interest rates continue to decrease as anticipated, the real estate and home building markets may see renewed growth — although the ongoing impact of tariffs on sector supplies such lumber, appliances, metals, and other goods could be significant.
As the SoFi Investor Survey revealed, some investors are intrigued by real estate opportunities, with 15% saying they have real estate investments, and 11% specifically invested in real estate investment trusts (REITs).
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How to Approach These Investing Trends
As noted above, investing trends are not a guarantee of success; they’re simply broader market movements that a wider swath of investors may be participating in at the moment. But as with trends in fashion or music or politics, investors must decide for themselves whether an investment trend is worth considering.
Do Your Own Research
One important way to evaluate investment trends is by doing your own research. Basic reading helps to keep investors informed about relevant news and industry factors that could impact a trend.
It’s also wise to compare a current trend in light of a company’s or fund’s actual performance and fundamentals. Some investments are poised to benefit from a trend, whereas others are not.
Align Trends With Your Long-Term Goals and Risk Tolerance
Above all, investing in a certain trend only makes sense when it aligns with your overall goals, your financial circumstances, and your risk tolerance.
By their very nature, trends are not necessarily going to last. There may be short-term opportunities investors can consider, or a trend may evolve in such a way that an investor may find it worthwhile to stick with it. That will depend on the trend and on the individual.
The Takeaway
Putting hard-earned dollars into any investment — whether it’s trendy or traditional — requires careful thought and due diligence. Investors should be aware that, while momentum can feed investment fads for long periods, some market trends can become vulnerable because of frothy valuations and turn on a dime.
Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, alternative funds, and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).
FAQ
How can I add AI exposure to my portfolio?
There are many ways to invest in artificial intelligence, including individual stocks as well as ETFs. Investors may also want to consider the range of industries involved in AI and/or using this technology, from big data analysis to large language models to sectors such as media and healthcare, which are integrating AI technology.
What are the risks of investing in trends?
Trends can be higher risk in many cases, simply because most trends are driven by investor emotion, not company financials.
How are investors coping with market stress?
According to the SoFi Investor Survey, while 40% of investors say the markets don’t stress them out, others have multiple coping strategies, including talking to their broker, doing market research, and not checking their account balances.
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