Funds Go All In: Where Do They Invest Tens of Billions?

Top Wall Street funds once again show that they are entering 2026 not in a cautious waiting mode, but in a mode of major bets. The latest report on purchases by the largest investment players reveals that professional capital is actively reallocating tens of billions of dollars, shaping new market priorities. Total investments exceed $70 billion, and this is not just a random set of deals – it is essentially a map of where “smart money” sees the next wave of growth.

Although giants like Alphabet (GOOGL) remain on investors’ radar, the biggest bets were placed in different directions. The main focus went to ASML, which attracted around $19.8 billion in investments. This is no surprise: ASML is a key player in the global semiconductor industry. Without its technology, producing the most advanced chips – the foundation of Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, and other leaders in the AI race – would be impossible. In this sense, investing in ASML is not simply a bet on one company, but on the entire infrastructure of the future, where computing power is becoming the new oil of the digital era.

Another major position was Banco Santander, which received roughly $17 billion from funds. The Spanish banking giant looks especially attractive against the backdrop of high interest rates and the ongoing restructuring of the global financial sector. For large investors, this signals that finance remains not only a defensive segment, but also a potential source of stable returns as the economy balances between growth and slowdown.

The third notable bet was AAR Corp., an aerospace and defense company that gained about $11.4 billion in investments. This highlights another important trend: defense and aviation infrastructure are once again becoming strategically significant for markets. Rising geopolitical tensions in recent years have turned defense into not only a political factor, but also an increasingly serious investment theme.

Beyond these largest deals, the report points to other sectors worth attention. Comfort Systems attracted around $3.9 billion. The company operates in the HVAC segment – engineering systems for buildings, ventilation, and climate control. At first glance, it may not seem like a headline story, but such infrastructure businesses often benefit from construction cycles and industrial modernization.

Micron Technology received about $1.2 billion, fitting naturally into the broader trend of artificial intelligence and data storage. Memory and data centers are becoming the backbone of the new economy, and demand for these solutions is only expected to grow.

Funds also showed interest in the commodity sector, including Royal Gold and Rio Tinto. Investments in gold and metals mining appear to be an attempt to maintain balance: even in a high-tech world, raw materials remain the foundation of industry, energy, and infrastructure. Metals also traditionally serve as defensive assets during periods of uncertainty.

Taken together, these deals form a clear picture: the largest funds are betting on several key направления. First, semiconductors and AI infrastructure. Second, cloud technologies and the digital economy. Third, the financial sector as a source of stability. And finally, defense and industrials as a reflection of the new reality, where security and production are once again moving to the forefront.

For retail investors, the key takeaway is not simply the list of companies, but the broader signal. Professional funds rarely act impulsively. Their purchases represent strategic positioning for years ahead. Watching where tens of billions of dollars are flowing is one of the simplest ways to understand where the market sees growth opportunities in 2026.

The investor’s rule remains as old as Wall Street itself: smart money offers no guarantees, but it often points first to the direction the market is heading.