Global Research Unlocked

The post-midterm rally has pushed the S&P 500 through Savita Subramanian’s year-end forecast, shifting the focus from how much further the index can run to where opportunities remain beneath the surface. In this episode of Signals & Noise, Savita Subramanian, Head of U.S. Equity and Quantitative Strategy at BofA Global Research, explains why she sees roughly flat returns for the S&P 500 over the next 12 months but a more attractive outlook for select stocks. She discusses why large-cap value ranks ahead of bonds and cash, why energy and healthcare stand out, and how a slower, more elongated AI capital-spending cycle could create opportunities in overlooked areas of the market. Her bottom line: this is a market for selectivity, not simply owning the index.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.
 

This week, T.J. Thornton, Head of Research Marketing at BofA Global Research, fills in for Candace Browning to explore the resources and technologies powering the next phase of AI. We examine whether quantum computing can help address AI’s growing energy demands, why billion-dollar startups remain remarkably rare despite the surge in AI unicorns, and how data centers, grids and electric vehicles are tightening the global copper market. We also look at whether a 38% semiconductor selloff may be approaching historical limits and what could help set the stage for a recovery.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

Please join our rates strategists and economists to discuss reactions to the payroll report, US midterms, & UST refunding. We will discuss implications for the US growth, inflation, & Fed path outlook; we will also discuss rate implications. The call took place on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 10 AM ET, 3 PM GMT, 4 PM CET.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

In this episode of Must Read Research on Global Research Unlocked, Candace Browning looks at how politics and the AI investment cycle are reshaping the financial conversation. We explore why Washington gridlock has historically been a favorable backdrop for stocks, why strong earnings breadth hasn’t been enough to satisfy investors in Alphabet and Meta, and how the AI funding boom is spilling into credit markets, including Oracle. We also examine the growing ties between Tesla and SpaceX, and what a potential combination could mean for AI infrastructure, manufacturing and shareholders.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

Ralf Preusser, Mark Cabana, Sphia Salim and Agne Stengeryte discuss the outlook for global rate markets following the policy decisions by the Fed, ECB, BOC, RBNZ and BoJ and ahead of the decisions by the RBA and BoE. We will also share our thoughts on the UK budget and the US refunding announcement as well as upcoming data releases.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

AI Semis: Spending strong, investor concerns build
AI capex has seen upward revisions for years, and estimates for many semiconductor stocks have followed. Positioning in the semiconductor index may have gotten excessive around the June highs, but there have also been less positive developments since, from cancelled IPOs to widening credit spreads for neocloud companies. Combined with continued concerns around open models and AI pricing, these developments have fueled investor fears about the pace of AI spending growth. Vivek Arya joins the podcast to discuss his latest views on semiconductors, what the group needs to resume its upward trend, the sustainability of memory pricing, and how developments in AI models and efficiency could impact chip demand. He also looks to past semiconductor cycles for clues on how much longer this upcycle may last.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

Sphia Salim and our Global Economists discussed the upcoming central bank meetings across the Fed, BoC, ECB and BoJ, including how policymakers were navigating uncertainty on the energy front and emerging pressures on risk assets. The discussion also previewed the UK Budget and explored how the ECB was thinking about French spreads. The call took place on Friday, 22 October at 9:00 a.m. EST / 2:00 p.m. BST / 3:00 p.m. CEST.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

In this episode of Must Read Research on Global Research Unlocked, Candace Browning examines the rising price tag behind some of today’s biggest market themes. America’s annual interest bill has doubled to more than $1.2 trillion, while our Bubble Risk Indicator suggests the rotation from Technology into defensive stocks has reached historically extreme levels. We also explore why high gas prices are making coal economically competitive again in Europe, and how a $2.1 trillion data-center buildout is changing everything from power systems and cooling to construction and M&A.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

In this episode of Must Read Research on Global Research Unlocked, Candace Browning examines the trillion-dollar question facing AI: can returns ultimately justify the enormous investment going into it? We explore the potential $1.5 trillion annual AI subscription opportunity, increasingly crowded investor positioning in Technology and semiconductors, and how AI agents could reshape travel by influencing which flights and hotels consumers see. We also turn to Bitcoin, where a new valuation framework examines whether the asset has been left behind as investors have crowded into AI, and what ETF flows, adoption, and macro conditions could mean for the outlook.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

Please join Ralf Preusser and team in conversation with Jill Hall and Chintan Kotecha to discuss equity/bond correlations and positioning. We will discuss the return of equity bond correlations, implications and risks for CTA positioning and for asset allocation models.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

Defense restocking accelerates; new threats drive demand
Defense demand remains strong globally as depleted inventories, shifting threats and years of underinvestment drive a multiyear restocking cycle. Ron Epstein discusses record US defense outlays, rising production needs and why recent weakness in defense stocks may be disconnected from the fundamentals. KJ Hwang highlights Korea's expansion beyond the land systems that drove early exports. Korean companies are expending into air defense, low-cost interceptors and counter-drone technologies, with the Gulf emerging as a potential source of new orders. Together they also discuss how militaries are balancing inexpensive drones with sophisticated missile threats, and why lessons from today's conflicts may not necessarily translate to how the next wars may be fought. 
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.
 
 

In this episode of Must Read Research on Global Research Unlocked, Candace Browning examines how perception is shaping market outcomes across asset classes. We explore why oil remains near $100 despite recovering crude exports, what card data and retailer feedback reveal about the strength of the U.S. consumer, why bond strategists believe markets may be underestimating the likelihood of additional Federal Reserve tightening, and how Brazil's presidential election is driving some of the largest investment flows into Latin America in years.
 
"Bank of America" and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names for the global banking businesses and global markets businesses (which includes BofA Global Research) of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Securities, trading, research, strategic advisory, and other investment banking and markets activities are performed globally by affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer and Member of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.