AI-driven inflation is 2026's most overlooked risk, say investors

Group 1: Market Performance and Trends - U.S. stock indexes achieved record highs in 2025, with seven tech groups contributing half of all market earnings, driven by enthusiasm for AI and monetary easing [1] - Expectations for further government stimulus in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, along with the AI boom, are anticipated to refuel global growth in 2026 [2] Group 2: Inflation Concerns - Analysts warn that inflation risks are resurfacing, with expectations that U.S. consumer price inflation will remain above the Federal Reserve's 2% target until the end of 2027 due to heavy corporate investment in AI [7][8] - The multi-trillion-dollar investments by hyperscalers like Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet in new data centers are contributing to inflationary pressures due to high energy and chip consumption [6][12] Group 3: Impact on Tech Companies - Tighter monetary policy could reduce investor appetite for speculative tech, increase funding costs for AI projects, and negatively impact tech companies' profits and share prices [5][6] - Companies like Oracle and Broadcom have already shown signs of market nervousness, with Oracle's shares dropping due to soaring spending and Broadcom warning of squeezed profit margins [9][10] Group 4: Future Projections - Deutsche Bank projects that AI data-center capital expenditure could reach up to $4 trillion by 2030, potentially leading to supply bottlenecks in chips and electricity, which would escalate investment costs [12] - The rising costs of memory chips are expected to pressure prices and profits for AI-focused companies, prompting a reevaluation of investment strategies in the sector [14][15]