Investment themes investors should be watching closely – Expert

Themes investors should be paying attention to.

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A new report from Global X has identified some key global investment themes that ASX investors should be aware of. 

Billy Leung, Senior Investment Strategist, reinforced that while gold and silver have dominated recent headlines, there is still plenty of opportunity in other corners of the market.

Here are three other themes investors should be aware of. 

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Image source: Getty Images

AI infrastructure 

According to Global X, the narrative around AI is currently evolving. 

Reports are emerging that OpenAI is testing alternatives to Nvidia. 

According to Reuters, OpenAI has been unsatisfied with some of Nvidia's latest artificial intelligence chips, and it has sought alternatives since last year. 

While this has raised concerns around potential market share loss for Nvidia, switching costs across AI hardware, software stacks and developer ecosystems remain high, both in time and capital.

Mr Leung said the more important takeaway is not a sudden loss of Nvidia's dominance, but the continued broadening of the AI value chain. 

As AI workloads scale, opportunities extend beyond leading chip designers into the infrastructure layer supporting compute, networking and data centre build-out.

SpaceX and xAI

Another emerging story is that SpaceX and xAI are reportedly planning to merge ahead of a potential mega IPO, valuing the combined entity at around US$1.25 trillion. 

If realised, this would be one of the largest technology listings in history. It would also reshape the investable universe across launch services, satellite communications and frontier technologies.

This analysis supports a case for investing in defence shares because it points to a powerful overlap between defence, aerospace, and the rapidly accelerating space economy.

It could generate tailwinds for defence and aerospace companies supplying propulsion, satellites, sensors and mission-critical systems.

India and US Trade

Finally, the US is set to cut tariffs on India to 18% following commitments by Prime Minister Modi to curb Russian oil purchases and increase US imports. 

According to Global X, the announcement triggered sharp moves in India futures, easing a key macro overhang and reinforcing India's role within US-aligned supply chains. 

This development has been supportive for Indian equities and the rupee. 

While near-term volatility will persist, the combination of external resilience, domestic liquidity and institutional depth supports the case for India as a structural growth market rather than a macro risk trade.

How to gain exposure with ETFs

For investors looking into these themes more deeply, there are several thematic ASX ETFs that track these sectors. 

For global AI exposure: 

  • Global X Artificial Intelligence ETF (ASX: GXAI)
  • Global X Ai Infrastructure ETF (ASX: AINF)

Global defence: 

For exposure to India: 

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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