GLOBAL investors and executives are broadly leaning into a cautiously upbeat outlook for markets, even as they flag geopolitical flare-ups, sticky inflation risks and a fast-shifting capital landscape.

Speaking to Reuters at the recent Milken Institute Global Conference in the United States, they point to resilient growth, deep pools of private capital, and artificial intelligence (AI) as the main forces shaping investment decisions over the next cycle, even if sentiment around valuations and liquidity is increasingly split.