Retail investors now view China as slightly better positioned than the
United States to lead the global artificial intelligence race, according to a
new survey by trading platform eToro.

The latest Retail Investor Beat survey, based on responses from 11,000
retail investors across 13 countries, found that 47% selected China as the
country best positioned to lead the AI race, compared with 46% for the United
States.

Retail
Investors See China Challenging US

The findings mark a shift in investor sentiment, suggesting that AI is
increasingly viewed as a global competition for technological and economic
leadership rather than a theme driven mainly by US technology stocks.

Lale Akoner, eToro‘s
Global Market Strategist, said investors continue to focus on major US
technology and chip companies, including NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon. However, she
said investors also recognize China’s AI ecosystem, including Alibaba, Tencent
and Baidu, as well as its strengths in cloud infrastructure and manufacturing.

The global figure masked regional differences. In nine of the 13 surveyed
countries—including the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Denmark, the
Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Australia—more investors chose China than
the United States.

Investors
Broaden AI Bets Beyond Chips

The United States was the main exception. Among US respondents, 63% said
the US was best positioned to lead the AI race, while 41% selected China.

The survey also showed a growing interest in China as a long-term
investment destination. Since the fourth quarter of 2024, the share of
investors who believe China
will generate the strongest long-term stock market returns has risen from 24%
to 29%, while the figure for the United States has fallen from 45% to 35%.

Exposure to Chinese equities also increased, with the proportion of
investors holding Chinese stocks rising from 7% in Q2 2024 to 12% in Q2 2026.

At the same time, optimism toward AI-related stocks moderated. The share
of investors expecting AI stocks to rise fell from 55% to 44% over the past
year, while those expecting declines increased from 11% to 17%.

When asked which AI segment is most likely to generate the strongest
returns over the next five years, 31% selected large technology platforms, 29%
chose AI-focused companies and 28% favored semiconductor firms.

This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

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