AI boom pushes Asia-Pacific equity deals to $327bn, nears 2021 record

Asia-Pacific companies raised $327.1 billion through equity deals in the first nine months of 2026, up 53% on a year earlier, LSEG data shows, as the artificial intelligence boom drives fundraising for chips, data centres and power systems (https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632325/ai-boom-lifts-asia-pacific-equity-deals). Follow-ons and convertible bonds outpaced initial public offerings during the surge.

The region is closing in on its record annual high of $557.6 billion, set in 2021, when issuers had raised $399.7 billion by the end of September (https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632325/ai-boom-lifts-asia-pacific-equity-deals). To beat the record, companies would need to raise $230.6 billion in the final quarter — which would itself be a quarterly record — though bankers expect more share sales and convertible issues.

“At year-end, we expect issuance to exceed 2021, which was the historical high, underscoring the scale of the capital-raising cycle we are seeing around AI,” said James Wang, head of Asia ex-Japan equity capital markets at Goldman Sachs, adding that AI would continue to drive market volumes over the next one to two years (https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632325/ai-boom-lifts-asia-pacific-equity-deals).

The pipeline includes Australian AI infrastructure firm Firmus, Singaporean data centre operator DayOne and Chinese flash memory maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co, which could each raise about $5 billion (https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632325/ai-boom-lifts-asia-pacific-equity-deals).

High-technology firms raised $125.8 billion, or 38% of the total — more than three times the level a year earlier — LSEG data showed. South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix raised $26.5 billion in a Nasdaq share sale, while Chinese optical-networking equipment maker Zhongji Innolight raised $7.8 billion in Hong Kong (https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632325/ai-boom-lifts-asia-pacific-equity-deals).