Standard Chartered has released its Capital Structure and Rating Advisory Annual Insights 2026 report, examining 1,080 listed companies across 19 sectors. The report, titled “Resilient Growth, Selective Investment,” finds that corporate balance sheets remain strong with an 8% increase in debt headroom year-over-year and elevated liquidity buffers.
The analysis identifies $2.6 trillion in untapped working capital globally available as an internal funding source, even as many sectors have not returned to pre-pandemic capital expenditure levels. Capital deployment is becoming increasingly selective despite available financial capacity.
Key drivers for 2026 include working capital optimization, artificial intelligence and technology infrastructure investment, and China’s outbound corporate momentum. Shoaib Yaqub, Managing Director and Global Head of CSRA, said “corporates are likely to remain disciplined around capital deployment” while maintaining balance-sheet resilience.