AI Quarterly 4Q25: Hallucinations vs. Reality

Winnie Cisar - Global Head of Strategy, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Zachary Griffiths, CFA - Head of IG & Macro Strategy, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Erick Vega, CFA - Senior Analyst, Americas ex-US Telecom & Telecom Infrastructure, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Jordan Chalfin, CFA - Head of Technology, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Andy DeVries, CFA - Head of Investment Grade, Head of Utilities, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Andrew Moulder - Head of Utilities, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Andy Li, CFA - Senior Analyst, Technology, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Stephanie Sim, CFA - Analyst, Strategy and East Asia Corporates, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Miguel Silvestri - Senior Analyst, Industrials, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Jim Williamson - Senior Analyst, Autos, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Wen Li, CFA - Head of Metals & Mining, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Shreyas Nampoothiri - Analyst, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Brian Perez - Analyst, Credit Strategy, ÂÒÂ×¶ÌÊÓÆµ

27 January 2026

Download the Full Report to gain insights on:
  • Why AI investments performed dramatically differently across equity versus credit markets in recent periods.
  • Which subsectors and specific issuers emerged as relative winners and losers within the AI ecosystem.
  • How power capacity constraints are reshaping data center expansion plans and utility load growth trajectories.
  • What hyperscalers’ accelerating infrastructure spending means for semiconductor suppliers, industrial companies, and commodity producers.
  • Where macro forces including labor displacement, productivity gains, and market concentration risks could materialize across sectors.

Executive Summary

Equity investments in AI have outperformed credit markets recently in relative terms. Technical pressure from bond issuance and deteriorating metrics concern credit investors.

Estimates of AI impact on GDP growth vary widely across different methodologies. The economy appears less dependent on AI than headlines suggest currently.

Credit markets fund AI expansion but recent tech deals warrant caution. Supply needs may challenge market absorption capacity and valuation expectations going forward.

Utilities, data centers, industrials, and mining show positive credit sentiment currently. Demand for compute infrastructure creates tight supply conditions across multiple sectors.

Semiconductors and networking face neutral sentiment while hyperscalers face negative outlook. However, massive infrastructure spending weighs on cash generation and credit quality.

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