New findings reveal what’s keeping advisors and clients up at night – and where they see upside ahead
TORONTO, Feb. 17, 2026 /CNW/ – Fidelity Investments Canada ULC (“Fidelity”) today released new findings from its FidelityConnects Advisor Pulse Polls, conducted during Fidelity VISION 2026, which brought together more than 6,000 financial advisors, both in person in Toronto and online across the country.
FidelityConnects Advisor Pulse Polls capture real-time sentiment and perspectives from its community of highly engaged financial advisors. They track perspectives on capital markets, technological, regulatory, and business trends shaping the advice industry – along with the challenges and opportunities influencing it today and into the future.
Across every topic polled – from client priorities and conversations to market risks, opportunities, and how advisors are looking to add value in 2026 – one theme rose above all others: geopolitics.
“Advisors told us clearly that geopolitics is the dominant force shaping client sentiment right now,” said Chris Pepper, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Fidelity. “In an environment that feels louder, faster and more unpredictable, advisors are playing a critical role in helping clients stay focused and confident.”
Key Findings
Geopolitics emerges as the dominant theme
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59% of advisors say geopolitics is the macro factor they expect will have the biggest impact on portfolios in 2026, with remaining citing market volatility (17%), inflation (12%), and interest rates (12%).
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54% also report that geopolitical shocks are the number one concern they’re hearing from clients today, with clients also talking about market volatility (25%), recession (13%), AI (6%), and missing the rally (2%).
Advisors focused on keeping clients grounded
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35% of advisors say helping clients stay on track through volatility is their top priority this year, while retirement planning (24%), risk management (19%), growth strategies (15%), and tax efficiency (7%) continuing to remain a focus.
Portfolio diversification seen as a key value-add
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61% identify global diversification as their biggest opportunity to add value in 2026 from a portfolio optimization perspective, with many seeing opportunities in factor investing (18%), AI-driven productivity and innovation (15%), and fixed income repositioning (6%).
Growing confidence in Canada
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26% believe Canada offers the strongest risk return potential over the next five years, citing resilient sectors, strong companies, and solid long-term fundamentals. This represents a significant positive change in confidence in Canada, with just as many believing the U.S. (26%) offers the biggest investment opportunity, followed by emerging markets (23%), Europe (19%), Asia (7%).
