THE ROLE OF SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS IN THE FINANCIAL MARKET: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ASSET COMPOSITION AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Nowhere more visible than in today’s finance landscape are sovereign wealth funds, which together oversee over eleven trillion US dollars by 2024. Although widely discussed, clear comparisons of how these funds build portfolios or choose investments remain scattered. Instead of broad assumptions, this analysis examines eight major funds from Norway, China, UAE, Kuwait, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar between 2020 and 2025. Using official disclosures, IFSWF records, alongside additional documented materials, a pattern emerges: long-term saving-focused entities like Norway’s GPFG stick largely to stocks and bonds. Meanwhile, growth-driven counterparts - especially Saudi Arabia’s PIF - are turning sharply toward non-traditional ventures, private stakes, and national-level initiatives. Examining these shifts closely reveals influence from rising geopolitical tensions, alongside changes sparked by pandemic aftermaths - each pressing on sovereign wealth fund strategies differently. Instead of one best mix for investments, outcomes tie more strongly to a fund's original purpose and structural setup. What drives portfolios emerges less from market trends, more from internal blueprints shaped at inception.