How much do you check economic news?
I have been investing since I was in my 20s, and one thing that changed after I started investing is my interest in economic news.
I regularly read the economic section of Yahoo! News and listen to the audiobook “Kiku Nikkei” (Listen to Nikkei).
Corporate news that I might have casually ignored before can now sometimes provide hints for thinking about where to invest.
In this article, I would like to write about my experience of purchasing AI and semiconductor-related mutual funds, triggered by economic news.
Economic news has become more familiar
When you continue to invest, you naturally become interested in economic movements.
It is not just news about whether stock prices have gone up or down.
What kind of business are companies focusing on?
In which fields are they planning to increase capital investment from now on?
I have become interested in such information as well.
What I pay particular attention to is the investment trends of famous companies.
Isn’t there some expectation of growth in fields where large companies invest significant amounts of capital?
I have started to look at news from that perspective.
Of course, corporate decisions are not always correct.
Even so, it serves as a trigger for me to think for myself, rather than just receiving news as mere information.
【Became interested in investing in AI】
In recent years, I have frequently seen topics related to AI in economic news.
Development of generative AI, services utilizing AI, and AI-related investments by companies.
It conveys that various companies are focusing on the AI field.
While encountering such news, I myself became interested in mutual funds that invest in AI-related companies.
And what I purchased was “Innovation Index AI”.
A feature of mutual funds is that you can invest in AI-related companies collectively rather than choosing individual company stocks.
For me, it was a choice to connect the field I became interested in through news to actual asset management.
【Also paying attention to capital investment in semiconductors】
Another thing I became interested in is semiconductors.
Semiconductors are used in various fields such as smartphones, automobiles, and data centers.
Especially with the spread of AI, the importance of semiconductors has attracted even more attention.
When watching economic news, I also hear about companies focusing on semiconductor-related capital investment.
So, I became interested in mutual funds that invest in semiconductor-related companies.
What I currently hold is Nomura’s “Global Semiconductor Stock Investment”.
AI and semiconductors.
These two are separate investment themes, but there is also a relationship where high-performance semiconductors are essential for the development of AI.
I feel that learning about the connections between industries through news is one of the fun parts of continuing to invest.
【Compared the total return for the last year】
I previously experienced a larger-than-expected decline with “Investment Sommelier,” which I purchased hoping to suppress price drops.
Based on that experience, I now make sure to check the total return for the last year before purchasing mutual funds.
Comparing the total return for the last year as of October 2026, it is as follows.
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Innovation Index AI: 21.89%
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Nomura Global Semiconductor Stock Investment: 33.75%
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All Country (commonly known as Orcan): 16.74%
During this period, AI-related mutual funds and semiconductor-related mutual funds have performed better than Orcan.
However, this is the past one-year performance of each mutual fund.
It is not the profit rate since I purchased them myself.
Also, just because past returns are high does not mean that similar performance will continue in the future.
Products that concentrate investment in specific industries, such as AI and semiconductors, are easily able to receive the benefits of growth, but on the other hand, there is a possibility that they will fall significantly if that industry performs poorly.
Actually, since I have experienced the price drop of mutual funds in the past, I cannot feel at ease just by looking at the favorable numbers.
【News does not tell you the correct answer】
When reading economic news, I sometimes encounter industries that I feel will grow from now on.
However, investing in a growing industry does not necessarily mean you will make a profit.
Expectations for future growth may already be priced into the stock price.
Also, even if corporate capital investment increases, it does not necessarily lead to an immediate increase in profits.
News can be material for investment decisions, but it does not tell you the correct answer.
That is why I think it is important to check the operation details, past performance, and risks of mutual funds for myself after becoming interested through news.
【What I gained besides money by continuing to invest】
Having continued to invest since my 20s, not only has my assets increased or decreased, but changes have also occurred in my interests.
Reading economic news.
Thinking about which fields companies are focusing on.
And thinking about how to apply that information to my own investment decisions.
These habits might not have become as familiar as they are now if I hadn’t been investing.
Of course, my investment decisions are not always correct.
There will likely be times when AI and semiconductor-related mutual funds fall in the future.
Even so, knowing the movements of the economy through news and investing by thinking for myself has a different kind of fun than the results of asset management.
Continuing to invest is not just about increasing money, but also about broadening your perspective on the world.
Now, that is how I feel.
Have you ever chosen an investment destination triggered by economic news?
※ This article introduces my own investment experience and does not recommend the purchase or sale of specific financial products. The total returns listed are past performance and do not guarantee future results.