Neudata

London – September 19, 2026 -- Confidence in alternative data budgets has reached its highest level in three years, with 97% of data buyers expecting spend to increase or hold steady over the next 12 months, according to Neudata's new report, The Future of Alternative and Market Data 2026.

Budget optimism climbs to a record high among data buyers

The figure is up from 89% last year, marking the strongest confidence Neudata has recorded since launching the survey three years ago. The report draws on 191 responses from data providers and buyers globally, the firm's largest sample to date, spanning quant, multi-strategy, discretionary and macro funds as well as AI research labs. Sixty percent of buyer respondents manage over $1 billion in assets.