NEW YORK (Oct 19): JPMorgan Chase said it has invested US$5 billion (RM20.4 billion) in equity in industries critical to US economic and national security, as banks seek to capitalise on growing demand for domestic manufacturing, energy infrastructure and supply-chain resilience.

The lender also announced it has financed about US$230 billion under its Security and Resiliency Initiative since launching the effort a year ago, when it committed to financing US$1.5 trillion of US investments in the next decade, including in national security.

Large US banks have already been investing in rising demand for AI data centres, critical minerals and energy infrastructure upgrades, as President Donald Trump's administration has prioritised growing US infrastructure to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains in various sectors, including clean energy and rare earths.

JPMorgan said its own investments have supported companies in sectors including advanced manufacturing, energy, supply chains and defence-related technologies.

The bank's equity investments are in venture, growth and later-stage companies, it said, including new investments around next-generation defense technologies, distributed battery storage, automated manufacturing and frontier technologies.

"In the next leg we are going to be focusing on expanding industrial capacity, strengthen supply chains and support the industries that will shape long-term economic resilience and national security," said Jay Horine, head of the security and resiliency initiative at JPMorganChase Global Banking.

Other banks are also working on similar initiatives. Bank of America in August said it plans to invest US$250 billion by July 2027 to support US digital and infrastructure projects.

Morgan Stanley has also said it would facilitate roughly US$1.5 trillion in investments over the next decade for technology and infrastructure projects.

Uploaded by Magessan Varatharaja