Morgan Stanley Survey Finds AI Driving Tangible Corporate Returns
Morgan Stanley reports that AI investments are generating measurable returns in the financial, consumer, and real estate sectors, leading to higher earnings revisions.
A July 2025 survey by Morgan Stanley indicates that artificial intelligence investments are producing tangible returns, with companies showing high AI materiality outperforming non-adopters in earnings revisions and relative price performance. Conversely, firms disrupted by the technology are experiencing negative revisions.
Adoption has surged across several key industries since January 2025. In the financial sector, insurance company adoption rose from 48% to 71%, with a primary focus on automating customer service and improving risk and compliance. The consumer sector saw adoption in apparel and durables increase from 20% to 44%, led by retailers such as Target Corporation and Walmart using the technology for inventory and supply chain management.
In the real estate sector, 32% of real estate investment trusts increased their AI exposure. Analysis of 525,000 roles across public REITs and commercial services suggests that 37% of tasks in those positions could be automated.
