Corporate investment in artificial intelligence (AI) is paying off, with companies that adopt AI early seeing better earnings and market returns. Morgan Stanley’s AI Adopter Survey shows that AI integration is speeding up, especially in finance, real estate, and consumer goods. Businesses using AI are enjoying improved earnings and stock performance. In financial services, the adoption rate is climbing quickly. For example, the use of AI in insurance companies has jumped from 48% to 71% since January 2025, and it’s at 73% across the financial sector. These companies are applying AI to enhance customer service and improve compliance.

Consumer Sector Growth in Artificial Intelligence

The consumer sector is also embracing AI. In durable goods and apparel, AI use has increased from 20% to 44%, mainly due to better supply chain management. Major retailers like Walmart and Target are using AI to optimize inventory. In real estate, the use of AI among Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) has risen to 32% since the start of the year. Automation is streamlining tasks in leasing, property management, and brokerage services. Analysts point out that companies with strong AI integration are seeing better earnings and market performance, and this gap between AI leaders and others is widening. Morgan Stanley expects this trend to continue. The growing divide between AI adopters and those who lag behind offers a clear opportunity for traders. The analysts note a marked difference in performance, suggesting that options can be used to capitalize on this divergence. Traders can create strategies that benefit from the success of leaders and the struggles of laggards.

Trading Strategies for Artificial Intelligence Adopters

This trend reflects the broader market, where a few tech giants have driven over 70% of the S&P 500’s gains this year. Unlike the speculative dot-com era, this growth is backed by real earnings from AI use. This trend makes buying call options on key AI players and their primary customers a solid strategy. In the financial sector, there are chances for pair trades focused on AI adoption. For instance, one might buy calls on a major player like JPMorgan, which has a $15 billion tech budget heavily invested in AI, while also buying puts on smaller regional banks that lack such resources. The rising adoption in insurance indicates opportunities for finding leaders in that area as well. In the consumer sector, the difference is evident. Walmart recently hit all-time highs, benefiting from tech-driven supply chain efficiencies. Strategies that take advantage of this leader’s strength, like selling put spreads, could be effective while the stock continues to rise. This stands in contrast to competitors still figuring out their tech integration. We also expect implied volatility to increase for lagging firms as their earnings potential gets scrutinized. Traders might consider buying straddles or strangles on companies in affected areas like real estate services that still lack a clear AI strategy. This could allow them to profit from significant stock price changes as the market reacts to inaction. Create your live VT Markets account and start trading now.

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