Companies Begin Reporting AI Returns in Earnings

According to CNBC, Santander said its AI initiatives generated 194 million euros ($216 million) in business value in the first nine months of 2026. Novartis reported third-quarter core operating income of $6.04 billion, up 10% year over year at constant currencies; CEO Vas Narasimhan said AI had begun to improve the company’s bottom line, but Novartis did not quantify AI’s contribution. Standard Chartered reported third-quarter operating income growth of 14% at constant currency, excluding notable items. CFO Manus Costello said AI tools were improving core processes and helping the bank scale efficiently. Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen said AI benefits were not yet at scale, while the company’s third-quarter revenue grew 4.9%. Meta said its AI investments were generating substantial incremental advertising revenue as total revenue rose 26% in the quarter ended Sept. 30. Google Cloud revenue more than doubled to nearly $31 billion in the third quarter. Separately, corporate AI investment reached $581.7 billion in 2025, up 130% from the previous year, and Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta were expected to spend a combined $700 billion on AI infrastructure this year.