Number of S&P 500 companies mentioning AI hits record

Companies of all kinds are finding ways to talk about AI on earnings calls.

5/28/24 1:09PM

AI AI AI — it’s all big companies can talk about these days. About 40% of S&P 500 discussed AI on their earnings calls this past quarter — up from 1% five years ago, according to data from FactSet.

That’s no surprise as on Wall Street right now, AI = money. Companies “pursuing or enabling” AI technology have outperformed the equal weight S&P 500 by nearly 20 percentage points this year, according to an analysis by Goldman Sachs. What’s doing even better? Energy companies, which are riding high off of AI’s immense energy needs.

Mentions were most common among information tech, communication services, and energy companies, according to Goldman. But it’s certainly not isolated to those industries. Companies of all kinds are getting into the AI mix, including consumer discretionary, financial, industrial, and real estate.

“Companies primarily cite AI as an efficiency gain rather than a revenue driver,” according to a note from Morgan Stanley. "Early beneficiaries from an efficiency standpoint are primarily in Software and Internet though the future opportunity spans a wide range of industries.” So even if AI is not a direct part of their business, companies want to use it internally to be more productive.

That means pretty much every other major company is leaning into AI. Facebook belabored how the metaverse is actually AI. Chip maker Nvidia discussed the many ways AI’s helping them mint money. Walmart mentioned how AI is improving product searches and letting people exit Sam’s Club without waiting in line to get their receipts checked. Yum! Brands apparently has “more than 40 AI initiatives in progress across the company,” including voice AI at Taco Bell drive-thrus.

Skydance Officially Closes Deal To Merge With Paramount

Paramount Skydance says its DTC streaming biz will be profitable this year

The studio reported its third-quarter earnings on Monday, the first since the Skydance takeover, and now sees $3 billion in cost savings (up from $2 billion).

Max Knoblauch19h

“Grand Theft Auto” has been a gold mine — this latest delay had better be worth it for investors and gamers

Rockstar’s latest blockbuster now won’t arrive until late 2026, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Hyunsoo Rim11/10/25

Nia Warfield11/7/25

Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy.

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

Hyunsoo Rim11/7/25

Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: “smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave” when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, “ask whether they need help or how their day is going,” according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the “10-4 program” internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmart’s own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.