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Natixis strategists put AI productivity pass-through at the center of H2 2026 market outlook

7/15/2026

The transmission mechanism between AI deployment and realized corporate profits is the hinge on which H2 2026 equity markets turn, according to Natixis Investment Managers' annual strategists survey.

Ninety-one percent of the firm's strategists named AI as the key driver of market performance in the second half of this year.

Eighty-eight percent specifically expect AI productivity gains to convert into higher corporate earnings.

The productivity-to-profit question Whether AI spending actually moves the needle on margins is the part of this thesis that remains unproven in real income statements.