Meta (META -1.80%) is giving away powerful AI models while spending heavily on chips and infrastructure. That apparent contradiction could reveal a larger strategy designed to weaken proprietary rivals and turn Llama into the foundation of a vast AI ecosystem.
Stock prices used were the market prices of July 15, 2026. The video was published on July 24, 2026.
Rick Orford has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick Orford is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link, they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
AlTi Global Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 5.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,041 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 1,004 shares during the period. AlTi Global Inc.’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $9,177,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in META. RHL Group LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Bayban increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Key Capital Management INC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth about $48,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In META has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Piper Sandler started coverage on Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $810.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $840.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $835.64.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Meta Platforms
Key Meta Platforms News Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: A new free verification badge system for Facebook users, which may improve trust and platform quality. Fast Company article Positive Sentiment: A dedicated Marketplace seller app with tools for merchants, aimed at making Facebook commerce more useful and organized. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remained constructive, with articles highlighting Meta as a strong momentum stock and a potentially attractive AI-era value name. Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment stayed favorable, including a report that Wells Fargo raised its price target on Meta to $835.00. Meta Platforms Price Performance META stock opened at $595.19 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $796.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 2.35. The stock has a market cap of $1.51 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $604.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $625.76.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.67 by $3.77. The company had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.Meta Platforms’s revenue was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.43 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is 7.63%.
Insider Activity at Meta Platforms In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 1,887 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.62, for a total value of $1,133,369.94. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 1,802 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,082,317.24. The trade was a 51.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 2,079 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $609.92, for a total value of $1,268,023.68. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,118 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $681,890.56. This trade represents a 65.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 37,948 shares of company stock worth $23,184,319 over the last three months. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
About Meta Platforms (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms AMD and Cerbras Create A New Blueprint For Hardware Intel Earnings Reveal Whether the Chip Selloff Created a Buy CrowdStrike’s Cerebras Deal Puts Its AI Security Strategy to the Test Plugging In: How Kinder Morgan Powers Up Profits Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
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Amova Asset Management Americas Inc. decreased its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 14.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 198,426 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 33,738 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for about 1.6% of Amova Asset Management Americas Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Amova Asset Management Americas Inc.’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $113,502,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,995,630 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $132,015,115,000 after purchasing an additional 7,269,279 shares in the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $69,502,379,000 after buying an additional 105,154,977 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 5.1% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 90,841,345 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $59,963,463,000 after buying an additional 4,395,763 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 52,806,712 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $34,734,628,000 after acquiring an additional 878,396 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 39,558,637 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $26,112,735,000 after acquiring an additional 310,947 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity at Meta Platforms In other Meta Platforms news, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.75, for a total transaction of $303,875.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,092,483.25. This represents a 12.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 1,887 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.62, for a total value of $1,133,369.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 1,802 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,082,317.24. This represents a 51.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 37,948 shares of company stock valued at $23,184,319 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms Price Performance META opened at $595.19 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $604.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $625.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 2.35. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $796.25. The firm has a market cap of $1.51 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.64, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.25.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 32.84% and a return on equity of 36.93%. The firm had revenue of $56.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.43 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 33.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.49 earnings per share for the current year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is presently 7.63%.
Meta Platforms News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: A new free verification badge system for Facebook users, which may improve trust and platform quality. Fast Company article Positive Sentiment: A dedicated Marketplace seller app with tools for merchants, aimed at making Facebook commerce more useful and organized. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remained constructive, with articles highlighting Meta as a strong momentum stock and a potentially attractive AI-era value name. Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment stayed favorable, including a report that Wells Fargo raised its price target on Meta to $835.00. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have issued reports on META. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $850.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Meta Platforms from $767.00 to $835.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $835.64.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms Company Profile (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms AMD and Cerbras Create A New Blueprint For Hardware Intel Earnings Reveal Whether the Chip Selloff Created a Buy CrowdStrike’s Cerebras Deal Puts Its AI Security Strategy to the Test Plugging In: How Kinder Morgan Powers Up Profits Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
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Meta (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction) heads into its July 29 earnings report with its stock falling while the underlying business continues to accelerate. Shares have declined 7.87% over the past week and 9.68% year to date to $595.19.
With Meta trading at just 18x forward earnings, the recent pullback could offer an attractive entry point ahead of Q2 earnings.
Meta Trades at 18x Earnings Despite 33% Revenue Growth Meta trades at an 18x forward P/E with an 82% gross margin, a 41.44% operating margin, and a 20.69% ROIC. Q1 revenue climbed 33.08% to $56.31 billion, ad impressions increased 19%, and average price per ad climbed 12%. Meanwhile, full-year 2025 free cash flow came in at $43.59 billion, funding $26.25 billion in buybacks alongside a $0.53 quarterly dividend.
Wall Street’s consensus price target sits at $826.01, implying 38.8% upside from the stock’s current price of $595.19. Right now, analysts assigned Meta 57 buy ratings, 6 holds, and zero sell ratings. Paying under 20x earnings for a business generating 20%-plus returns on invested capital feels attractive on a relative-value basis.
Meta Has Beaten Earnings 6 Quarters in a Row Meta has beaten EPS estimates in six consecutive quarters, with the last miss dating all the way back to Q3 of 2022. Polymarket traders assign an 87.1% probability of another beat on July 29, and the full-chain put/call ratio sits at 0.43, with the July 31 expiry at just 0.30. Institutional positioning is decisively long into the release.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Meta Beats Alphabet on Growth Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) trades at a more expensive 25x forward P/E (vs Meta’s 18x), but Alphabet’s most recent quarterly revenue growth was 24% versus Meta’s 33%. There’s of course more to consider when comparing the two advertising giants, but Meta stock is cheaper on an earnings basis and is delivering higher top-line growth.
Can Meta Justify Up to $145 Billion in AI Spending? The bear case is capex. Meta raised FY2026 capital spending guidance to $125 to $145 billion, sparking execution concerns. However, Meta’s Q1 operating cash flow of $32.23 billion, interest coverage ratio of 71.48x, and cash and securities of $81.2 billion give the business a cushion against the capex spend.
CFO Susan Li confirmed the company retains the flexibility to “bring it online more slowly or reduce our spending in future years” if returns lag. If Q2 results show that AI investments are strengthening ad performance without eroding margins, the recent pullback could prove to be a compelling buying opportunity.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Meta Platforms (META) secured a legal victory after a U.S. judge dismissed a proposed lawsuit alleging that WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption failed to protect u
Meta Platforms (META) fell 0.21% premarket as bond investors pushed for higher yields on a $12 billion financing backing its data center in El Paso, Texas. Earl
A 3D-printed Meta logo and word "AI" are seen in this illustration taken July 20, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
July 24 (Reuters) - Meta (META.O), opens new tab is rolling out new features for its Meta AI service in select markets, allowing the chatbot to complete certain tasks autonomously, the company said on Friday.
The updated Meta AI, powered by the company's new Muse Spark 1.1 model, is designed to understand user context and execute tasks without constant prompting.
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Here are some details:
Meta said new upgrades to its AI will help deliver daily briefings by summarizing calendar events and can be set up for recurring tasks such as weekly meal plans or trend updates.
The company is initially releasing these capabilities in select markets via the Meta AI app and meta.ai, with plans to expand to more regions and platforms including WhatsApp.
The Facebook parent said users retain control over how they interact with the AI and incognito chats remain available for private conversations.
"This is our next step toward personal superintelligence: an AI that knows your context, is there for you whenever you need it," Meta said in a blog post.
Separately, the company on Friday launched a new app called "Seller" to offer dedicated selling tools to merchants using the company's Facebook Marketplace platform.
Meta is scheduled to report second-quarter results after market close on July 29.
Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
So many social media apps. What if we just ... combined a few? Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images Facebook helped make TikTok huge by showing its users tons of ads for the Chinese video company.
Now Facebook may end up becoming something that … looks and feels a lot like TikTok.
That's the takeaway from a product update Meta's social network provided Friday: Starting this fall, it is going to start testing a version of the Facebook app that essentially turns it into a TikTok-like video player, as a default setting.
Per Tom Allison, the Meta executive who oversees Facebook, the test will provide a "reimagined experience that puts a subset of people who we think want more video on Facebook into full-screen video the moment they open the app," which is exactly what you get when you open TikTok.
Allison says people in the test will be able to opt out of the new setting and return to classic Facebook — and that people who stick with the video-first option can always toggle back and forth to see a traditional Facebook feed.
The company plans on rolling out the test in some "video-heavy countries" this fall and may bring it to the US in 2027, Allison writes. A Meta rep didn't offer more details about timing or anything else.
Here, we need to note that a test is a test, not a final product decision. On the other hand, Meta and other platforms test stuff all the time, and don't always go out of their way to tell you about it in advance. So I'm taking this as a serious signal.
Allison dropped the news about the new format in a longer announcement highlighting other changes on the service, including a stand-alone app for Facebook Marketplace power users. So this one hasn't gotten much attention yet. I expect we'll hear more about it this fall.
But this is also not surprising. It's the logical endpoint to a direction Meta, and many social media platforms, have been moving toward for years: away from seeing posts and updates from your friends and people you know, and toward an always-on video experience that just shows you an endless stream of clips it thinks you might like. "Everything is television," as writer and podcaster Derek Thompson put it last year.
There are a couple different reasons why everyone is headed this way. For starters, the platforms would like users to stick around the platforms, so that the platforms can show them more ads. And they'd love a way to show them more video ads, so they can grab some of the giant ad business that still exists on traditional TV.
But it's also an acknowledgment that social media isn't really "social" anymore and hasn't been for a while: Most people who use the platforms are passive consumers, not active posters. So the companies can't rely on a stream of things from your friends and family to keep you engaged. They have to find stuff from strangers instead.
"We show recommendations because you might follow 200 accounts, and one in 10 of them posted. So we've got 20 things [to show you]. And we can reorder those 20 things 20 factorial ways, but that's only so much upside," Instagram boss Adam Mosseri told me last year. "Whereas if we look at the billion things posted in a given day, and we find something you're interested in, there's more upside."
It's also why the platforms are so eager to keep showing you more video given any opportunity: Click on a video post in Instagram and the app immediately starts showing you a TikTok-style never-ending stream of videos; Elon Musk's X does the same thing.
So what Facebook is testing is the logical next step: just giving you all the video it thinks you want — and which it definitely wants you to see — from the start.
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Peter Kafka You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Peter covers media and technology for Business Insider; previously he has worked at Vox, Recode, AllThingsD, and Forbes. He was also the first hire at Silicon Alley Insider, Business Insider's predecessor.
Media Social Media Facebook More Meta TikTok Advertising
Your face can now earn your Facebook account a verification badge.
On Friday, Meta Platforms launched Facebook Verified, a badge that confirms there’s a real person behind a profile. The process works through selfie-based verification.
A Facebook user can record a short video selfie, which will then be used by facial-recognition technology to check against existing profile photos to confirm a match.
[Video: Meta]Once a user is verified, their badge will appear across Facebook Marketplace, Dating, Groups and a user’s profile to start. Meta has plans to eventually add the badges to posts in feeds as well.
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Users only have to verify once through the free process, which has no subscription fee.
Prior to this launch, Facebook users could receive a verified badge through purchasing a Meta Verified subscription, which currently has plans ranging from $14.99 to $499.99 a month per profile.
The badges for Facebook Verified appear to look different than the familiar blue ones that users pay for. Facebook Verified will be rolled out in phases, starting in select markets, with plans for global expansion.
Analysts on Wall Street project that Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) will announce quarterly earnings of $7.13 per share in its forthcoming report, representing a decline of 0.1% year over year. Revenues are projected to reach $60.17 billion, increasing 26.6% from the same quarter last year.
Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been adjusted upward by 0.6% to its current level. This demonstrates the covering analysts' collective reassessment of their initial projections during this period.
Before a company reveals its earnings, it is vital to take into account any changes in earnings projections. These revisions play a pivotal role in predicting the possible reactions of investors toward the stock. Multiple empirical studies have consistently shown a strong association between trends in earnings estimates and the short-term price movements of a stock.
While investors usually depend on consensus earnings and revenue estimates to assess the business performance for the quarter, delving into analysts' forecasts for certain key metrics often provides a more comprehensive understanding.
With that in mind, let's delve into the average projections of some Meta Platforms metrics that are commonly tracked and projected by analysts on Wall Street.
It is projected by analysts that the 'Revenue- Family of Apps (FoA)' will reach $59.60 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +26.4%.
Analysts' assessment points toward 'Revenue- Advertising' reaching $59.01 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +26.7% from the prior-year quarter.
Analysts predict that the 'Revenue- Other' will reach $860.24 million. The estimate points to a change of +47.6% from the year-ago quarter.
The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Revenue- Reality Labs' of $441.53 million. The estimate suggests a change of +19.3% year over year.
The average prediction of analysts places 'Advertising Revenue- US & Canada' at $26.03 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +29.9%.
The consensus among analysts is that 'Advertising Revenue- Europe' will reach $14.47 billion. The estimate points to a change of +27.4% from the year-ago quarter.
Analysts forecast 'Geographical Revenue by User- Asia-Pacific' to reach $11.68 billion. The estimate suggests a change of +24.8% year over year.
The consensus estimate for 'Advertising Revenue- Rest of the World' stands at $8.16 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +36% from the prior-year quarter.
Analysts expect 'Geographical Revenue by User- US & Canada' to come in at $25.57 billion. The estimate points to a change of +25.5% from the year-ago quarter.
According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Geographical Revenue by User- Rest of World' should come in at $8.55 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +36.8% from the prior-year quarter.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Family daily active people (DAP)' will likely reach $3.61 billion. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of $3.48 billion.
Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Headcount' should arrive at 75,407 . Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 75,945 in the same quarter of the previous year.
View all Key Company Metrics for Meta Platforms here>>>
Over the past month, shares of Meta Platforms have returned +11.7% versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. Currently, META carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggesting that its performance may align with the overall market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
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A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) Meta Platforms is the world’s largest social media platform. The company’s portfolio has evolved from the Facebook app to multiple apps, including photo and video sharing app Instagram and WhatsApp messaging app, largely through acquisitions. Along with in-house developed Messenger and newer services such as Threads, these products form Meta’s Family of Apps, which reached about 3.56 billion daily active people on average in March 2026.
META is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
Momentum investors should take note of this Computer and Technology stock. META has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 11.7% over the past four weeks.
Three analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.04 to $33.04 per share. META boasts an average earnings surprise of +12.3%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, META should be on investors' short list.
Meta Platforms (META -0.63%) now plans to spend $125 billion to $145 billion on capital expenditures in 2026 -- a range the company raised by $10 billion at both ends in April, mostly for AI (artificial intelligence) infrastructure. The market has answered with skepticism. The stock trades about 24% below its 52-week high of $796.25, and it fell another 3.4% on Thursday -- a rough day across big tech.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg isn't backing off. On the company's first-quarter earnings call, he said Meta is rolling out more than a gigawatt of custom chips it designed with Broadcom, part of an effort to get more out of every AI dollar it spends. And the message on the budget itself was unambiguous.
"Compute is becoming increasingly important as it determines the quality of the services we can provide, including powering more capable models and delivering innovative new products," said chief financial officer Susan Li on the call. In addition, Li explained that its employees are increasingly relying on compute to "generate new ideas, run experiments, execute tasks, and build products."
Image source: Getty Images.
The bill is already large. Meta's capital expenditures were $19.8 billion in the first quarter alone. Even so, the company still produced $12.4 billion of free cash flow in the period, and its full-year expense outlook of $162 billion to $169 billion was left unchanged.
That's the tension heading into the company's second-quarter report on Wednesday, July 29. Alphabet raised its own 2026 spending forecast this week and watched its stock fall in response. If Meta lifts its range again, the reaction could be rough.
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But the growth side of the ledger deserves equal weight. Meta's revenue rose 22% in 2025 to about $201 billion, and the stock now trades at about 22 times earnings, a modest multiple for growth like that. A business compounding at that pace can absorb a lot of spending fear.
On July 29, watch three things: the pace of revenue growth, any further move in the capital spending range, and evidence that the AI investment is showing up in advertising results rather than just the cost lines. So far, the growth has kept arriving alongside the spending. That's the pattern that has to hold.
Daniel Sparks and his clients do not have positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Broadcom, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The logo of Meta at the Meta Lab in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
July 24 (Reuters) - Meta (META.O), opens new tab on Friday launched a new app called "Seller" to offer dedicated selling tools to merchants using the company's Facebook Marketplace platform for buying and selling items.
Increasing shopping activity on Facebook groups prompted the social media giant to launch Marketplace ten years ago, generating revenue from boosted listings.
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Here are some details:
Meta is looking to strengthen its Marketplace offering to better compete with e-commerce platforms like eBay, while enhancing the shopping experience on the platform, which sees 430 million items listed each month globally.
The "Seller" app is designed to sync with existing Marketplace accounts, carrying over current listings, messages and sales history.
The app features AI-powered tools for creating listings, a unified inbox for buyer communications, inventory management capabilities and performance insights to help sellers optimize their strategies.
The company said "Seller" is now available on the App Store for U.S. users 18 and older, with a web version currently being tested for those who download the app.
Facebook is also launching "Facebook Verified", a free badge that signifies a real person is behind a profile, the company said.
The verification involves a selfie-based process, as the company looks to address concerns about authenticity and safety.
In May, Meta released an app called "Forum" for people who use Facebook Groups.
Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Facebook is rolling out updates today in a bid to increase engagement and make the platform more organized for its users. In the offing are new apps for sellers on Marketplace; a verification system to prove you are human on services like Dating, Marketplace, and Groups; and a new immersive design for video.
Facebook Marketplace sees more than 430 million monthly listings, and with more than 1.1 billion active users, it is a big reason younger folks still use the platform.
To keep this momentum going, Facebook is launching a separate app for people who list and sell items on the platform frequently. Dubbed “Seller,” the app lets sellers manage their listings, message buyers, and track the performance of items.
Image Credits:Facebook Facebook is also rolling out a free verification system called Facebook Verified — not to be confused with Meta Verified, which lets you subscribe for a verification mark and other features.
The new system lets people take a selfie to verify their authenticity as a real user, and then the verification mark will show up on their profile across Facebook Dating, Marketplace, and Groups. The verified mark looks like a check mark within a white circle, unlike the blue badge you can get by paying for Meta Verified.
Image Credits:Meta The company said it is also testing an optional, immersive, full-screen video view for the Facebook app that pops up as soon as you open it. This update will initially be rolled out to “video-heavy” international markets, and make its way to the U.S. next year.
Facebook said users can turn off this UI to go back to the feed-based interface. The company has tested a similar update with Instagram in several markets.
New app releases are turning into a routine course of action for Meta, which has ramped up its app development to engage different sets of users. In May, it debuted a Reddit-like app for Facebook Groups called Forum, and this month it released a vibe-coding app called Pocket.
The company said it plans to add AI to the app to help users automate tasks such as writing descriptions of items they want to put up for sale, or search through groups to answer questions.
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Ivan covers global consumer tech developments at TechCrunch. He is based out of India and has previously worked at publications including Huffington Post and The Next Web.
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Of all the Magnificent Seven stocks, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction) seems to have the AI narrative that’s shifted the most in the past few quarters. Undoubtedly, the company’s making up major ground in the AI race, but it seems like it doesn’t matter as much to the market anymore since the higher the CapEx, the longer the time a stock ought to be sent to the penalty box.
Indeed, I think the fear of the CapEx figure won’t last for all too long, especially with a company like Meta, which has been moving in that fast lane at a rate that might catch most analysts off guard.
Of course, with great AI CapEx comes great risk and, as far as the market’s concerned, no guarantee of decent ROIs. That said, when it comes to Meta, I’d argue that the firm’s AI strategy and showcase just keep getting better. As some of its AI rivals make more incremental jumps in AI, I view Meta as making gigantic leaps.
Meta’s selling Muse Spark and AI compute Whether it can leap right into first place in the AI leaderboards with its brand-new Muse Spark 1.1 model, which scored highly on the benchmarks, remains the multi-trillion-dollar question. Either way, the case for paying Meta for its AI model, I think, only stands to get stronger over time, especially as the Superintelligence team hits hard in agentic AI.
Add the new Meta Compute business into the equation, and it seems like Meta’s AI monetization plan should make investors far more forgiving of the firm when it raises the bar on AI-related CapEx.
Like it or not, Meta is a hyperscaler now, and it might be the best one for the AI age, given its data centers are being built from the ground up with AI in mind. In other words, it’s a neocloud hyperscaler, and one that might have more of a moat over its peers once the great multi-year AI buildout puts a wave of new compute online.
Even if the AI ad business were to soften, Muse Spark and Meta Compute represent two massive monetization pillars that, in my opinion, can compete with the very best. And given Meta’s heavy focus on agentic AI (think their interest in acquiring Manus), I do think the company’s Superintelligence team might have the big AI product that changes the game entirely for the consumer and the enterprise.
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Naturally, winning in AI and agents would make Meta’s smartglasses sell better as people gravitate away from screens and towards the next consumer hardware (likely a wearable) that replaces smartphones. With Muse Spark 1.1 closing the gap with models at the frontier, I do think the firm’s AI-first strategy could pay off significantly.
Don’t forget about AI ads and internal usage It’s what Meta’s doing internally with next-generation AI, which, I think, could precede a push as it sells AI to others.
Whether we’re talking about leveling up the business of serving ads or the productivity benefits that only Mark Zuckerberg and his team can see (think AI coding, AI Zuck for mentorship, training agents to run internal workflows, training on internal data, and more), I do think that there’s a lot of behind-the-curtain value that could find its way into the numbers well before Muse Spark and Meta Compute really start generating off-the-charts growth.
Any way you look at it, Meta has a clean slate in the AI race, and that might help it move forward with immense speed. The first-mover advantage in AI could be unfathomably large, and given how quickly (and quietly) Meta is moving, it feels like the firm went from behind the pack to close to the front in just a few quarters. Yet, the stock hasn’t been rewarded because too many are overly focused on the spend.
When you consider how much AI innovation is happening behind the scenes (using its own workforce data, an AI version of Zuckerberg, and building data centers inside tents), it feels like the company isn’t just matching the speed of its hyperscaler rivals; it’s calling and raising the stakes. In any case, Meta is exploring the deeper potential applications of AI, and it wasn’t until recently that the firm saw itself as having enough extra compute to sell.
The bottom line As the firm leverages powerful AI agents to automate, I do think that the firm will be getting that much closer to its startup roots, and given that agility matters in the AI race, I do think Meta is making a strong case for why it could win it all.
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Freemont Management S.A. trimmed its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 10.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,700 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 1,200 shares during the period. Freemont Management S.A.’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $6,122,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First National Bank Sioux Falls boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. First National Bank Sioux Falls now owns 2,001 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $1,321,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 984 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $649,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. Vista Capital Partners Inc. increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the second quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. now owns 1,075 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $794,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Arcataur Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Arcataur Capital Management LLC now owns 1,736 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,146,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acorn Creek Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Acorn Creek Capital LLC now owns 2,118 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,398,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,195 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.84, for a total value of $5,589,088.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,186 shares in the company, valued at $8,014,978.24. The trade was a 41.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 2,079 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $609.92, for a total transaction of $1,268,023.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,118 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $681,890.56. This trade represents a 65.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 37,948 shares of company stock worth $23,184,319 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America dropped their price target on Meta Platforms from $885.00 to $820.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,015.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Citizens Jmp dropped their target price on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $800.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Meta Platforms from $767.00 to $835.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $835.64.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms Stock Performance META stock opened at $606.10 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.53 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $796.25. The company has a current ratio of 2.35, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $604.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $625.98.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. The firm had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The company’s revenue was up 33.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.43 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 30.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is 7.63%.
Meta Platforms News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: A Florida teen dropped a social-media addiction lawsuit against Meta before trial, reducing near-term legal pressure and removing a potential headline risk for the company. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target on Meta, reinforcing Wall Street’s bullish long-term view despite near-term volatility. Article Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said Meta’s AI glasses could become a meaningful long-term hardware growth opportunity, highlighting the company’s first-mover advantage in AI wearables. Article Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to point to strong demand for Meta’s data-center and AI infrastructure buildout, with some seeing that spending as evidence of aggressive positioning in the AI race. Article Neutral Sentiment: Meta launched a new AI-optimism ad campaign and Zuckerberg has been publicly pushing back against “AI doomerism,” but the messaging also highlights ongoing backlash over AI risks and product criticism. Article Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s stock is in focus ahead of earnings, with some technical traders noting it is trading below several key moving averages and could remain volatile if results or guidance disappoint. Article Negative Sentiment: Meta dropped out of a major clean-energy pact while its natural-gas power buildout accelerates, which could fuel criticism from ESG-focused investors and increase scrutiny of its AI infrastructure strategy. Article Negative Sentiment: Several reports suggest investors are worried about Meta’s heavy AI capex, with comparisons to other megacap tech names showing the market is increasingly focused on whether spending will pay off. Article About Meta Platforms (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Premium Retail’s Stress Test Is Separating Winners From Losers D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet? GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors Alphabet Crushed Earnings, But One Number Spooked the Market Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
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AIA Group Ltd decreased its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 3.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 236,646 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 7,483 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for 2.0% of AIA Group Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. AIA Group Ltd’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $135,392,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Keybank National Association OH boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 15.7% in the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 133,798 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $88,319,000 after acquiring an additional 18,169 shares during the last quarter. WMS Group LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth $876,000. Diversified Trust Co. raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 84,059 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $55,487,000 after purchasing an additional 3,336 shares during the last quarter. Consolidated Investment Group LLC raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Consolidated Investment Group LLC now owns 7,900 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $5,215,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Meta Platforms by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,995,630 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $132,015,115,000 after buying an additional 7,269,279 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: A Florida teen dropped a social-media addiction lawsuit against Meta before trial, reducing near-term legal pressure and removing a potential headline risk for the company. Reuters article Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target on Meta, reinforcing Wall Street’s bullish long-term view despite near-term volatility. Article Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said Meta’s AI glasses could become a meaningful long-term hardware growth opportunity, highlighting the company’s first-mover advantage in AI wearables. Article Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to point to strong demand for Meta’s data-center and AI infrastructure buildout, with some seeing that spending as evidence of aggressive positioning in the AI race. Article Neutral Sentiment: Meta launched a new AI-optimism ad campaign and Zuckerberg has been publicly pushing back against “AI doomerism,” but the messaging also highlights ongoing backlash over AI risks and product criticism. Article Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s stock is in focus ahead of earnings, with some technical traders noting it is trading below several key moving averages and could remain volatile if results or guidance disappoint. Article Negative Sentiment: Meta dropped out of a major clean-energy pact while its natural-gas power buildout accelerates, which could fuel criticism from ESG-focused investors and increase scrutiny of its AI infrastructure strategy. Article Negative Sentiment: Several reports suggest investors are worried about Meta’s heavy AI capex, with comparisons to other megacap tech names showing the market is increasingly focused on whether spending will pay off. Article Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $775.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Susquehanna upgraded Meta Platforms from a “positive” rating to a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $805.00 to $780.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $835.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $835.64.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on META
Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 3,348 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.97, for a total value of $2,012,047.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,498 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,708,013.06. The trade was a 26.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,195 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $607.84, for a total transaction of $5,589,088.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares in the company, valued at $8,014,978.24. This trade represents a 41.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 37,948 shares of company stock worth $23,184,319 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms Stock Down 3.4% META stock opened at $606.10 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.53 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.03, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.35. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $604.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $625.98. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a one year low of $520.26 and a one year high of $796.25.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The company had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.43 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 30.07 EPS for the current year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.63%.
Meta Platforms Profile (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Premium Retail’s Stress Test Is Separating Winners From Losers D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet? GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors Alphabet Crushed Earnings, But One Number Spooked the Market Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
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Over the past year, Meta has funded the construction of at least a dozen natural gas power plants, including one project that alone will burn enough natural gas to generate as much electricity as the entire state of South Dakota uses.
Now Meta is no longer part of the RE100, a corporate renewable energy initiative, after a decade of membership, the company confirmed to TechCrunch today. The breakup was mutual, according to a Meta spokesperson.
The exit caps months of Meta expanding its bet on fossil fuels to power its AI data centers and begs the obvious question: What does “clean energy” actually mean to a company that keeps building gas plants while still calling itself renewable?
RE100 is a project of the Climate Group, a U.K.-headquartered nonprofit co-founded by former prime minister Tony Blair. The initiative provides policy and technical support to corporations seeking to transition to 100% renewable energy. Meta competitors Apple, Google, and Microsoft remain among the group’s 444 members. Recharge News was first to report Meta’s departure.
While Meta wouldn’t comment on the reasons behind the departure —and the Climate Group did not reply to TechCrunch’s inquiry — the nonprofit recently updated its guidance for companies, enforcing more rigorous reporting on progress toward renewable energy goals. Previously, Meta told RE100 that it would “run its entire operations on renewable electricity by 2020.”
Like many tech companies, Meta’s embrace of AI has pushed it to secure large amounts of power for its data centers, and while the company continues to procure renewable energy, it has embraced natural gas like few others.
Meta’s toe in the water was a 200-megawatt behind-the-meter gas power plant in Ohio, announced in June of last year, that will power one of its data centers.
Two months later, Meta said it would build three large natural gas power plants in Louisiana to supply electricity to its Hyperion data center. Then in April, the company announced that it would fund seven more natural gas power plants for the same project. Combined, the 10 power plants will generate 7.5 gigawatts, enough electricity to power South Dakota and then some.
Meta, through a spokesperson, told TechCrunch that it remained committed to matching its data center electricity usage “with 100% clean and renewable energy.”
That’s a lot to promise. While natural gas burns more cleanly than coal, it still produces significant amounts of pollution. A single 1-gigawatt data center running 24/7, powered exclusively by natural gas, will release 438 metric tons of nitrogen oxides, 149 metric tons of fine particulate matter, 61 metric tons of sulfur oxides, and 298 metric tons of carbon monoxide. Those pollutants contribute to a range of diseases, including asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia, among many others.
Meta can still claim to be 100% renewable by purchasing environmental attribute certificates. These allow companies to invest in a solar farm in Arizona, for example, while building a data center in Ohio. As long as the solar farm makes enough energy in one year to offset the data center’s use, Meta counts that as 100% renewable.
Most companies have tackled their renewable power goals using annual matching, but some, including Microsoft, are striving to match their electricity use on an hourly basis. This more stringent approach would bring power production more in line with how data centers use electricity. It also encourages companies to invest in projects that pair renewables with batteries, like Google did earlier this year in Minnesota, rather than polluting ones like Meta’s Hyperion power plants.
Meta isn’t alone in pursuing natural gas — both Google and Microsoft have recently invested in large fossil fuel projects — but it has placed the biggest bet. Withdrawal or removal from a voluntary industry group isn’t always big news, but the timing, amid Meta’s fossil-fuel buildout, makes the change hard to ignore.
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Tim De Chant is a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch. He has written for a wide range of publications, including Wired magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Ars Technica, The Wire China, and NOVA Next, where he was founding editor.
De Chant is also a lecturer in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, and he was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, during which time he studied climate technologies and explored new business models for journalism. He received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his BA degree in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College.
You can contact or verify outreach from Tim by emailing [email protected].
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Anthropic's ad featured a house on fire. Meta's ad had a rainbow. Screenshots via Anthropic, Meta There's another AI advertising skirmish brewing.
Meta debuted a new ad campaign on Thursday with a spot promising that the "future is for everyone," complete with fairies and butterflies. "Meta has always believed in giving people the power to share, connect, and shape your world in the ways you want," CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote.
It's hot on the heels of Anthropic's "hard questions" ad two weeks ago that raised eye-brows with its bleak imagery. Some AI fans thought that it was overly pessimistic or "doomer," opening with a house burning to the ground. Sam Altman wrote on X that he initially thought the ad was "satire" from a fake account.
There's no direct call-out of Anthropic in the Meta ad, and Meta began working on its campaign long before Anthropic's ad debuted, a person familiar with the matter said. Still, its structure is strikingly similar, even if the imagery stands in stark contrast. AI companies have brawled in ads before, like the Super Bowl battle between Anthropic and OpenAI.
Here a side-by-side comparison (Anthropic's ad on the left, Meta's on the right) highlighting the similarities — and key differences.
Both ads address AI anxiety.
Ads from Anthropic (left) and Meta (right) both reference the fear that AI could replace jobs. Screenshots via Anthropic, Meta It's no secret: AI often elicits fear, anxiety, and boos.
The first half of Anthropic's ad features questions about these worries. "Can AI be trusted?" one voice asked. "Who's gonna hit the brakes if we need to?" another asked. (Anthropic also clarified that all of these voices were human, not AI.)
The Meta ad also references these concerns, but only for a few seconds. There are flashes of headlines, warning about AI job losses. The tone also sounds a bit accusatory: "Some people will have you believe AI will make us less connected."
Anthropic stays on sour images, while Meta brightens up.
Anthropic shows a cemetery. Meta shows a child with a butterfly. Screenshots via Anthropic, Meta Shortly after referencing the negative headlines, the Meta ad changes to a colorful beam of positivity. There are rainbows! Hugs! Children with butterflies!
Meanwhile, the Anthropic ad lingers on those worries. Over a stilted, staccato piano soundtrack, the ad flashes to photos of homelessness and alludes to death with an imagery of a cemetery.
You can see the tonal difference in the (hidden) faces.
Anthropic shows a man with his hands on his head. Meta shows the top half of a smile. Screenshots via Anthropic, Meta One clear difference between Anthropic and Meta's ads: the faces shown.
The Anthropic ad flashes a man with his hands on his head, possibly in pain or stress — or at least deep in thought. Meanwhile, the Meta ad flashes to arched eyebrows and wide eyes. One can imagine that, if the camera panned down, they'd be smiling.
Meta is clearer about its product placement than Anthropic.
Anthropic subtly shows some logos, while Meta lists its new model's name. Screenshots via Anthropic, Meta You could watch the Anthropic ad and not realize what company it was for, until the Claude logo flashed at the end.
Anthropic's product placement is relatively subdued. There are a few shots of people in front of computers, where Claude is visible but blurry. The clearest reference is the Claude stickers on a laptop, but those are partially cut out of the shot.
Meta's logos are all over its ad. There are references to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. At one point, the ad shows Meta's new AI model name in full: Muse Spark 1.1.
Both ads come around to celebration.
Both Anthropic and Meta show celebratory moments. Screenshots via Anthropic, Meta While it takes a bit longer, the Anthropic ad eventually strikes a hopeful tone. The voices ask about becoming better teachers and parents, thanks to AI. There are delightful shots of people spraying water into the street.
Meanwhile, Meta's joy intensifies. There are celebrities, like Jalen Brunson and Kylie Jenner (Meta partnered with Jenner for its latest AI glasses). There are more shots of children.
People might find Anthropic's message muddled.
Anthropic's final line says that there is "hope in hard questions." Screenshot via Anthropic The final line of Anthropic's ad strikes both tones.
The first two words are positive, about "hope." It brings back the joy we saw, the whale flying through the sky. The close is "hard questions," a reminder of the ad's opening. Those worries — the job losses, the burning houses and cemeteries — won't go away.
It's a tricky balance to try to strike in an ad, and it makes sense that it left some people saying they found it muddled or confusing.
Meta's message is (not shockingly) positive.
Meta's final line says that the "future is for everyone." Screenshot via Meta Meta's ad ends on a high note.
"The future is for everyone," it commands. It promises us equal access and usefulness. But there's no reference to those worrying headlines earlier in the ad. They seem to have washed away, replaced by one big smile.
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Henry Chandonnet You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pushing back against AI doomerism, sharing an assertively optimistic outlook on the future of the tech and arguing his company’s new tools will only aid its goal of connecting the world.
A Facebook video posted from his account takes aim at narratives that portray artificial intelligence as a danger to society, showing clips of fear-mongering headlines on a laptop – and then cutting to images of a child playing with a butterfly and friends sitting by a waterfall.
“Some people will have you believe AI will make us less connected. That it’s gonna leave us behind. We couldn’t disagree more,” a narrator says. “Call us optimists. Call us dreamers. Just as we’ve always done, we’re betting on people.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday shared an emphatically optimistic outlook on the future of AI. Bloomberg via Getty Images “We bet on people when we connected you to the ones you lost touch with and again when we connected you to the ones you couldn’t be near,” the message continues. “Twenty-two years and 3.5 billion people later, we’re doubling down, because while technology will change, our intention behind it never will.”
The ad also promises to stay true to Meta’s mission of providing free, accessible access to social media – a notable pledge as major tech companies, including Meta, have tested potential subscription plans for AI chatbot users.
“Meta has always believed in giving people the power to share, connect, and shape your world in the ways you want,” Zuckerberg wrote in a caption for the video.
“As we enter this next wave with AI, we continue to believe the future is for everyone. We’re focused on giving every person the tools to reach your full potential and making sure the benefits of technology are distributed to everyone.”
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the new video is just the first release as part of a broader campaign over the coming months to articulate Meta’s optimistic AI vision.
It’s a stark contrast to other industry bigwigs who have been sounding the alarm over potential threats, warning ultra-powerful chatbots could create an “AI doomsday” situation.
On Tuesday, OpenAI revealed that an experimental model it built went rogue during an internal cybersecurity test – hacking rival AI developer Hugging Face in an “unprecedented cyber incident.”
Meta pledged to stick to its mission of providing free, accessible access to social media. REUTERS During the stress test, researchers switched off many of the safeguards that typically prevent its AI from carrying out dangerous hacks, but the bot became “hyperfocused” on completing its assignment and went “to extreme lengths” to do so, the company said.
OpenAI said it has since tightened up its security measures for future testing, but AI safety advocates said the shocking hack should serve as a wake-up call for companies rushing to get the most powerful models to market the quickest.
Anthropic’s advanced Mythos chatbot also sparked fears in June after it reportedly sniffed out vulnerabilities in highly secure US government systems within just a few hours, though that does not necessarily mean the bot would be able to exploit those sensitives within that timeframe.
Some critics have dismissed the grim statements as marketing.
Others have railed against AI over concerns it could cause mass layoffs and displace droves of American workers, especially entry-level employees.
So far this year through June, nearly a third of all job cuts have hit the tech sector – and AI came in as the leading reason for layoffs in June for the fourth month in a row, according to the most recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Since 2023, when AI first emerged as a driving force in layoffs, the new tech has been cited in 173,568 job cut announcements, according to Challenger.
Proponents of AI have said the new tech could temporarily lead to job displacement, but that it will also create new jobs in the long-term.
Meta Platforms (META -3.26%) will deliver its second-quarter results on July 29, and the consensus expectation among Wall Street analysts following the company is that it will report roughly $60 billion in revenue, near the top of the company's own guidance range. The stock has quietly staged a comeback recently, clawing back from a slide of 20% earlier this year to within about 5% of where it started 2026.
But the figure investors should really focus on is not the revenue line. It is what Mark Zuckerberg is doing with all the cash the ad machine generates.
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Zuckerberg's quiet pivot to a compute provider Behind the familiar story of Instagram and Facebook ads, Meta is transforming itself into something new: a compute provider. Zuckerberg has raised the company's 2026 capital spending plan to a staggering $125 billion to $145 billion, most of it aimed at building out AI data centers on a scale few companies can imagine. Meta is deploying more than 1 gigawatt of the custom chips it developed with Broadcom, alongside processors from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices.
The more intriguing part is what Meta might do with all that hardware. Reports suggest it is exploring becoming a cloud infrastructure provider, effectively renting out computing power the way that fellow hyperscalers Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft do, including a potential multibillion-dollar compute deal with AI lab Anthropic. If that pans out, Meta would layer an entirely new business on top of its advertising empire, turning what has been a massive cost center into a possible revenue engine.
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What to watch in the quarter The advertising business remains the company's cash cow, and it is still growing at an impressive clip, so the headline revenue number should look healthy.
What should matter more to investors is evidence that Meta's enormous AI spending is paying off. Investors want to see AI further improving ad targeting and engagement, and will welcome any concrete sign that the compute build-out can generate direct revenue through capacity deals with external customers. The stock's 20% drop earlier this year came after the company boosted its capital expenditure forecast for the year, and investors flinched at the price tag. The recovery since then suggests they have regained some faith in the company's plans, but that also means the bar is higher now.
Image source: Getty Images.
What investors should consider Meta's Q2 report will be less about whether it hits $60 billion in revenue, which looks likely, and more about whether Zuckerberg's plan to transform the company into a compute provider could justify the jaw-dropping costs of its data center build-out. The largely recovered stock price has already priced in a fair amount of optimism, so another surprise capex boost or thin evidence of monetization could reignite the fears that drove the earlier sell-off.
Longer term, I find the pivot genuinely compelling: If Meta can bolt a compute-rental business onto the most profitable advertising operation on Earth, it would have two powerful engines instead of one. But its spending plans are enormous, and the payoffs of those investments are unproven, so I will be watching Meta's capex guidance and monetization signals on July 29 far more closely than the headline revenue number.
Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Instagram is now banning pickup artists and pranksters who use Meta glasses
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Senior Correspondent covering technology and culture
Mark Zuckerberg is wearing Meta glasses, which have a problem with creepy pickup artists and pranksters using them. Bloomberg/Getty Images Instagram is cracking down on videos shot on Meta glasses that feature harassment of strangers in public places, such as the obnoxious prank videos that Business Insider reported on this spring.
In an Instagram story, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said that such video content would now be banned on the platform.
"If you're posting content that is taking advantage of people and harassing them, like a lot of these pickup line kind of videos that we've heard of and seen, then we're going to take the content down," Mosseri said in response to a question on his Instagram stories last week. "We don't want people to be surreptitiously taking videos of other people and harassing them and then posting them on our platform. So we're trying to fight that every way we can."
I wrote about the proliferation of videos on TikTok and Reels where people film themselves doing pranks on service workers, like cashiers or fast food workers, while wearing Meta glasses. Often, these pranks verge on harassment or are just plain obnoxious behavior, like putting fart spray into a candle at Walmart and then asking employees to smell it.
Another noxious genre is from pick-up artists who use the glasses to film themselves approaching women at gyms or on the street. While these interactions are sometimes positive, there's an awkward moment when the women don't realize they're being filmed at first.
A light glows on a pair of Meta Ray-Bans to signal that its video is active. Bloomberg/Getty Images It's unclear how many videos have been removed under this new policy. Business Insider found that two large accounts of pickup artists who filmed themselves approaching women in public while wearing the glasses had been deactivated. (Both previously had more than a million followers.) A Meta spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that these accounts were booted for violating the policy about posting harassing content that had been filmed with the glasses.
Meta did not directly respond to questions about how this new policy is being enforced or what exactly constitutes a violation.
The glasses have an indicator light that turns on when you're recording. In older models, people could tamper with it or hide the light by drilling holes or covering it with tape or film. A new update will now disable the camera if someone tries to tamper with the light, Meta has said.
But even when working, a small light in the corner of glasses isn't necessarily a universally recognized sign that someone is recording you, and can be easily missed, especially outside in bright light. I recently had a conversation with someone wearing the glasses and didn't notice their indicator light was on at all until they brought it to my attention.
This new crackdown may be influenced by Meta's desire not to have its glasses referred to as "pervert glasses" — a nickname that's been gaining steam on social media lately.
Meta glasses may still be controversial, and people are rightfully wary of being recorded in public spaces. But removing videos from people who are profiting from posting content of nasty pranks or sleazy pickup tactics while using the videos is at least a step in the right direction.
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Katie Notopoulos You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Katie Notopoulos is a senior correspondent at Business Insider who writes about technology, business, and culture. She covers topics such as internet culture, Big Tech, retail, AI, parenting in the digital age, and personal tech.Previously, Katie was a tech reporter at BuzzFeed News and has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, Fast Company, and MIT Technology Review. Based in New York, you can reach her by email [email protected] or find her on Twitter. Bluesky, and Threads @katienotopoulos.Some of her stories include:
Google AI said to put glue in pizza — so I made a pizza with glue and ate itThe Zuckermoon is overGen Z doesn't want to say "hello" when answering the phone. I'm concerned. Wait, is Walmart cool now?Mark Zuckerberg has created the saddest place on the internet with Meta AI's public feedHow Instagram got its mojo backAm I the JD Vance of my group chat?We need to talk about whatever's happening with Starbucks' drinksThis chart shows a key reason why millennial parents are miserableIt's not just you. Eggshells really are chipping more. Meta Instagram
Meta’s newest advertisement begins with a black-and-white shot of an eye, showing us what someone sees as they read countless panicked headlines about how AI is going to take our jobs, isolate us, and spark a global crisis.
“Some people will have you believe AI is going to make us feel less connected. That it’s going to leave us behind,” a voiceover says. “We couldn’t disagree more.”
Suddenly, the video shifts to color, and shows a cycle of different people opening their eyes and smiling. Then, we see a couple dancing on a rooftop, pointing at a rainbow; a group of teens swimming in a lake; a child frolicking in a field; friends embracing after time apart.
“Call us optimists. Call us dreamers. Call us whatever the hell you want. But we’re betting on people, and we like those odds,” the voiceover says. “The future is for everyone.”
That’s a nice sentiment — pretty convenient for a company betting hundreds of billions of dollars that AI will revolutionize humanity. But the strangest part of the advertisement is not that we’re watching these happy moments play out via Instagram posts. It’s that the soundtrack to the ad is the David Bowie song “Five Years.”
If you are not familiar with this song, I urge you to give it a listen, read the lyrics, and think about what it is trying to say. It seems clear to me, but I studied poetry in college, so as a control for this experiment, I asked my brother — a blockchain analyst who loves Claude Code and does not read for fun — if he could tell me what the song is about.
“I thought climate change at first, then zombie apocalypse, then an asteroid hitting the earth,” he told me. He is correct. It is a song about the human race panicking after learning they will die in a mass extinction event in five years.
Image Credits:Texts from my brother, a consenting participant in this literary experiment If you’re not familiar with Bowie’s music, this track might sound happy and inspiring, matching the ad’s upbeat tone. The part of the song that is used for the advertisement was probably chosen because it uses the word “people” over and over again, and without the context of the song, it’s not clear what it’s about.
But if we look at the lines directly preceding this section:
News had just come over
We had five years left to cry in
News guy wept and told us
Earth was really dying
Cried so much his face was wet
Then I knew he was not lying
We “had five years left to cry in” and the “earth was really dying.” It’s pretty bleak.
It is not reassuring to convince people that AI is going to make the world better while playing a song about the end of the world, and yet, this contradictory musical choice seems to have sailed right past everyone at Meta, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
“Meta has always believed in giving people the power to share, connect, and shape your world in the ways you want,” he wrote alongside the video. “As we enter this next wave with AI, we continue to believe the future is for everyone. We’re focused on giving every person the tools to reach your full potential and making sure the benefits of technology are distributed to everyone.”
Then again, tech leaders are not known for their literary analysis skills. Meta’s Oculus used to give new hires copies of the science fiction novel “Ready Player One,” which is set in a dystopia in which a tech company making virtual reality products becomes overly powerful and evil. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has directly cited inspiration from the movie “Her,” which warns us about what can go wrong when we use AI for emotional support. Palantir, a company that builds AI surveillance systems for the government, is named after Palantir, a seeing stone from the “Lord of the Rings” franchise that the Dark Lord uses to spy on his enemies. Elon Musk is currently throwing a fit about the “accuracy” of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of “The Odyssey,” a story with such realistic elements as sea monsters, magic, and divine intervention. These guys make a great argument for the value of studying the humanities.
Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary tale
Tech Company: At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don't Create The Torment Nexus
— Alex Blechman (@AlexBlechman) November 8, 2021 Meta isn’t alone in its recent promotional foibles. Instead of racing to build AGI, the top AI companies seem to be fighting over who can make the creepiest advertisement. A few weeks ago, Anthropic released an eerie video of its own. As my colleague Lucas Ropek described it:
The ad begins with a video of a burning house (not exactly a heartwarming start) before pivoting to a series of still images. These images include a crowd of people being surveilled by facial recognition, a homeless person sleeping on the street, rows upon rows of tombstones in a cemetery, and what appears to be a group of laborers toiling in a mine where (presumably) raw materials for smartphones are being dug up.
Meanwhile, a voice-over track features different people asking questions like “Can AI be trusted?” and “Who’s gonna hit the brakes if we need to?”
Anthropic is trying to convince us that it understands the risks AI poses to society, and therefore, this is the company that people can trust to develop AI responsibly. The message it actually conveys feels closer to the mood of Bowie’s “Five Years.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to the Anthropic ad, “I thought this was satire, kept looking for the handle to be spelled c1audeai or something.”
As these companies spar to control the public perception of AI, their efforts don’t seem to be making much progress. A recent Pew survey found that only 16% of Americans think that AI’s impact on society over the next twenty years will be positive, and 40% believe it will have a negative impact. Better luck next time, Meta.
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Amanda Silberling is a senior writer at TechCrunch covering the intersection of technology and culture. She has also written for publications like Polygon, MTV, the Kenyon Review, NPR, and Business Insider. She is the co-host of Wow If True, a podcast about internet culture, with science fiction author Isabel J. Kim. Prior to joining TechCrunch, she worked as a grassroots organizer, museum educator, and film festival coordinator. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and served as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Laos.
You can contact or verify outreach from Amanda by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at @amanda.100 on Signal.
Tzv. hyperscaleři se v roce 2020 obchodovali s poměrem cen akcií k ziskům na akcii nad 40. Nyní jejich PE dosahuje něco nad 20, v roce 2013 to bylo asi 13. Detailnější pohled na tento vývoj a cyklus připomíná, že valuace mohou korigovat a měnit se příjemným a méně příjemným způsobem. Dnes se podíváme právě na to, co tento cyklus táhlo a k tomu přidáme pár úvah o budoucnosti.
Hyperscaleři tedy za posledních více než 10 let prošli z fáze poměrně nízkých valuací do fáze extrémně vysokých PE. A po nich přišla valuační korekce, která se zatím usadila u PE něco nad 20. Ukazuje pak vývoj posledních cca 5 let, že investoři to s optimismem u těchto akcií masivně přehnali? Jak jsem psal, PE může jít dolů více způsoby: Přes pokles ceny (tedy přes nižší čitatel), přes růst jmenovatele, tedy zisků. A řadou kombinací těchto dvou možností. Podívejme se na pár konkrétních čísel:
Čistá zisk Microsoftu se mezi lety 2020 – 2026 zvedl z cca 50 miliard na 125 miliard, Alphabet zaznamenal růst z 60 na 140 miliard dolarů, Amazon z 21 na 90, Meta z 30 na 70. Onen vývoj valuací byl tedy do značné míry ovlivněn tím, že zisky se cca zdvoj – ztrojnásobily. O tomto příjemnějším způsobu korekce valuací jsem tu přitom psal již před časem. Příklad těchto populárních a významných akcií a společností ukazuje, že to v praxi může skutečně „fungovat“. Bude tomu tak?
Podívejme se teď na následující obrázek, který detailně ukazuje, jak hyperscaleři v čase přispívají k růstu zisků na celém americkém akciovém trhu. V prvním čtvrtletí minulého roku to bylo více než třetinou, polovodiče asi 16 % a zbytek trhu asi 48 %. Trend je pak celkem jasný v tom smyslu, že hyperscaleři přispívají méně, zbytek trhu zhruba stejně a polovodiče vyznačené modře stále více:
Těžiště tahounů růstu zisků se tedy přesouvá od těch, kteří do AI investují, k těm, od nichž své investice nakupují. Je to celkem známý příběh točící se ve svém jádru kolem budoucí návratnosti AI investic. Tedy návratnosti toho, co hypercaleři nakupují a budují. Vývoj bývá skeptiky přirovnáván třeba k boomu železnic, kdy byla budována celá řada tratí. Jejichž využití nakonec v celku nebylo takové, jaké si budovatelé představovali. Nicméně třeba ocelárny, dodavatelé kolejí, nebo dřevěných pražců, mohly být spokojeni. Protože jejich zisky se dostavily.
Nevím, zda celý příběh kolem AI a s ní souvisejícími investicemi skončí podobně, jako ten s železnicemi. Nebo zda půjde cestou, kdy budoucí zisků hypercalerů dá prostor pro zajímavý růst cen bez toho, aby se valuace dostaly, či držely neudržitelně vysoko. V tom prvním „železnicovém“ případě by fakticky došlo k transferu bohatství od akcionářů hyperscalerů k akcionářům firem v polovodičích. Respektive všech těch, které dodávají hypercalerům. V tom druhém by všichni něco získali na celkové nově vytvořené hodnotě.
Tento pohled shora a z celku nám může ještě připomenout tezi ekonomů Goldman Sachs, podle které investice do AI nijak významně nepřispívají k růstu amerického produktu. Tento pohled jde proti naprosto dominantnímu, podle kterého jsou to naopak právě AI investice, co táhne celý produkt výrazně nahoru. V GS ale tvrdí, že investice hlavně natahují do USA dovozy. Nejde o žádný detail, k nějakému jasnému informačnímu rozuzlení tohoto příběhu ale nedochází. Ve scénáři GS by přitom případný útlum investic hypercalerů (daný přehodnocením potenciálu monetizovat AI) neměl mít větší dopad na HDP. Měl by dopad na dovozy. V druhém případě by platil opak – produkt by citlivě reagovat na změnu investičního chování hypercalerů.
Meta Platforms stock is under selling pressure. Why are META shares declining? Earnings Preview & HistoryMeta is scheduled to report second-quarter earnings on July 29. Analysts estimate EPS of $7.18 along with revenue of $60.22 billion. For the prior quarter, Meta Platforms reported EPS of $7.31, beating the consensus estimate of $6.67. The company also posted revenue of $56.31 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $55.54 billion.
Meta Platforms has beaten EPS estimates in eight consecutive quarters. Over the last four quarters, the company has averaged an EPS surprise of 0.12% and a revenue surprise of 0.03%.
What To WatchInvestors will be watching Meta’s family-of-apps user trends for early signs that Europe’s youth-access restrictions are affecting engagement, since even small usage shifts can ripple into ad inventory and pricing. Advertising revenue growth relative to pricing and impressions is another key area to track, given the $60.22 billion revenue target hinges on strong ad demand alongside Reels and AI-driven discovery.
Updates on AI monetization, including Advantage+ performance and returns on AI infrastructure spending, will also be closely followed as the market focuses on the gap between AI investment and results.
A Death Cross Still Casts a Shadow Over Meta StockMeta is trading 0.8% below its 20-day SMA ($615.93) and 0.9% below its 100-day SMA ($616.32), while holding 0.8% above its 50-day SMA ($606.09). That "tug-of-war" positioning often produces choppy trade, and it helps explain why the stock can feel heavy on down-futures mornings even if the longer trend isn’t breaking.
RSI is the cleaner momentum read right now: at 51.71, it’s basically neutral, which fits a stock that’s consolidating rather than trending hard. In plain terms, RSI helps gauge whether buying or selling has gotten stretched; near-50 readings usually mean neither side has clear control.
The bigger-picture trend is still mixed: the 20-day SMA is above the 50-day SMA (a near-term bullish tilt), but the death cross from December 2025 (50-day SMA below the 200-day SMA) keeps the longer-term trend filter cautious. Zooming out, the stock remains 4.4% below its 200-day SMA ($639.20), and that overhead area can act like "gravity" on rebounds.
From a levels standpoint, traders will likely keep an eye on nearby pivots:
Key Resistance: $643.00 — a nearby round-number zone that also sits close to the 200-day moving-average area, where rebounds can stall Key Support: $577.00 — a nearby prior demand zone that sits well above the $520.26 52-week low, but would matter if selling pressure builds Analyst Consensus & Recent ActionsThe stock carries a Buy rating with an average price forecast of $820.81. Recent analyst moves include:
Raymond James: Strong Buy (Raises Target to $850.00) (July 21) Wells Fargo: Overweight (Raises Target to $835.00) (July 21) Rothschild & Co: Buy (Raises Target to $1000.00) (July 21) Meta Shares SlipMETA Price Action: At the time of publication, Meta shares are trading 2.76% lower at $609.82, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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I keep building a position in Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction), and every quarter the case for adding more gets stronger, not weaker. The bear thesis I heard for eighteen months, that AI capital spending would eat the margins alive, has now been tested against real numbers. The numbers won.
The Capex Panic Was Priced in Fear Q1 2026 was the quarter the argument should have broken. Meta spent $18.997 billion on capex, up 46.8% year over year, and raised full-year guidance to $125 to $145 billion. And yet revenue grew 33.08% to $56.311 billion, operating income climbed 30.29%, and free cash flow stayed positive at $12.386 billion. Operating margin held at 41%. Those are the numbers of a company compounding through its investment cycle.
The reason the pie does not shrink is the whole game. Meta has kept everyday operating costs flat by cutting non-core corporate layers, freezing traditional infrastructure, and executing deep workforce reductions, funneling the freed capital into GPUs and data centers. Those hardware purchases are booked as capex, so the cash goes out immediately but hits the income statement gradually as depreciation over a 4-to-5-year useful life. By the time those charges arrive, AI-driven ad targeting has already delivered double-digit revenue growth that outpaces the creeping overhead. That is how you keep near-40% margins while spending like a utility.
Three Reasons the Compounding Case Holds First, monetization is accelerating alongside the spend. Ad impressions rose 19% year over year in Q1 2026 and average price per ad rose 12%. Family daily active people reached 3.56 billion. The business keeps finding more inventory and charging more for it.
Second, the returns on capital are what you would expect from a fortress. ROIC sits at 20.69%, ROE at 30.24%, and net profit margin at 30.08%. Debt to equity is 0.39. Interest coverage is 71x. There is no financial fragility here.
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Third, management is telling on themselves in a good way. Mark Zuckerberg said on the Q1 call, “Every sign that we are seeing in our own work and across the industry gives us confidence in this investment,” and pointed to more than one gigawatt of custom silicon developed with Broadcom plus AMD chips complementing the new NVIDIA systems. That is disciplined efficiency work.
Why Not Just Buy the Index? The reflexive alternative for most readers is an index proxy like the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ). It is a fine holding. It is also a way to own a much smaller slice of exactly this story. After Meta’s Q1 2025 report, the stock’s 30-day return of 16.54% ran well ahead of QQQ’s 9.47%. Concentration in the specific compounder that owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and the entire ad stack pays for itself when the thesis works.
The Risk I Actually Watch Reality Labs lost $4.03 billion in Q1 2026 on $402 million of revenue. That segment is the scar on the story, and there are youth-related litigation trials scheduled in 2026 that may result in material losses. What keeps me buying anyway is that Family of Apps generated $55.909 billion in revenue in the same quarter. The core business can carry the moonshot for a long time.
Analysts covering the stock skew heavily bullish, with 49 Buy ratings, 8 Strong Buy, 6 Hold, and no Sell calls, against a consensus target of $822.69 versus a current $646.01. The thesis remains intact.
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Audent Global Asset Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 20.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,302 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 1,124 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises 2.6% of Audent Global Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. Audent Global Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $2,461,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. RHL Group LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bayban increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Meta Platforms Price Performance Shares of META opened at $627.17 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.59 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.80, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 2.35. The company’s 50-day moving average is $605.14 and its 200-day moving average is $626.29. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $796.25.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.67 by $3.77. The business had revenue of $56.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 32.84% and a return on equity of 36.93%. Meta Platforms’s quarterly revenue was up 33.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.43 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 30.04 EPS for the current year.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is currently 7.63%.
Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: A Florida teen dropped his lawsuit against Meta over alleged social-media addiction harms ahead of trial, reducing legal overhang and removing a potential headline risk for the company. Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said Meta’s AI glasses could become a long-term hardware growth driver, noting strong early product reception and Meta’s first-mover advantage in shipping AI glasses at scale. Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted strong demand for AI infrastructure led by Meta, including record hyperscaler leasing and speculation around a large compute deal with Anthropic, reinforcing confidence in Meta’s AI spending strategy. Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo and Rothschild & Co Redburn both raised price targets on Meta, signaling that some Wall Street analysts remain constructive on the stock’s longer-term upside. Neutral Sentiment: Meta continues to face mixed sentiment around its AI push, including scrutiny over heavy capital spending and broader concerns about big-tech debt and future infrastructure commitments. Neutral Sentiment: Commentary comparing Meta with other Magnificent 7 names suggests investors are watching upcoming earnings closely for signs that the company can re-accelerate enthusiasm around the stock. Negative Sentiment: Analysts cited by Zacks warned Meta may report weaker earnings growth in its upcoming results, which could weigh on sentiment if the company disappoints expectations. Negative Sentiment: Several articles continued to focus on regulatory and legal risks tied to social-media harms, including criticism of Meta’s platforms and broader scrutiny of addictive features. Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms In related news, COO Javier Olivan sold 3,348 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.97, for a total value of $2,012,047.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,498 shares in the company, valued at $5,708,013.06. The trade was a 26.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,195 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.84, for a total value of $5,589,088.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,014,978.24. This represents a 41.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 37,948 shares of company stock worth $23,184,319 over the last three months. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler started coverage on Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an “overweight” rating for the company. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $805.00 to $780.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $865.00 to $766.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $850.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $835.64.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on META
Meta Platforms Profile (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Could Truth API Become Trump Media’s First Meaningful Revenue Driver? Small Caps Are Crushing the S&P 500—3 Stocks Still Worth Buying Moog Is More Than a Missile Maker, and Wall Street Is Noticing A Boring Dividend Growth Strategy Becomes a Solid Defensive Play
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Atlas Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 4,320.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 117,412 shares of the social networking company’s stock after acquiring an additional 114,756 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for about 8.2% of Atlas Wealth LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Atlas Wealth LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $67,175,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Bayban lifted its stake in Meta Platforms by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: A Florida teen dropped his lawsuit against Meta over alleged social-media addiction harms ahead of trial, reducing legal overhang and removing a potential headline risk for the company. Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said Meta’s AI glasses could become a long-term hardware growth driver, noting strong early product reception and Meta’s first-mover advantage in shipping AI glasses at scale. Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted strong demand for AI infrastructure led by Meta, including record hyperscaler leasing and speculation around a large compute deal with Anthropic, reinforcing confidence in Meta’s AI spending strategy. Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo and Rothschild & Co Redburn both raised price targets on Meta, signaling that some Wall Street analysts remain constructive on the stock’s longer-term upside. Neutral Sentiment: Meta continues to face mixed sentiment around its AI push, including scrutiny over heavy capital spending and broader concerns about big-tech debt and future infrastructure commitments. Neutral Sentiment: Commentary comparing Meta with other Magnificent 7 names suggests investors are watching upcoming earnings closely for signs that the company can re-accelerate enthusiasm around the stock. Negative Sentiment: Analysts cited by Zacks warned Meta may report weaker earnings growth in its upcoming results, which could weigh on sentiment if the company disappoints expectations. Negative Sentiment: Several articles continued to focus on regulatory and legal risks tied to social-media harms, including criticism of Meta’s platforms and broader scrutiny of addictive features. Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms In other news, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 2,079 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.92, for a total transaction of $1,268,023.68. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,118 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $681,890.56. The trade was a 65.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.75, for a total transaction of $303,875.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 3,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,092,483.25. This represents a 12.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 37,948 shares of company stock worth $23,184,319 in the last three months. 13.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Meta Platforms Trading Down 2.6% Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $627.17 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $1.59 trillion, a P/E ratio of 22.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $605.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $626.29. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1-year low of $520.26 and a 1-year high of $796.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 2.35.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.67 by $3.77. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The business had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $55.56 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.43 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 30.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.525 dividend. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.63%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Meta Platforms from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wolfe Research lowered their price target on Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $800.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Meta Platforms from $805.00 to $780.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an “overweight” rating for the company. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $835.64.
Get Our Latest Report on META
Meta Platforms Profile (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Could Truth API Become Trump Media’s First Meaningful Revenue Driver? Small Caps Are Crushing the S&P 500—3 Stocks Still Worth Buying Moog Is More Than a Missile Maker, and Wall Street Is Noticing A Boring Dividend Growth Strategy Becomes a Solid Defensive Play Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
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Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 4.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 948,122 shares of the social networking company’s stock after acquiring an additional 41,513 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for approximately 1.1% of Assetmark Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $542,449,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bayban boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,847 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $607.83, for a total value of $4,769,642.01. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 414 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $251,641.62. This represents a 94.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,195 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.84, for a total value of $5,589,088.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,014,978.24. This trade represents a 41.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 37,948 shares of company stock worth $23,184,319 over the last three months. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms Trading Down 2.6% NASDAQ:META opened at $627.17 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 2.35. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $605.14 and a 200-day moving average of $626.29. The company has a market cap of $1.59 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.80, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a one year low of $520.26 and a one year high of $796.25.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. The business had revenue of $56.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 32.84% and a return on equity of 36.93%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.43 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 30.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is 7.63%.
Meta Platforms News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: A Florida teen dropped his lawsuit against Meta over alleged social-media addiction harms ahead of trial, reducing legal overhang and removing a potential headline risk for the company. Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said Meta’s AI glasses could become a long-term hardware growth driver, noting strong early product reception and Meta’s first-mover advantage in shipping AI glasses at scale. Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted strong demand for AI infrastructure led by Meta, including record hyperscaler leasing and speculation around a large compute deal with Anthropic, reinforcing confidence in Meta’s AI spending strategy. Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo and Rothschild & Co Redburn both raised price targets on Meta, signaling that some Wall Street analysts remain constructive on the stock’s longer-term upside. Neutral Sentiment: Meta continues to face mixed sentiment around its AI push, including scrutiny over heavy capital spending and broader concerns about big-tech debt and future infrastructure commitments. Neutral Sentiment: Commentary comparing Meta with other Magnificent 7 names suggests investors are watching upcoming earnings closely for signs that the company can re-accelerate enthusiasm around the stock. Negative Sentiment: Analysts cited by Zacks warned Meta may report weaker earnings growth in its upcoming results, which could weigh on sentiment if the company disappoints expectations. Negative Sentiment: Several articles continued to focus on regulatory and legal risks tied to social-media harms, including criticism of Meta’s platforms and broader scrutiny of addictive features. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $835.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Meta Platforms from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $725.00 price target (down from $825.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $885.00 to $820.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $835.64.
View Our Latest Research Report on META
About Meta Platforms (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Could Truth API Become Trump Media’s First Meaningful Revenue Driver? Small Caps Are Crushing the S&P 500—3 Stocks Still Worth Buying Moog Is More Than a Missile Maker, and Wall Street Is Noticing A Boring Dividend Growth Strategy Becomes a Solid Defensive Play Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
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Buzz is building around a new cloud computing business from Meta Platforms (META -2.53%), and it looks like the stars are aligning for it to make the announcement on July 29 when it reports second-quarter earnings.
The Facebook-parent has yet to make a formal acknowledgment about adding cloud infrastructure operations, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg indicated it was a strong possibility earlier this year when he said a cloud business is "definitely on the table."
A few weeks ago, Bloomberg said that the company is building out a cloud computing business, and just a few days ago, The New York Times said the company was in talks to lease computing power to Anthropic in a deal that could be valued at $10 billion over the next two years.
Image source: Getty Images.
Meta hasn't confirmed these reports, but the rumors make a lot of sense as the company said it would plow between $125 and $145 billion into capex this year, much of that going to AI infrastructure. However, it's the only one of the four major hyperscalers, which includes Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon, to not have its own cloud computing business.
Demand for AI infrastructure is soaring, and the recent second-quarter report from Alphabet confirmed that as the company reported 82% revenuet growth to $24.8 billion in Google Cloud and operating income more than tripled to $8.8 billion. It's worth noting that Google Cloud was losing money just a few years ago, but the AI boom clearly changed that.
With numbers like that, Meta investors are likely chomping at the bit for it to launch its own cloud business.
Today's Change
(
-2.53
%) $
-16.29
Current Price
$
627.52
Why Meta stock could soar on the news Adding a cloud computing business would solve a lot of problems for Meta. It would reassure investors that there's a profitable business attached to its soaring capex spend, rather than experiments like the metaverse and reality labs that have already burned tens of billions of dollars.
A cloud computing business would also help the company develop a second revenue stream to diversify and complement its ad business, much like Alphabet has done with Google Cloud.
Finally, a cloud business would tap into existing demand, as Zuckerberg said his company gets asked about cloud services weekly, and it would leverage infrastructure already in place, as it's invested heavily in its own AI infrastructure.
For Meta, the move looks like a no-brainer, and the stock looks cheap at a price-to-earnings ratio of just 24. At that valuation, it won't take much for the stock to pop.
Jeremy Bowman has positions in Amazon and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $627.17, demonstrating a -2.58% change from the preceding day's closing price. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.14% loss on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.01%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.57%.
The social media company's stock has climbed by 14.52% in the past month, exceeding the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 4.82% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.25%.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Meta Platforms in its upcoming release. The company plans to announce its earnings on July 29, 2026. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $7.13, signifying a 0.14% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $60.17 billion, up 26.63% from the year-ago period.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $33.03 per share and a revenue of $253.26 billion, demonstrating changes of +40.61% and +26.02%, respectively, from the preceding year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Meta Platforms. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 2.34% higher. Currently, Meta Platforms is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Meta Platforms is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 19.49. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 19.55 for its industry.
Investors should also note that META has a PEG ratio of 0.97 right now. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Internet - Software industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.06 as trading concluded yesterday.
The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 104, placing it within the top 43% of over 250 industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.
A Florida teen whose lawsuit claimed Meta’s platforms were to blame for his depression and anxiety dropped his case against the company just days before the trial in Los Angeles was set to start, his attorneys said Wednesday.
The lawsuit, brought by a 15-year-old boy known as R.K.C., originally named four defendants, Google’s YouTube, Meta’s Instagram, Snap’s Snapchat and ByteDance’s TikTok, but YouTube and TikTok settled in June.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Snap had reached a tentative settlement in the case.
A Florida teen whose lawsuit claimed Meta’s platforms were to blame for his depression and anxiety dropped his case against Mark Zuckerberg’s company. Bloomberg via Getty Images R.K.C., who started using social media when he was about 8, said he became addicted to it, losing sleep and suffering from depression and anxiety, according to court filings.
“In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta,” attorneys for R.K.C. said in a statement.
“He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life.”
A spokesperson for Meta said in a statement R.K.C. had dropped the claims without receiving any payment.
“The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits,” the company said.
A Florida teen suing social-media platforms over claims their design led to mental health issues dropped his lawsuit against Meta Platforms ahead of a trial slated to begin next week in Los Angeles.
A day after Snap tentatively settled with the plaintiff in a social media addiction lawsuit, leaving Meta as the only remaining defendant, the case has been dropped. In a statement, Meta said the plaintiff chose to drop his case against Meta without receiving any payment.
TikTok and Google’s YouTube had previously reached settlement agreements with the plaintiff. (Snap on Tuesday confirmed a tentative agreement had been reached.)
The bellwether jury trial had been set to begin next week in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles.
The plaintiff, a Florida teenager known by the initials “R.K.C.,” had sued the social media companies for creating addictive platforms. It was one of thousands of similar lawsuits from teens, schools, and state attorneys general that had accused the big tech companies of knowingly creating addictive platforms.
The precedent that would have been set by this lawsuit and others could have impacted how the companies build their apps, known for features that keep people engaged, like the infinite scroll and their continual buzz of notifications.
The plaintiff’s decision to drop the case follows Meta’s loss in a New Mexico case earlier this year, which marked its first courtroom defeat over social media harms. Meta was ordered to pay $375 million in penalties after the company was found to have misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangered children.
In March, a Los Angeles jury also handed both Meta and Google another defeat, awarding the defendant in that case some $6 million in damages.
Meta had been prepared to argue that the plaintiff in this case had allegedly only used Facebook and Instagram accounts for minutes per day on average, and was planning to claim that most of his accounts had been created after hiring a lawyer.
In its statement, Meta said that, “this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits.”
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Investors have long known that Meta Platforms (META -2.76%) planned to continue growing through AI. Most investors assumed that it would leverage its massive data collection to train AI models in ways that its competitors could not precisely replicate.
Hence, even though Meta has been a hyperscaler for years, it may have come as a surprise to some to hear that Mark Zuckerberg was also contemplating a move into leasing cloud computing capacity. Knowing that, investors will likely be watching Meta and its CEO closely when the company reports its Q2 earnings on July 29.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
The move into the neocloud So far, investors don't seem enthusiastic about Meta's expensive AI ambitions. The company has pledged to spend between $125 billion and $145 billion on capital expenditures in 2026 alone, primarily to develop its AI. That comes after it spent almost $70 billion on capex in 2025.
Additionally, the social media stock trades at a P/E ratio of 23, the lowest among the "Magnificent Seven" stocks. Its revenue grew by 33% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, a level of growth that supports the investment thesis for Meta, particularly given its low multiple and its success in digital advertising.
Today's Change
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Current Price
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Nonetheless, uncertainty about where it could derive significant long-term growth from may partially explain its low P/E ratio.
Today, an average of 3.56 billion people, about 43% of the world's population, already log into a Meta-owned site daily. That past success has left it with relatively few potential new users to pursue.
For now, the start of its shift to the neocloud appears to hinge on a proposed two-year, $10 billion deal with Anthropic, and some believe an announcement during its July 29 earnings call that such a deal has been sealed will send the stock soaring. That deal would allow Meta to put some of its AI infrastructure to use in a way that directly translates into revenue.
Admittedly, that deal is not final and could still fall through. However, there is plenty of demand for cloud infrastructure across the market. Though it has been viewed as one of the four major hyperscalers throughout the AI build-out, analysts including Mark Mahaney of Evercore see what Meta is likely to offer to its clients as more akin to the specialized cloud offerings of the smaller neocloud providers.
That looks like a promising model: Mordor Intelligence estimates a compound annual growth rate of 46% for the neocloud through 2031.
However, if such an announcement occurs, it still may not ease investor concerns. Nearly 98% of Meta's revenue came from digital advertising in Q1, and Zuckerberg has yet to prove that he can turn his company into a cloud infrastructure provider on par with Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure. Until investors feel more confident about Meta's pivot in this direction, many may remain skeptical.
Should investors buy Meta Platforms stock before earnings? The good news for investors is that Meta Platforms stock is likely a buy before July 29, when Zuckerberg will probably offer more clarity on its AI ambitions.
Indeed, Meta Platforms stock could take a hit if the Anthropic deal falls through. Additionally, its massive capex spending on new AI data centers is concerning to many investors, given that almost all of the company's revenue still comes from digital ads.
Fortunately, that digital ad business is likely not going anywhere, and the company's AI efforts have enhanced its effectiveness. Considering its rapid revenue increases and the 23 P/E ratio, the company's growth should continue even if Meta's AI plans fail to meet investor expectations.
Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, XETRA:FB2A, SIX:FB)’s AI-enabled glasses could represent a new growth opportunity for the company as the wearables move toward broader consumer adoption, according to Jefferies analysts who tested multiple models and highlighted the product’s potential as a future computing interface.
The analysts wrote that Meta’s AI glasses impressed across areas including camera quality, setup experience and their traditional glasses design, noting that the company currently has a first-mover advantage as the only major player shipping AI glasses at scale. Jefferies estimated that the category could create a $14 billion to $18 billion hardware revenue opportunity over the next several years, assuming adoption levels similar to the Apple Watch and an average selling price of about $400.
Meta’s AI glasses are screen-free, voice-controlled wearables that combine cameras, open-ear audio and integration with the Meta AI application. Jefferies tested three models, including the Ray-Ban Meta Gen2 priced at $379, the Oakley Meta priced at $499 and the Ray-Ban Display with Neural Band priced at $799, and wrote that the devices integrated naturally into daily activities including sports, communication and productivity.
The analysts’ base-case scenario estimates the hardware opportunity could translate into roughly 35 million to 45 million units sold, with additional potential upside from AI subscriptions, advertising and commerce-related monetization. Jefferies highlighted Meta AI’s growing user base, noting that monthly active users have reached approximately 1 billion and daily glasses users are increasing year over year.
Jefferies wrote that the longer-term opportunity could extend beyond hardware sales if AI assistants shift toward “agentic” experiences where users delegate tasks rather than simply search for information. In that scenario, the analysts noted that AI glasses could capture user intent at the point of discovery and potentially position Meta closer to future commerce transactions.
The analysts highlighted several strengths of the products, including camera performance, easy photo capture and synchronization through the Meta AI app. They also pointed to the open-ear audio experience as a key advantage, allowing users to listen to music, handle calls and receive notifications while maintaining awareness of their surroundings. Spotify integration, the glasses’ comfortable design and their ability to combine functions typically handled by a phone camera, earbuds and action camera were also cited as benefits.
However, Jefferies noted that the technology remains in development. The analysts pointed to areas for improvement including video quality, speaker volume, voice activation reliability, battery life and the adjustment required for users to incorporate the glasses into everyday routines. They also noted that launches in some regions, including Europe, have faced delays related to supply constraints and regulatory considerations around AI, privacy and always-on cameras.
Jefferies maintained a positive view on Meta’s AI glasses opportunity, writing that the company’s early position in the category could provide a long-term growth opportunity that is not yet reflected in current expectations.
Shares of Meta traded hands at $630 on Wednesday, down about 5% so far this year.
For Meta, the move was a reprieve after it and YouTube were found guilty in another case in March of negligence and personal injury for their platforms' addictive features.
A woman stands near a Meta logo, January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Romina Amato/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
CompaniesJuly 22 (Reuters) - A Florida teen whose lawsuit claimed Meta’s (META.O), opens new tab platforms were to blame for his depression and anxiety dropped his case against the company just days before the trial in Los Angeles was set to start, his attorneys said on Wednesday.
The lawsuit, brought by a 15-year-old boy known as R.K.C., originally named four defendants, Google's YouTube (GOOGL.O), opens new tab, Meta's (META.O), opens new tab Instagram, Snap Inc's (SNAP.N), opens new tab Snapchat and ByteDance's TikTok, but YouTube and TikTok settled in June. The terms of those settlements were confidential.
The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Snap had reached a tentative settlement in the case.
R.K.C., who started using social media when he was about 8, said he became addicted to it, losing sleep and suffering from depression and anxiety, according to court filings.
"In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta," attorneys for R.K.C. said in a statement. "He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life."
A spokesperson for Meta said in a statement R.K.C. had dropped the claims without receiving any payment.
"The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits," the company said.
Reporting by Diana Novak Jones; Editing by Chris Reese, Alexia Garamfalvi and Chizu Nomiyama
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Diana reports on product liability, litigation, mass torts and the plaintiffs' bar. She previously worked at Law360 and the Chicago Sun-Times.
Bessemer Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 3.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,298,057 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 83,781 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up about 2.1% of Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Bessemer Group Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of Meta Platforms worth $1,314,790,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 34,551 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $20,230,000 after buying an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.2% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,456 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $5,537,000 after acquiring an additional 875 shares during the period. Headwater Capital Co Ltd increased its stake in Meta Platforms by 294.7% in the 1st quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd now owns 150,000 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $86,454,000 after purchasing an additional 112,000 shares in the last quarter. Dymon Asia Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth $213,000. Finally, Capital & Planning LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth $322,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms In other news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,847 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.83, for a total transaction of $4,769,642.01. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 414 shares in the company, valued at approximately $251,641.62. This represents a 94.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 2,079 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.92, for a total transaction of $1,268,023.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 1,118 shares in the company, valued at approximately $681,890.56. This represents a 65.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 37,948 shares of company stock worth $23,184,319. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms Trading Down 0.3% Shares of META stock opened at $643.81 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $604.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $626.52. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $796.25. The stock has a market cap of $1.63 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.25.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.67 by $3.77. The firm had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.Meta Platforms’s quarterly revenue was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.43 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.47 EPS for the current year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is 7.63%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms recently commented on META. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $885.00 to $820.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Citigroup reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $835.64.
Get Our Latest Research Report on Meta Platforms
More Meta Platforms News Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Meta and kept an overweight rating, signaling expectations for meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo target hike Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn also boosted its target and reiterated a buy rating, reflecting growing optimism that Meta can monetize AI more effectively. Benzinga report on Rothschild & Co Redburn target hike Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted Meta’s expanding AI strategy, including possible cloud/compute sales and large enterprise deals, which could create a new revenue stream and support margins over time. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Meta is positioned to beat second-quarter expectations, citing healthy ad demand and AI-driven improvements ahead of earnings later this month. Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary continues to frame Meta as a key beneficiary of the AI spending boom, with investors watching whether infrastructure investment can be monetized faster than expected. Neutral Sentiment: A comparison piece versus Pinterest and a broader “Mag 7” article mainly added background, but did not change the core investment thesis for META. Negative Sentiment: Meta is facing a Tennessee trial over claims that Instagram was designed to be addictive and contributed to youth mental-health issues, adding legal and regulatory risk. Negative Sentiment: A New York Times report said Meta’s AI moderation mistakenly banned user accounts, raising questions about product reliability and trust in its automated systems. Negative Sentiment: Ongoing investor concerns remain around heavy AI spending, data-center financing, and whether returns on that capital will justify the expense. Meta Platforms Profile (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
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Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) could decline to $485 by mid-November 2026, according to a technical analysis by TradingShot.
The outlook shared in a TradingView post on July 22, the analysis identified striking similarities between the stock’s current price structure and its 2018 correction.
The forecast comes as META stock trades around $644, nearly 20% below its 2025 all-time high near $796.
META stock price analysis chart. Source: TradingView TradingShot argued that the stock has entered a new bearish phase after being rejected at the upper boundary of a long-term descending channel that has been in place since August 2025.
The analysis shows Meta trading within a channel down pattern, with the stock recently failing to break above the lower-high trendline that has capped rallies since the record peak.
The analyst noted that the current setup closely resembles Meta’s 2018 correction. During that period, the stock initially found support at its 100-week moving average before rebounding to fresh highs.
However, that recovery was followed by a deeper sell-off that ultimately pushed the stock below its 200-week moving average and resulted in a total decline of 43.77%.
A similar pattern appears to be developing in 2026. Meta is currently trading between its 50-week and 100-week moving averages, mirroring the structure seen before the 2018 downturn accelerated.
Based on the projection, TradingShot expects META to reach a primary downside target of $485, a key support level that would place the stock below its 200-week moving average. The projected timeline suggests the target could be reached around mid-November 2026.
If the correction unfolds in line with the 2018 fractal, TradingShot believes the decline could extend beyond $485.
Meanwhile, the analysis identified $450 as a potential maximum downside target, representing a 43.77% drawdown from Meta’s all-time high, matching the magnitude of the 2018 correction.
Such a move would imply an additional decline of roughly 30% from current price levels.
While the technical outlook points to further downside risk, Wall Street analysts remain largely positive on Meta’s long-term prospects.
The company continues to benefit from strong advertising revenue across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, while investments in artificial intelligence remain a central growth theme.
Meta is also preparing to report second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 29, with investors closely watching revenue growth, AI monetization progress, and capital expenditure guidance.
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It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.
The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.
It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.
Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.
VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.
It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) Meta Platforms is the world’s largest social media platform. The company’s portfolio has evolved from the Facebook app to multiple apps, including photo and video sharing app Instagram and WhatsApp messaging app, largely through acquisitions. Along with in-house developed Messenger and newer services such as Threads, these products form Meta’s Family of Apps, which reached about 3.56 billion daily active people on average in March 2026.
META is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. META has a Growth Style Score of A, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 40.6% for the current fiscal year.
Two analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.03 to $33.03 per share. META also boasts an average earnings surprise of +12.3%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, META should be on investors' short list.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis social media company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $7.13 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -0.1%.
Revenues are expected to be $60.17 billion, up 26.6% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.49% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Meta Platforms?For Meta Platforms, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -2.19%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Meta Platforms will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Meta Platforms would post earnings of $6.71 per share when it actually produced earnings of $7.31, delivering a surprise of +8.94%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Meta Platforms doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Artificial intelligence provides some great opportunities for many companies today. But it’s also a very expensive proposition that’s weighing down some of the biggest companies in the stock market. Meta Platforms (META -2.31%) is down 3% so far this year on fears that the company is taking on too much debt as it invests in AI infrastructure.
Meta’s balance sheet shows that the company has about $58.7 billion in long-term debt. But a new report indicates that the company’s debt load is much greater. Nikkei Asia reports that Meta Platforms has another $420 billion in off-balance-sheet debt. That number has grown substantially since 2022, the outlet reported.
Should investors be concerned about Meta Platforms’ stock?
Image source: The Motley Fool.
What is off-balance-sheet debt?Publicly traded companies are required to report the amount of debt they are incurring. But under accounting rules, equipment such as graphics processing units and servers that are under long-term contracts but not yet delivered is treated as an off-balance-sheet item. Meta and other companies disclose future debt in annotations on their financial statements.
When Meta’s GPUs are delivered and the data centers become operational, this hidden debt will begin to appear on the quarterly balance sheet.
Meta is one of five companies -- the others being Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle -- analyzed in the Nikkei Asia report. The five companies, all of which are making significant investments in AI infrastructure, have a collective $1.65 trillion in debt that is not reflected on the companies' balance sheets.
Meta is accelerating its spending on AIMeta Platforms shows no appetite to slow its spending. The company spent $72 billion on capital expenditures in 2025 -- most of it related to AI -- and said in its first-quarter report that it would spend between $125 billion and $145 billion this year.
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Its $50 billion Hyperion data center planned for Louisiana is getting a lot of attention. The center was first announced as a $27 billion project funded by Meta’s joint venture with Blue Owl Capital. But in June, Meta announced it was expanding the project from a 2-gigawatt center to 5 gigawatts of capacity as it seeks to build out enough AI infrastructure to meet demand.
Blue Owl and its partners are funding the construction, allowing the project to remain off Meta’s balance sheet. Blue Owl will own 80% of Hyperion, with Meta owning the remaining 20%.
Should investors be concerned about Meta’s debt?On the one hand, $420 billion is a big number. There are only 30 companies in the world with an entire valuation of more than $420 billion, so when Meta takes on that much debt that hasn’t even made it to its balance sheet yet, it can seem pretty scary.
Meta is making huge, long-term commitments based on the idea that AI demand will justify the infrastructure. It appears to be transitioning its business away from the so-called metaverse toward hyperscaler services. That means investors should be prepared for lower margins, perhaps as early as when the company reports second-quarter earnings after the market closes on July 29.
Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney recently told CNBC that he doubts that Meta will attempt to compete head-to-head with Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet -- the three largest hyperscalers by market share. Instead, he sees Meta attempting to challenge neocloud providers such as CoreWeave and Nebius Group in offering AI-specific computing products, including AI chips and systems.
Either way, I expect Meta to shed more light on the picture when it reports earnings next week.
Angeles Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 11.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 14,468 shares of the social networking company’s stock after buying an additional 1,470 shares during the quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $8,277,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in META. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bayban increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% in the first quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, COO Javier Olivan sold 3,348 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $600.97, for a total value of $2,012,047.56. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,498 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,708,013.06. This trade represents a 26.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,847 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $607.83, for a total value of $4,769,642.01. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 414 shares in the company, valued at $251,641.62. This trade represents a 94.99% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 37,948 shares of company stock valued at $23,184,319. 13.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on META shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Citizens Jmp cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $800.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $725.00 price target (down from $825.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wedbush began coverage on Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $671.00 price objective on the stock. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $835.64.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms Price Performance Meta Platforms stock opened at $643.81 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52-week low of $520.26 and a 52-week high of $796.25. The firm has a market cap of $1.63 trillion, a PE ratio of 23.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s 50 day moving average is $604.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $626.52.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The business had revenue of $56.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.43 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is presently 7.63%.
Trending Headlines about Meta Platforms Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Meta and kept an overweight rating, signaling expectations for meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo target hike Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn also boosted its target and reiterated a buy rating, reflecting growing optimism that Meta can monetize AI more effectively. Benzinga report on Rothschild & Co Redburn target hike Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted Meta’s expanding AI strategy, including possible cloud/compute sales and large enterprise deals, which could create a new revenue stream and support margins over time. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Meta is positioned to beat second-quarter expectations, citing healthy ad demand and AI-driven improvements ahead of earnings later this month. Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary continues to frame Meta as a key beneficiary of the AI spending boom, with investors watching whether infrastructure investment can be monetized faster than expected. Neutral Sentiment: A comparison piece versus Pinterest and a broader “Mag 7” article mainly added background, but did not change the core investment thesis for META. Negative Sentiment: Meta is facing a Tennessee trial over claims that Instagram was designed to be addictive and contributed to youth mental-health issues, adding legal and regulatory risk. Negative Sentiment: A New York Times report said Meta’s AI moderation mistakenly banned user accounts, raising questions about product reliability and trust in its automated systems. Negative Sentiment: Ongoing investor concerns remain around heavy AI spending, data-center financing, and whether returns on that capital will justify the expense. About Meta Platforms (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Confidence Is Back, But Earnings Show the Consumer Is Being Picky AeroVironment’s Stock Is Down, But Drone Demand Is Taking Off 3M’s Redemption Arc: Can Q2 Earnings Change the Narrative? 3 Photonics Companies Making Quantum Tech Possible Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
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Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super purchased a new position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 280,727 shares of the social networking company’s stock, valued at approximately $160,612,000. Meta Platforms comprises about 2.4% of Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super’s holdings, making the stock its 7th largest holding.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. RHL Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Niles Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Bayban lifted its stake in Meta Platforms by 100.0% in the first quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms Trading Down 0.3% NASDAQ META opened at $643.81 on Wednesday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $796.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.35. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $604.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $626.52. The stock has a market cap of $1.63 trillion, a P/E ratio of 23.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.25.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. The firm had revenue of $56.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The business’s revenue was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.43 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.47 earnings per share for the current year.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is presently 7.63%.
Insider Activity at Meta Platforms In other Meta Platforms news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,195 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.84, for a total value of $5,589,088.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,186 shares in the company, valued at $8,014,978.24. This trade represents a 41.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,847 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.83, for a total value of $4,769,642.01. Following the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 414 shares in the company, valued at approximately $251,641.62. The trade was a 94.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 37,948 shares of company stock valued at $23,184,319 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on META. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Benchmark began coverage on Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $800.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $885.00 to $820.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $835.64.
View Our Latest Report on Meta Platforms
Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Meta and kept an overweight rating, signaling expectations for meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo target hike Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn also boosted its target and reiterated a buy rating, reflecting growing optimism that Meta can monetize AI more effectively. Benzinga report on Rothschild & Co Redburn target hike Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted Meta’s expanding AI strategy, including possible cloud/compute sales and large enterprise deals, which could create a new revenue stream and support margins over time. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Meta is positioned to beat second-quarter expectations, citing healthy ad demand and AI-driven improvements ahead of earnings later this month. Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary continues to frame Meta as a key beneficiary of the AI spending boom, with investors watching whether infrastructure investment can be monetized faster than expected. Neutral Sentiment: A comparison piece versus Pinterest and a broader “Mag 7” article mainly added background, but did not change the core investment thesis for META. Negative Sentiment: Meta is facing a Tennessee trial over claims that Instagram was designed to be addictive and contributed to youth mental-health issues, adding legal and regulatory risk. Negative Sentiment: A New York Times report said Meta’s AI moderation mistakenly banned user accounts, raising questions about product reliability and trust in its automated systems. Negative Sentiment: Ongoing investor concerns remain around heavy AI spending, data-center financing, and whether returns on that capital will justify the expense. Meta Platforms Profile (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Confidence Is Back, But Earnings Show the Consumer Is Being Picky AeroVironment’s Stock Is Down, But Drone Demand Is Taking Off 3M’s Redemption Arc: Can Q2 Earnings Change the Narrative? 3 Photonics Companies Making Quantum Tech Possible
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AXS Investments LLC reduced its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 17.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,066 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 1,745 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for about 1.9% of AXS Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. AXS Investments LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $4,615,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 34,551 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $20,230,000 after buying an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,456 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $5,537,000 after buying an additional 875 shares in the last quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 294.7% in the first quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd now owns 150,000 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $86,454,000 after buying an additional 112,000 shares in the last quarter. Dymon Asia Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth about $213,000. Finally, Capital & Planning LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth about $322,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms Price Performance NASDAQ:META opened at $643.81 on Wednesday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52 week low of $520.26 and a 52 week high of $796.25. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $604.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $626.52. The company has a market capitalization of $1.63 trillion, a P/E ratio of 23.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.67 by $3.77. The business had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The company’s revenue was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.43 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.47 EPS for the current year.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.63%.
Key Meta Platforms News Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Meta and kept an overweight rating, signaling expectations for meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo target hike Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn also boosted its target and reiterated a buy rating, reflecting growing optimism that Meta can monetize AI more effectively. Benzinga report on Rothschild & Co Redburn target hike Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted Meta’s expanding AI strategy, including possible cloud/compute sales and large enterprise deals, which could create a new revenue stream and support margins over time. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Meta is positioned to beat second-quarter expectations, citing healthy ad demand and AI-driven improvements ahead of earnings later this month. Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary continues to frame Meta as a key beneficiary of the AI spending boom, with investors watching whether infrastructure investment can be monetized faster than expected. Neutral Sentiment: A comparison piece versus Pinterest and a broader “Mag 7” article mainly added background, but did not change the core investment thesis for META. Negative Sentiment: Meta is facing a Tennessee trial over claims that Instagram was designed to be addictive and contributed to youth mental-health issues, adding legal and regulatory risk. Negative Sentiment: A New York Times report said Meta’s AI moderation mistakenly banned user accounts, raising questions about product reliability and trust in its automated systems. Negative Sentiment: Ongoing investor concerns remain around heavy AI spending, data-center financing, and whether returns on that capital will justify the expense. Insider Activity at Meta Platforms In other Meta Platforms news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,847 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.83, for a total transaction of $4,769,642.01. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 414 shares in the company, valued at $251,641.62. This trade represents a 94.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 2,079 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.92, for a total transaction of $1,268,023.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,118 shares in the company, valued at $681,890.56. This trade represents a 65.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 37,948 shares of company stock worth $23,184,319. 13.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have commented on META. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $767.00 to $835.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays boosted their target price on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Benchmark initiated coverage on Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Arete Research set a $735.00 price target on Meta Platforms and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $725.00 price objective (down from $825.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $835.64.
View Our Latest Report on Meta Platforms
About Meta Platforms (Free Report)
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Confidence Is Back, But Earnings Show the Consumer Is Being Picky AeroVironment’s Stock Is Down, But Drone Demand Is Taking Off 3M’s Redemption Arc: Can Q2 Earnings Change the Narrative? 3 Photonics Companies Making Quantum Tech Possible Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
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Samsung on Wednesday detailed the features of its upcoming smart glasses, including gesture controls, as it looks to mount its first challenge to Meta in the device category.
The South Korean tech giant had previously unveiled the "intelligent eyewear" at Google I/O conference in May, showing off two products designed with its partners Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. At the time, Samsung gave very few details about the design and functionality.
At Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, the company said the glasses have a built-in camera, as CNBC first reported earlier this year. The camera can capture content that the user is seeing such as taking a video. It can also read content on a whiteboard or presentation and organize the key information into notes.
The device can summarize long messages that a person receives on their smartphone. This can be heard from the built-in speakers in the glasses.
Samsung's glasses are equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 chip and must be tethered to a smartphone. The device also has a portable charging case.
James Choi, executive vice president at Samsung and the head of the research and development division behind the glasses, said the company is testing gesture controls with its smartwatches.
That would mean a person wearing a Samsung smartwatch could make a specific gesture with their hand, which could carry out a feature on the device. Users could also potentially carry out gestures with Samsung's Galaxy Ring device, which it launched in 2024, Choi said.
When the device launches this Fall, there will be "more designs" and colors beyond what Samsung has shown off so far, Choi told CNBC.
Meta challengeSamsung, which is one of the biggest consumer electronics players in the world, is entering a market that Meta has dominated since 2021 with its range of smart glasses, such as the Ray-Ban line up.
The Facebook parent company had 69.2% share of the smart glasses market in the first quarter of 2026, according to IDC.
Meta has recently been expanding its portfolio of devices. Last month, it launched a $299 set of entry-level smart galsses and in 2025 the company unveiled the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which have a built-in display.
Choi would not disclose the pricing of Samsung's offering but said it would be positioned as a "premium" product. He added that the device will be sold via its partners' sales channels.
"We want to make it reasonable, but as I mentioned ... the quality of the product itself, we want to position as premium. It doesn't mean that it's crazy expensive," Choi said, adding that the glasses will not be at the "lower end."
"Samsung's arrival represents a serious challenge to Meta, but success is far from guaranteed. Ray-Ban Meta already enjoys strong awareness and growing adoption, while Samsung has historically struggled to convert its vast smartphone base into users of complementary Galaxy devices," Paolo Pescatore, founder of PP Foresight, told CNBC.
"Eyewear represents another valuable upsell opportunity, but Samsung must deliver compelling everyday use cases and prove it can persuade consumers to buy into more than just the smartphone."
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Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at IDC, said he "wouldn't be surprised" if Samsung priced the device between $600 and $700 to "strengthen their premium brand." But he added that there is a risk if they price the device high "without offering more" than what Meta's Ray-Ban products currently offer.
"That is going to be quite a difficult move to sell that kind of device," Jeronimo said.
Choi said the company has "just started" in the smart glass category and expects it to be a "niche market" that will not reach 100 million units in sales. However, he declined to provide Samsung's sales expectations.
Kylie Jenner introduced her new Meta glasses. The backlash began.
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Senior Correspondent covering technology and culture
Kylie Jenner designed new Meta glasses. They've become a flash point. Meta Kylie Jenner is very much like Meta's glasses: You can't deny they're popular — but that doesn't mean they're not also controversial. (Just ask Club Chalamet. Actually, don't.)
It's undeniable that the camera-and-video smart glasses have sold — at least 7 million pairs last year. Now, a fresh wave of attention — and scrutiny — has followed the launch of a new style of the glasses: an oval-framed pair designed by Jenner.
When she debuted them late last month, there was an immediate backlash. One person commented, "Predator glasses" on her Instagram announcement. Another said. "Such a scary product for a WOMAN to be supporting." A British advocacy group bought a bus ad mocking the glasses with Jenner's image and the slogan "we're always watching you." I've reached out to Jenner's team for comment.
The anti-AI glasses sentiment might be getting louder simply because the glasses are getting more popular: They're a thing young people actually encounter out in the world. (I wrote about "Computah" back in June; he uses Meta's more traditional Ray-Bans to make funny videos pretending to "program" people.) They can also come with the potential creep factor. There's a whole genre of pick-up artists who post videos using them. I wrote about other people who do obnoxious pranks on service workers with the glasses and post on TikTok and Reels.
And at a Madrid music festival last week, the pop star Lorde went on an expletive-laden diatribe about them, saying "Don't get the glasses. Not sexy."
Interestingly, since the launch of her namesake frames, Jenner doesn't seem to be wearing them much in public. At the World Cup finals, she wore what appeared to be different tapered oval sunnies, and at a Knicks game, she used an old-school point-and-shoot camera to take photos of her boyfriend, rather than Meta glasses.
She did wear them in a recent Instagram post promoting her swimwear line.
The glasses, which can record video and take hands-free photos, have always been controversial — how could camera glasses not be? But it feels to me like we're at a new level of the discourse about them, where young people are both bemoaning their impact on society and also buying them.
What seems new here is the AI element, which is being beefed up in the glasses. In general, there's widespread anti-AI sentiment among young people, yet they continue to use AI. (Life is complicated; no judgment.)
Of course, the most controversial AI element in the glasses is one that doesn't exist on them (yet): facial recognition. Meta has been dancing around this feature for years. Whether it actually happens could depend on public reception — so it matters right now how Meta and its executives are messaging it.
That's where Meta's recent messaging around the glasses comes in.
NameTag would identify people you knowIt's a relatable dilemma: You're talking to someone at a party, and you can't for the life of you remember their name. Or, even more brutal, you forget them completely, and they inform you that you've met before (oof).
This social agony is what Meta says it aims to solve with facial recognition in its AI-powered smart glasses. It hasn't launched facial recognition, but it seems to be very interested in doing so. Wired reported that a recent software update for the glasses included code (that wasn't actually working yet) for a feature called NameTag that could help you identify people you've met before.
But is the "cocktail party problem," as Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth called it in a recent interview on Nicholas Thompson's podcast, a big enough problem that we should be willing to make the privacy tradeoffs of a world where facial recognition glasses at parties are normalized?
A Meta spokesman told me facial recognition isn't yet a done deal.
"We haven't made a decision on the so-called NameTag feature, and it's not available in glasses people can buy today," Meta's Carl Woog said. "Should we decide to make something like this available, it will be our responsibility to do so with a thoughtful approach that protects people's privacy."
It feels hard to square the idea of facial recognition in glasses with personal privacy.
In the podcast interview, Bosworth also discusses the benefits of the glasses to the blind, as well as people who have trouble remembering faces or names because of a brain injury or other cognitive issue.
Facial recognition could have real benefits for the blindThat podcast interview wasn't the first time Meta executives or other company communications mentioned the glasses' disability benefits as a talking point.
I believe the people working on the glasses at Meta really care about the potential benefits for people with disabilities. The division at Meta that makes the glasses, Reality Labs, has its origins in Meta's acquisition of CTRL Labs, a company working on neural interface wearables meant to help people who couldn't type. In June, Meta pledged to provide free glasses to any of the 130,000 blind military veterans who request them.
"There are a lot of people working at Reality Labs who have dedicated their professional careers to building frontier technology that can help people who have real needs, be it limited sight, hearing, or mobility, and we are inspired by these efforts," Woog said.
Still, Meta glasses are not primarily sold as disability aids — they're fun toys for general consumers. And the discussion around disabilities also creates a kind of false tension: If you're worried about the privacy implications of facial recognition glasses, you might be against helping the blind. I have to believe there exists a middle ground; you can care about both things.
Meta knows that public sentiment is crucial to getting widespread acceptance of AI features like facial recognition. For now, it seems it will have to work on its messaging if the recent backlash to the Kylie glasses is any indication.
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Katie Notopoulos You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Katie Notopoulos is a senior correspondent at Business Insider who writes about technology, business, and culture. She covers topics such as internet culture, Big Tech, retail, AI, parenting in the digital age, and personal tech.Previously, Katie was a tech reporter at BuzzFeed News and has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, Fast Company, and MIT Technology Review. Based in New York, you can reach her by email [email protected] or find her on Twitter. Bluesky, and Threads @katienotopoulos.Some of her stories include:
Google AI said to put glue in pizza — so I made a pizza with glue and ate itThe Zuckermoon is overGen Z doesn't want to say "hello" when answering the phone. I'm concerned. Wait, is Walmart cool now?Mark Zuckerberg has created the saddest place on the internet with Meta AI's public feedHow Instagram got its mojo backAm I the JD Vance of my group chat?We need to talk about whatever's happening with Starbucks' drinksThis chart shows a key reason why millennial parents are miserableIt's not just you. Eggshells really are chipping more. Meta Wearables Kylie Jenner More AI
