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NASDAQ:META
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)
547.26
+3.59 (0.66%)
as of Aug 19, 2026, 2:45:25 pm Market Open.
94 watching
Financials 
Technical Analysis 0
Investor Insights
Aug 18, 2026, 12:00 amThis summary was created by AI, based on 4 opinions in the last 12 months.
Meta Platforms, Inc. has experienced a tumultuous week, highlighted by a significant drop in share price, falling over 17% following disappointing second-quarter earnings that came in below market expectations. Despite a reported earnings of $6.18 per share, which disappointed analysts who estimated $7.19, the company's revenue of $59.89 billion exceeded projections. In contrast, the previous quarter showcased a strong performance, with earnings surpassing estimates, driven by advancements in AI that boosted its ad business. However, recent endeavors to increase capital expenditures to accommodate AI infrastructure have led to uncertainty, contributing to stock volatility. Overall, analysts are divided on the trajectory of the stock, with a noticeable surge in social media mentions reflecting heightened investor sentiment.
Consensus
Negative
Valuation
Overvalued
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Premium contentTOP PICK
TOP PICK
Facing negative press, but the bottom line is this company has some of the best advertising assets on the planet. CEO is a historically good allocator of capital. Look at the Instagram acquisition. Profitability embedded in the core business. No dividend. (Analysts’ price target is $398.64)
Shane ObataOwned
Technology
WEAK BUY
Amazon vs. Facebook He owns both. Amazon has a better story a year from now, though both have issues. Online shopping will continue but the end of Covid will slow down; also Amazon's labour issues will rise. The problem with FB is that they're under much more scrutiny. Also, Apple has hurts Facebook in online ads (tracking users on the platform), so Amazon isn't effected. FB is going through a transition. Also, Amazon's cloud business will continue to be strong. Amazon is a better play, though both will do well.
Paul Harris, CFAOwned
Technology
TOP PICK
The stock has been punished over the last few weeks. Stepping back, they have 2.5B monthly active users. So many ways to monetize this. The metaverse move is a bet but the team has been successful. Forefront of the future. Trading at 20x 2022 earnings. (Analysts’ price target is $401.00)
Greg NewmanOwned
Technology
BUY
The metaverse will probably be part of the future. Facebook is getting involved. Trading at 19x and forecast to growth 15%. Monthly active users are around 3B people. Many ways to make money.
Greg NewmanOwned
Technology
BUY
They'll showcase the metaverse tomorrow. Sure, they need to stop some users from inciting violence. But in the end, FB offers a way to everyone to tell their story. Also, FB helps a lot of small/medium-businesses sell goods and services. They have $358 billion cash that he thinks they'll mostly spend on the metaverse.
Technology
DON'T BUY
They were once bulletproof, but now they're showing weakness. The buyback may support shares tomorrow. A week ago, FB bounced off its 200-day moving average, then fell right into its 200-day right before today's report. This means there's embedded weakness in the stock. We're starting to see critical mass where people are not getting behind FB, and rather advertising dollars are supporting FB. CEO Zuckerberg doesn't look as sympathetic to the public anymore. The stock is seeing a bounce now, but not as strong as recent reports.
Technology
COMMENT
It's up 1.5-4% after hours despite a mixed earnings report, but up because of further share buybacks. People were already concerned about the Apple data issue on Facebook, so that's already priced into the share price. The share buyback is good enough to keep shares above current support, and in fact likely gets a little bounce. But he's worried about stalling user numbers. Add to this political headwinds. FB can still rise, but it's not as great a buy as it was 6 months ago.
Technology
HOLD
It's up 1.5-4% after hours despite a mixed earnings report, but it's up because it announced further share buybacks. The expectation were so low heading into their report today, given Snapchat's poor report and FB's earlier comments on the Apple impact on FB's ad campaigns. Digital ad growth has been so strong leading up to this report. The $50 billion buyback is nice, and the metaverse that Zuckerberg envisions is an exciting growth area though investment costs could rise in this area. FB can dominate with any new products with anything they want, and that's what this story is about. Zuckerberg suggest there's a conspiracy against FB in today's call? By who? No, FB has done a lot of this to themselves (referring to recent leaked documents). Shares were due to bounce; he thinks it'll hold this level.
Technology
COMMENT
The headline today is that supply chain disruptions are hurting the advertisers who provide the revenue to Facebook and Google, but the market goes through phases. For example, 2-3 weeks markets were deeply worried about inflation and Evergrande, but if you ask someone today they'll think that Evergrande is a Las Vegas casino. Things are transitory. People come back to these stocks when they feel they're selling at attractive levels, and these tech stocks are still the big growth engines.
TOP PICK
Huge numbers for active users and revenue. Bouncing off the 200-day MA, a buying opportunity. Ad revenue per user continues to climb. 24x PE, with 25% EPS growth rate. Solid valuation. They report next week. No dividend. (Analysts’ price target is $418.30)
Stan WongOwned
Technology
WAIT
On his radar. Whistleblowers, regulators, and politicians on their backs. Average 12-month price target is $416, good runway ahead. Rumours of name change, which clouds it further. There are better opportunities without the uncertainties. He'd like to get back in. He'll review next week's earnings report.
Technology
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Stockchase Research Editor: Michael O'Reilly FB, now going by the new name of Meta Platforms, is reiterated as a TOP PICK. Despite people's comments regarding their social media operations, the company continues to stand out. It trades at 24x earnings, compared to peers at 79x. Recently reported earnings showed a 57% increase over this year, inline with its 50% annual growth rate of the past five years. It continues to build cash reserves, while it has been buying back stock aggressively. We would recommend trailing up the stop (from $275) to $308, looking to achieve $403 -- upside potential over 18%. Yield 0% (Analysts’ price target is $402.29)