Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) Stock Price & How to Invest
Last updated October 2026
Short answer
You can invest in Meta Platforms (META) by buying shares or fractional shares at any major broker, through an ETF that holds it, or as one holding in a thematic basket. Meta is a mega-cap, high-margin advertising compounder running the world's largest social and messaging network (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger). AI-driven ad targeting, new surfaces like Reels and business messaging, and big capital returns drive it, weighed against heavy AI capex and loss-making Reality Labs, so META behaves like a profitable mega-cap growth stock with optionality, not a defensive. As of October 16, 2026 META closed near $720, up about 11% year to date, for a market value of roughly $1.8 trillion, with third-quarter results due October 21.
META stock price
As of 2026-10-23, Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) last closed at $642.62, down 13.0% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $525.72 and $777.59.
Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or Meta Platforms, Inc.'s investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) do?
Meta Platforms operates the world's largest social media and messaging network, with billions of daily users across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, collectively branded the Family of Apps. Nearly all of Meta's revenue comes from digital advertising: advertisers pay to reach users based on the detailed interest, behavioral, and demographic signals Meta's platforms collect. This advertising machine, powered by deep AI-driven targeting and ranking systems, is one of the most profitable businesses in the world. Meta is investing heavily in two long-term bets. First, artificial intelligence: it builds open-weight models (Llama and, as of October 2026, Muse Spark, released for developers and coding agents), AI assistants embedded across its apps, and the data-center and GPU infrastructure to train them, while using AI to improve ad targeting and content recommendations. Second, Reality Labs, its metaverse and augmented- and virtual-reality division (Quest headsets, smart glasses), which loses tens of billions of dollars annually as a long-horizon investment. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Meta is a mega-cap technology and communications company led by founder Mark Zuckerberg. The 2026 numbers show both sides at once. Trailing revenue reached about $228 billion as of October 2026, with second-quarter revenue of about $60.8 billion up roughly 28% year over year, while infrastructure spending has absorbed most of the cash: about $130 billion of trailing operating cash flow turned into only about $22 billion of free cash flow.
What's driving Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)?
1. Dominant advertising engine.
Meta reaches billions of daily users across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, and monetizes that attention through highly targeted digital advertising. AI-driven ad ranking and targeting steadily improve return on ad spend for advertisers, supporting both price and volume. This Family of Apps advertising business generates enormous, high-margin cash flow that funds Meta's other investments.
2. AI as a core advantage.
Meta uses AI to recommend content (Reels, feeds), improve ad performance, and power assistants embedded across its apps. It develops open-weight models, Llama and the Muse Spark model it opened to developers in October 2026, and is building large GPU clusters to train them. Better recommendation and targeting models directly lift engagement and ad revenue, making AI both a product feature and a near-term monetization lever rather than only a long-term bet.
3. New surfaces and monetization.
Reels, business messaging on WhatsApp and Instagram, and AI assistants open additional engagement surfaces that Meta is gradually monetizing. Click-to-message ads and commerce within messaging apps expand the addressable advertising market beyond the traditional feed, giving Meta fresh revenue streams from its existing user base.
4. Operating discipline and capital returns.
After a focus on efficiency, Meta improved margins and now returns capital through buybacks and a dividend (about $2.10 a share per year, a yield near 0.3% as of October 2026) while still investing aggressively. The high-margin core business, with an operating margin near 35% and trailing net income of about $68 billion, gives it the flexibility to fund AI infrastructure and Reality Labs while rewarding shareholders, though the AI build-out cut trailing free cash flow to about $22 billion, so buyback capacity is tighter than it was in 2024.
What are the risks to Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)?
Meta is almost entirely dependent on digital advertising, leaving it exposed to ad-market cycles, competition from Google, Amazon, TikTok, and others, and platform or privacy changes (such as Apple's prior ad-tracking restrictions) that can impair targeting. Reality Labs burns tens of billions of dollars per year with uncertain payoff, and aggressive AI capital spending pressures free cash flow, which fell to about $22 billion over the trailing twelve months against roughly $130 billion of operating cash flow. Debt has also climbed to about $112 billion, against about $90 billion of cash (October 2026). Regulatory risk is significant: antitrust scrutiny, content moderation and child-safety concerns, and data-privacy enforcement in the US and Europe could force costly changes. Engagement among younger users faces competition from TikTok and emerging platforms. The stock can be volatile around spending guidance, and founder Mark Zuckerberg's voting control limits outside influence over capital-allocation decisions. Earnings have been uneven against estimates: GAAP EPS missed consensus in the September 2025 and June 2026 quarters and beat in the two quarters between, and analysts expect third-quarter 2026 EPS below the year-earlier level.
What is the Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) forecast?
58 analysts publish price targets on META, averaging $813.65 against a $709.33 price as of October 2026, or +14.7%. The published targets run from $580.00 to $1050.00, a moderate spread, and the ratings split 55 buy, 7 hold, 1 sell. Over the last six months there have been 8 raises and 1 cut among the published actions. A price target is what an analyst published on a date, not a prediction, and sell-side ratings skew positive across the whole market.
Read the full META forecast and price target for the target table, the recent rating actions by firm, and how the consensus has shifted.
Is META a buy or a sell?
We give no verdict on Meta Platforms, Inc.. Both cases are real, which is why the question is contested at all, so here is the strongest version of each.
The case for buying. Dominant advertising engine. Meta reaches billions of daily users across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, and monetizes that attention through highly targeted digital advertising. The most optimistic published target, $1050.00, assumes this works close to its best case.
The case against. Meta is almost entirely dependent on digital advertising, leaving it exposed to ad-market cycles, competition from Google, Amazon, TikTok, and others, and platform or privacy changes (such as Apple's prior ad-tracking restrictions) that can impair targeting. The most pessimistic target, $580.00, is roughly what META is worth if this bites instead.
Read the full bull and bear case on META, including what would have to change to break either one. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
Has Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) split its stock?
No. Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) has not split its stock in the last 10 years. That is a statement about the window we check rather than about the company’s entire history, so an older split is possible. It also matters less than it once did: fractional shares mean a high price per share no longer keeps smaller investors out, which removed most of the practical reason to split.
How is Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) valued? (approximate, October 2026)
A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Meta Platforms, Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker.
- Revenue (TTM): ~$228 billion, nearly all advertising; Q2 2026 up ~28% YoY
- Margins: ~82% gross, ~35% operating, ~30% net
- Net income (TTM): ~$68 billion
- EPS: ~$26.54 trailing; Q2 2026 $6.18 vs $7.22 estimate
- P/E: ~27x trailing, ~21x forward
- Free cash flow (TTM): ~$22 billion after heavy AI capex (operating cash flow ~$130 billion)
- Dividend: ~$2.10 a year, yield ~0.3%
- Market cap: ~$1.83 trillion
At about $720 on October 16, 2026, Meta trades near 27 times trailing and 21 times forward earnings, roughly in line with the market despite revenue growing near 28%, because AI capital spending has compressed free cash flow and made earnings lumpier. The 58 analysts tracked by Yahoo Finance hold a mean target near $814. Third-quarter results arrive October 21, 2026, with consensus revenue of about $63.4 billion; the multiple tends to expand when ad growth surprises and compress when spending guidance rises.
Which ETFs hold Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)?
If you want META exposure as part of a larger bundle rather than directly, these ETFs hold it meaningfully. Weights are approximate and refresh quarterly.
| ETF | Name | % in META | Expense ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGM | iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF | 4.8% | 0.39% | |
| ACWI | iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | 1.5% | 0.32% | |
| QLD | ProShares Ultra QQQ | 2.18% | 0.89% | |
| SPLG | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | 2.43% | 0.02% | |
| QUAL | iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | 4.77% | 0.15% | |
| SPXL | Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X Shares | ~2% | ~0.90% | |
| VOOG | Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF | 3.49% | 0.07% | |
| SPYG | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | 4.3% | 0.04% | |
| BULZ | MicroSectors Solactive FANG Innovation 3X Leveraged ETNs | 7.31% | 0.95% | |
| SCHX | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF | 2.33% | 0.03% | |
| XLC | State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF | 22.16% | 0.08% | |
| JEPQ | JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF | 2.96% | 0.35% | |
| VOO | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | ~2.1% | 0.03% | |
| SPY | State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | 2.42% | 0.0945% | |
| QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust | ~5.0% | 0.20% | |
| VTI | Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | 1.70% | 0.03% | |
| VT | Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | 1.05% | 0.07% | |
| AIQ | Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF | 3.22% | 0.68% | |
| QYLD | Global X Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF | 3.38% | 0.60% | |
| ITOT | iShares Core S&P Total US Stock Market ETF | 2.16% | 0.03% | |
| QQQM | Invesco Nasdaq 100 ETF | 3.27% | 0.15% | |
| IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | 2.42% | 0.03% | |
| VUG | Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF | 3.39% | 0.03% | |
| SCHG | Schwab US Large-Cap Growth ETF | 4.33% | 0.04% | |
| MGK | Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF | 4.05% | 0.05% | |
| JEPI | JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF | 1.88% | 0.35% | |
| ARKF | ARK Blockchain & Fintech Innovation ETF | 4.5% | 0.75% | |
| ONEQ | Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index ETF | 3.41% | 0.21% | |
| SCHB | Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF | 2.20% | 0.03% | |
| MAGS | Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF | ~14% | 0.29% | |
| SPYI | NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF | 2.39% | 0.68% | |
| IWF | iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF | 3.8% | 0.18% | |
| BBUS | JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Equity ETF | 2.4% | 0.02% | |
| JGRO | JPMorgan Active Growth ETF | 2.68% | 0.44% | |
| QQQI | NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF | 3.34% | 0.68% | |
| ROBT | First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence and Robotics ETF | 1.97% | 0.65% | |
| TPAY | Roundhill S&P 500 Target 10 Managed Distribution ETF | ~3% | 0.49% | |
| XYLD | Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF | 2.5% | 0.60% | |
| IVW | iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF | 4.3% | 0.18% | |
| VV | Vanguard Morningstar Large-Cap ETF | 1.9% | 0.03% | |
| VONG | Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares | 3.1% | 0.06% | |
| IWB | iShares Russell 1000 ETF | 2.3% | 0.15% | |
| DFAC | Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF | 1.7% | 0.17% | |
| DYNF | iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF | 2.7% | 0.26% | |
| CGDV | Capital Group Dividend Value ETF | 5.3% | 0.33% | |
| IUSG | iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF | 4.1% | 0.04% | |
| FNDX | Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company ETF | 1.9% | 0.25% | |
| IYW | iShares U.S. Technology ETF | 3.4% | 0.38% | |
| CGGR | Capital Group Growth ETF | 6.6% | 0.39% | |
| RDVY | First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF | 2.3% | 0.47% | |
| DFUS | Dimensional U.S. Equity Market ETF | 2.3% | 0.09% | |
| OEF | iShares S&P 100 ETF | 3.3% | 0.20% | |
| IWV | iShares Russell 3000 ETF | 2.2% | 0.20% | |
| ESGU | iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF | 2.2% | 0.15% | |
| IWY | iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF | 4.4% | 0.20% | |
| AVLV | Avantis US Large Cap Value ETF | 3.5% | 0.15% | |
| DGRW | WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund | 3.8% | 0.28% | |
| GSLC | Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF | 2.4% | 0.09% | |
| DFUV | Dimensional US Marketwide Value ETF | 1.6% | 0.21% | |
| AVUS | Avantis US Equity ETF | 2.5% | 0.15% | |
| SPTM | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF | 2.2% | 0.03% | |
| ESGV | Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF | 2.1% | 0.09% | |
| DUHP | Dimensional US High Profitability ETF | 3.3% | 0.20% | |
| DFAU | Dimensional US Core Equity Market ETF | 2.1% | 0.12% | |
| MOAT | VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF | 3.1% | 0.46% | |
| VONE | Vanguard Russell 1000 Index Fund ETF Shares | 1.8% | 0.06% | |
| PBUS | Invesco MSCI USA ETF | 2.4% | 0.04% | |
| CGUS | Capital Group Core Equity ETF | 4.6% | 0.33% | |
| MGC | Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap ETF | 2.3% | 0.05% | |
| XLG | Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF | 3.8% | 0.20% | |
| PRF | Invesco RAFI US 1000 ETF | 2.1% | 0.34% | |
| JQUA | JPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF | 2.1% | 0.12% | |
| URTH | iShares MSCI World ETF | 1.8% | 0.24% | |
| FELC | Fidelity Enhanced Large Cap Core ETF | 2.4% | 0.18% | |
| TCAF | T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Equity ETF | 4.0% | 0.31% | |
| FBCG | Fidelity Blue Chip Growth ETF | 2.4% | 0.57% | |
| JGLO | Jpmorgan Global Select Equity ETF | 2.4% | 0.47% | |
| JAVA | JPMorgan Active Value ETF | 2.1% | 0.44% | |
| BLCR | iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF | 5.2% | 0.36% | |
| DFLV | Dimensional US Large Cap Value ETF | 2.4% | 0.21% | |
| DLN | WisdomTree U.S. LargeCap Dividend Fund | 2.3% | 0.28% | |
| VTHR | Vanguard Russell 3000 Index Fund ETF Shares | 1.7% | 0.06% | |
| VOX | Vanguard Communication Services Index Fund ETF Shares | 20.5% | 0.09% | |
| RECS | Columbia Research Enhanced Core ETF | 4.8% | 0.15% | |
| SCHK | Schwab 1000 ETF | 2.3% | 0.03% | |
| FELG | Fidelity Enhanced Large Cap Growth ETF | 3.9% | 0.18% | |
| BKLC | BNY Mellon US Large Cap Core Equity ETF | 2.4% | 0.00% | |
| QTEC | First Trust NASDAQ-100-Technology Sector Index Fund | 2.6% | 0.55% | |
| FDN | First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | 11.1% | 0.49% | |
| QLTY | GMO U.S. Quality ETF | 4.8% | 0.50% | |
| JTEK | JPMorgan U.S. Tech Leaders ETF | 4.2% | 0.65% |
What themes does Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) fit?
These are the investment theses META naturally fits into. Each links to a full theme guide listing every other stock that belongs and the ETFs commonly used as a passive proxy.
Metaverse, VR and AR
The largest dedicated bet on the metaverse: its Reality Labs division builds Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses, though it has absorbed roughly $90 billion in cumulative losses and is now reorienting toward AI wearables.
Technology
Held as part of the Technology theme.
Social media stocks
Held as part of the Social media stocks theme.
Growth stocks
Held as part of the Growth stocks theme.
Momentum stocks
Held as part of the Momentum stocks theme.
Who competes with Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)?
Digital advertising
Google (Alphabet) and Amazon are the largest competitors for digital ad budgets, with TikTok, Pinterest, Snap, and others competing for social-advertising spend and user attention.
What stocks are similar to Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)?
Other names that sit close to META: same theme, named as a direct competitor, or held beside it in the same funds. Each entry says which. Worth a look if you are thinking about diversification within a thesis rather than concentration on one ticker.
How to invest in Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)
There are three common ways to get META exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it (IGM, ACWI, QLD), which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic portfolio, so META sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.
Walnut takes the portfolio route. Describe a thesis where META fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.
New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.
The bottom line on Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)
Meta (META) is an advertising powerhouse whose Family of Apps cash machine funds aggressive AI infrastructure and tens of billions in annual Reality Labs losses, with AI doubling as a near-term ad-monetization lever. In a portfolio it behaves as a mega-cap technology and communication-services growth holding, volatile around spending guidance and regulation, with near-total ad dependence and founder voting control as its defining swing factors.
More on Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)
Whether META is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is META a buy or a sell?, and where the stock could go from here in the META stock forecast.
For income investors, whether META pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does META pay a dividend? And to weigh META against a peer, read the full side-by-side comparisons: META vs AAPL and META vs NVDA.
Wondering how META fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Meta Platforms, Inc. with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how META fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is Meta's ticker symbol?
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META, listed on Nasdaq. Officially Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly Facebook, Inc. Founded in 2004, headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Trades during US market hours and is available at every major US brokerage.
What does Meta do?
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Meta runs the world's largest social and messaging network: Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Nearly all revenue comes from digital advertising powered by AI targeting. Meta also develops the Llama AI models and AI assistants, and invests in Reality Labs, its metaverse and AR/VR division.
Who are Meta's main competitors?
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For ad budgets and attention: Google and Amazon, plus TikTok, Snap, and Pinterest. For social engagement: TikTok, YouTube, and X. In AI: OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. In AR/VR: Apple Vision Pro and other headset makers.
How does Meta make money?
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Almost entirely through digital advertising. Advertisers pay to reach Meta's billions of users across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, targeted using detailed interest and behavioral signals and AI-driven ranking. Reality Labs and AI are investments that currently consume cash rather than generating meaningful revenue.
What is Reality Labs?
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Reality Labs is Meta's metaverse and augmented- and virtual-reality division, making Quest headsets and smart glasses. It is a long-horizon investment that loses tens of billions of dollars per year, funded by the highly profitable advertising business. Its eventual payoff is uncertain and a key debate for investors.
Is Meta an AI stock?
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Meta is a major AI player. It builds open-weight models (Llama, and Muse Spark, released to developers in October 2026), embeds AI assistants across its apps, and uses AI to power content recommendations and ad targeting, which directly lifts revenue. It also spends heavily on GPU and data-center infrastructure, enough to cut trailing free cash flow to about $22 billion. AI is both a near-term monetization lever and a long-term bet.
What is Meta's P/E ratio?
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Approximately 27x trailing twelve months and about 21x forward earnings as of October 16, 2026, broadly in line with the market despite mega-cap scale and revenue growth near 28%. The valuation reflects strong advertising profitability offset by heavy AI capital spending and persistent Reality Labs losses. It expands on upside ad surprises and compresses when spending guidance rises.
Does Meta pay a dividend?
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Yes. Meta initiated a dividend in 2024 and also returns substantial capital through share buybacks. The annual rate is about $2.10 per share, a yield near 0.3% as of October 2026 and under 8% of earnings, as the company prioritizes reinvestment in AI infrastructure and Reality Labs alongside shareholder returns.
Is Meta in the S&P 500?
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Yes. META is one of the largest S&P 500 constituents by market cap and a major component of the Nasdaq-100, frequently grouped among the mega-cap technology and communication leaders. It is widely held across passive index funds.
Which ETFs hold Meta?
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META is a top holding in QQQ (Nasdaq-100), broad market funds like VOO and VTI, communication-services ETFs such as XLC, and many technology and growth funds. Its mega-cap size gives it a significant weight in diversified large-cap portfolios.
What sector is Meta in?
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Communication Services under GICS classification, within the interactive media and services industry, alongside Alphabet. Despite its technology profile, the official classification groups Meta with media and digital-platform companies rather than the technology sector.
Which thematic baskets typically include Meta?
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On Walnut, META commonly appears in AI baskets given its Llama models and AI-driven advertising, mega-cap technology baskets, and digital-advertising or social-media baskets alongside Alphabet and other internet-platform companies.
Is Meta a good stock to buy?
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Descriptive, not a recommendation. Meta offers a dominant, high-margin advertising engine, billions of users, and AI capabilities that improve both products and monetization. Counterpoints include near-total dependence on advertising, heavy AI capex, large Reality Labs losses, regulatory and privacy risk, and founder voting control. Whether it fits a portfolio depends on individual goals and risk tolerance. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
How did Meta do in its latest quarter?
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For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Meta reported revenue of about $60.8 billion, up roughly 28% year over year, but GAAP EPS of $6.18 came in below the $7.22 consensus and net income fell to about $15.9 billion from about $26.8 billion in the March quarter. Third-quarter 2026 results are scheduled for October 21, 2026, with analysts expecting revenue of about $63.4 billion.
How has META stock performed in 2026?
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As of October 16, 2026, META closed near $720.29, up about 10.7% year to date and about 1.2% over one year. It gained roughly 12% over the prior three months and trades below its 52-week high of about $780 (the low was about $520). Past performance does not predict future returns.
Guides that feature META
META is one of the names covered in these guides. Each one puts the stock next to its peers so you can see where it fits rather than judging it alone.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with Meta Platforms, Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.