Meta Platforms stock weighs AI spending against strong Q2 revenue
Published on 10/05/2026 at 15:35 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Meta Platforms stock (ISIN US30303M1027) was trading at USD 731.39 on Nasdaq on October 5, 2026, up 0.45 percent from the previous close. The company enters its next results cycle with Q2 revenue growth intact, but artificial intelligence spending is putting pressure on earnings quality.
Revenue grows while EPS falls
Meta reported USD 60.80 billion in Q2 2026 revenue, up 28.0 percent from USD 47.52 billion in Q2 2025, while diluted EPS fell to USD 6.18 from USD 7.14. Yahoo Finance reported on October 2, 2026, that higher artificial intelligence costs helped push total costs and expenses to USD 42.03 billion, up 55 percent year over year.
The operating margin was 31 percent in Q2 2026, compared with 43 percent a year earlier, according to Yahoo Finance. Advertising remained the financial engine, generating USD 59.36 billion, up 27 percent, while quarterly capital expenditures reached USD 31.1 billion.
AI investment sets the next test
Management guided Q3 2026 revenue to USD 61 billion to USD 64 billion and set full-year 2026 capital expenditure guidance at USD 130 billion to USD 145 billion, figures reported by Yahoo Finance on October 2, 2026. That combination gives investors a clear test: advertising growth must continue to finance the company's expanding AI infrastructure.
Meta's Muse AI launch and new hardware helped lift the stock 27 percent in September, according to Yahoo Finance on October 5, 2026. The rally raises the bar for evidence that Muse can develop into a meaningful advertising, subscription or commerce channel rather than remain a costly growth project.
Consensus target stays above price
MarketBeat lists a Moderate Buy consensus based on 57 analysts, with an average price target of USD 787.86, a high of USD 1,000.00 and a low of USD 580.00. The average target lies 7.7 percent above the USD 731.39 price, leaving the consensus dependent on stronger earnings conversion from AI spending.
Meta Platforms stock stays below yearly high
Meta Platforms stock was trading at USD 731.39 on Nasdaq at 9:35 a.m. ET on October 5, 2026, with a market capitalization of USD 1.9 trillion. Its 52-week range was USD 520.26 to USD 779.82, placing the quote USD 48.43 below the yearly high.
Meta Platforms stock facts
- Company: Meta Platforms, Inc.
- ISIN: US30303M1027
- Ticker: META
- Trading venue: NASDAQ
- Price (as of October 5, 2026, 9:35 a.m. ET): USD 731.39
- Market capitalization: USD 1.9 trillion (as of October 5, 2026)
- 52-week range: USD 520.26-779.82 (as of October 5, 2026)
- Sector / Industry: Communication Services / Interactive Media and Services
