Wall Street Sees 29% Upside for Meta While Retail Investors Turn Skeptical

"Shares of Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction) are trading at $668.69, essentially flat over the past week with a 0.04% decline, coinciding with a noticeable shift in retail investor sentiment on platforms like Reddit and X. Social sentiment has cooled to 44.7 for the week ending February 12, down from 57.5 over the prior month. The mixed reaction follows Meta's January 28 earnings beat and announcement of a $10 billion data center in Lebanon, Indiana."

"Mentions of META on Reddit increased sharply following the company's earnings announcement, with users expressing skepticism about whether the aggressive AI spending will deliver returns. While Meta beat expectations with $59.89 billion in Q4 revenue and $8.88 EPS, the capex guidance raised eyebrows. Traders on Reddit have been comparing Big Tech's capital spending arms race, with discussions highlighting concerns about AI monetization execution."

"Despite retail skepticism, Wall Street analysts remain bullish. UBS raised its price target to $872 from $830 on January 29, while Cantor Fitzgerald lifted its target to $860 and Rothschild upgraded to Buy with a $900 target. The consensus among 67 analysts shows 11 Strong Buy and 51 Buy ratings, with an average target of $859.85, representing roughly 29% upside from current levels."

Meta Platforms shares trade near $668.69, essentially flat over the past week with a 0.04% decline. Social sentiment cooled to 44.7 for the week ending February 12, down from 57.5 the prior month. Meta reported Q4 revenue of $59.89 billion and $8.88 EPS on January 28 and announced a $10 billion data center in Lebanon, Indiana as part of a $115–135 billion 2026 capex plan focused on AI infrastructure. Retail investors on Reddit expressed skepticism about aggressive AI spending, noting Reality Labs losses, a near-doubling of capex to $135 billion, and operating margin compression to 41% from 48%. Wall Street analysts remained bullish with an average target of $859.85, implying roughly 29% upside.

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