Stock-Split Watch: Is Meta Platforms Next?

Source Motley_fool

Key Points

  • Meta Platforms' sharp September rally has strengthened the practical case for a stock split.

  • Fractional shares reduce the need for a stock split, but options tied to 100-share lots keep the nominal share price relevant.

  • CFO Susan Li’s comments at the May shareholder meeting have left the door open to reassessing a potential stock split in case of changed market conditions.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Meta Platforms ›

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) closed at $751.66 on Sept. 25, nearly 30% above its Sept. 1 closing price, despite pulling back roughly 3.3% in the latest session. The stock had reached a new 52-week high of $779.82 just a day earlier.

Rising enthusiasm around the launch of its new Muse artificial intelligence (AI) assistant has helped fuel this rally. Reuters reported that Meta Platforms' shares had already gained more than 20% following Muse's launch on Sept. 8. This jump resulted in more than a $310 billion increase in the company's market value by Sept. 22.

Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »

Professionals studying technical charts on a desktop screen.

Image source: Getty Images.

The sharp rise in share price has strengthened the case for Meta Platforms as a potential stock-split candidate. The company remains the only "Magnificent Seven" member that has never completed a conventional stock split.

Here's a case for a stock split that may be getting stronger.

Case for a potential stock split

Meta Platforms' shares still trade above $750 even after the Sept. 25 pullback. While a stock split would not change the company's intrinsic value, it could make the shares more accessible to employees and investors by lowering the nominal price per share. Both Nvidia and Apple cited greater accessibility as a reason for their previous stock splits.

The growing availability of fractional shares, however, has reduced one of the traditional reasons for stock splits. Investors using brokers that support fractional trading can invest any desired amount in Meta Platforms without buying a full share.

Fractional shares do not make Meta Platforms' high nominal share price completely irrelevant. A standard U.S. equity options contract generally represents 100 shares. At Meta Platforms' Sept. 25 closing price, the options contract represents roughly $75,166 in underlying stock value. A stock split could therefore make some options strategies involving the standard 100-share lots more accessible.

Could Meta Platforms' higher share price strengthen the case for a stock split?

The more relevant question may be whether Meta Platforms' higher share price proves durable. The company briefly traded near $800 in 2025, reaching an intraday high of $796.25 on Aug. 15, without subsequently completing a stock split. This time, however, investors are increasingly betting that Muse could become a meaningful new business for the company.

The early evidence is promising. According to Apptopia, the Muse AI assistant attracted 2.8 million downloads in its first 12 days. Reuters also reported that 57 of 64 brokerages covering the company had rated it a "buy" or higher by Sept. 22. Bloomberg also reported that Muse had climbed to the top of both the U.S. Apple App Store and Google Play rankings, with more than 902,000 downloads in its first six days since launch.

Meta Platforms also unveiled its dedicated Muse Charm device at its September Connect event. If the stock holds these levels rather than giving back the Muse-driven gains, the practical case for lowering the nominal share price with a stock split could become stronger.

Management's latest comments still leave room for a future split. In May 2026, CFO Susan Li said Meta Platforms did not "presently" plan one but would keep monitoring market conditions and investor feedback. Since then, the changes in those conditions have made a potential stock split more plausible.

Should you buy stock in Meta Platforms right now?

Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $383,680!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,382,954!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 937% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 214% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 29, 2026.

Manali Pradhan, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Meta Platforms, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
XRP Price Prediction for July 2026: Can Buyers Finally Break the Downtrend?XRP (XRP) price trades near $1.05, caught between a year-long downtrend and a sudden burst of buying.July has historically rewarded XRP holders. This year the month arrives with on-chain accumulation
Author  Beincrypto
Jun 30, Tue
XRP (XRP) price trades near $1.05, caught between a year-long downtrend and a sudden burst of buying.July has historically rewarded XRP holders. This year the month arrives with on-chain accumulation
placeholder
Intel Price Forecast: Nvidia Picked Xeon 6, Invested $5B, Yet Analysts Still Trail INTCIntel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) sits at $140.05, holding firm on the ascending trendline within the 2H timeframe. The RSI indicator is currently reading 55.21, positioning it as neutral-
Author  TradingKey
Jul 02, Thu
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) sits at $140.05, holding firm on the ascending trendline within the 2H timeframe. The RSI indicator is currently reading 55.21, positioning it as neutral-
placeholder
XAUUSD Gold Analysis: Gold Holds Above $4,350 Ahead of US Inflation Data Is $4,500 Next? Gold holds above $4,350 following weak US jobs data. As inflation reports approach and UBS eyes $5,000, can XAUUSD break resistance at $4,435 to rally toward $4,500?
Author  Naoufal Seddik
Aug 12, Wed
Gold holds above $4,350 following weak US jobs data. As inflation reports approach and UBS eyes $5,000, can XAUUSD break resistance at $4,435 to rally toward $4,500?
placeholder
Gold Price Analysis Today: Gold Drops 1.32% Despite Lower Fed Rate-Hike Bets, Can $4,313 Support Hold? Gold fell 1.32% on August 13 after rising to $4,449.73, then reversing lower and closing near $4,349.918 below the $4,356.46 support. Softer US inflation data reduced Fed rate hike expectations, but selling pressure still dominated the session. Will $4,313 support hold?
Author  Naoufal Seddik
Aug 14, Fri
Gold fell 1.32% on August 13 after rising to $4,449.73, then reversing lower and closing near $4,349.918 below the $4,356.46 support. Softer US inflation data reduced Fed rate hike expectations, but selling pressure still dominated the session. Will $4,313 support hold?
placeholder
Gold Price Analysis Today: Gold Gains 0.94% as Markets Expect Fed to Hold Rates, Can $4,449 Resistance Break? Gold gained 0.94% on August 17, closing near $4,417.30 as softer US data strengthened expectations for unchanged Fed rates in September. Gold remains bullish, with $4,449.730 resistance and $4,310.650 support in focus.
Author  Naoufal Seddik
Aug 18, Tue
Gold gained 0.94% on August 17, closing near $4,417.30 as softer US data strengthened expectations for unchanged Fed rates in September. Gold remains bullish, with $4,449.730 resistance and $4,310.650 support in focus.
goTop
quote