Why Meta Platforms Stock Surged Today
Key Points
Zuckerberg has a plan to generate more revenue from Meta's data centers.
Meta's AI investments may bear fruit sooner than the skeptics thought.
- 10 stocks we like better than Meta Platforms ›
Shares of Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) spiked on Wednesday, following reports that the social media titan plans to sell its excess computing capacity to recoup some of its enormous artificial intelligence (AI) spending.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Monetizing its massive AI investments
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been ultra-aggressive in his efforts to build Meta into an AI powerhouse. From billion-dollar acquisitions to reportedly offering top AI researchers $100 million recruiting bonuses, Zuckerberg is sparing no expense.
In all, Meta plans to spend as much as $145 billion on capital expenditures in 2026 alone.
Now, Zuckerberg has a plan to recover some of that cash sooner than investors expected.
The cloud computing colossus is considering launching a new business centered on selling its excess AI computing resources, as well as access to its AI models, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Meta would continue to operate its sprawling data centers and rent access to developers.
Competition would be fierce
The move could place Meta in more direct competition with AI infrastructure providers such as Nebius and CoreWeave, along with hyperscalers like Microsoft and Alphabet's Google Cloud.
Those aren't easy rivals to challenge, but Meta may be one of the few companies that could compete successfully in this rapidly expanding AI compute arena.
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 $385,055!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,228,089!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 902% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% 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 July 1, 2026.
Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Recommended Articles
