With a market cap of $1.8 trillion, Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) is a global technology company enabling people to connect and share through its extensive family of apps and devices. Operating through its Family of Apps and Reality Labs segments, Meta serves billions of users across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, while also advancing in virtual and augmented reality technologies.
The Menlo Park, California-based company is set to unveil its fiscal Q3 2026 results after the market closes on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Before the event, analysts expect the advertising company to report an EPS of $5.86, down 19.2% from $7.25 in the same quarter last year. It has surpassed Wall Street's earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing on another occasion.
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For fiscal 2026, analysts forecast the social media company to post EPS of $27.95, a decline of 5.9% from $29.69 in fiscal 2025. However, EPS is expected to grow 23.5% year-over-year to $34.52 in fiscal 2027.
www.barchart.com Meta Platforms shares have fallen 5.2% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the broader S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 14.5% gain. However, the stock has performed in line with the State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF's (XLC) 5.2% drop over the same period.
www.barchart.com Meta Platforms shares fell nearly 8% following its Q2 2026 results on Jul. 29, as free cash flow plunged 91% year-over-year to $784 million and EPS of $6.18 missed analysts’ expectations. Investor concerns intensified after Meta raised the lower end of its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $130 billion, with total spending projected at $130 billion to $145 billion amid uncertainty over returns from its costly AI investments. Additionally, operating income declined 8% despite revenue rising 28% to $60.8 billion, as legal charges and severance expenses weighed on profitability, and potential youth-related litigation risks, including $1.4 trillion in penalties sought by four states.
Analysts' consensus rating on META stock is bullish, with a "Strong Buy" overall rating. Out of 55 analysts covering the stock, opinions include 46 "Strong Buys," two "Moderate Buys," and seven "Holds." This configuration is more bullish than three months ago, with 44 analysts suggesting a "Strong Buy."
The average analyst price target is $823.88, suggesting a potential upside of 18.7% from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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