Analysts at Freedom Capital Markets have upgraded their price forecast for Meta Platforms stock, suggesting the tech giant’s shares will boom. Analyst Saken Ismailov has upgraded Meta from Hold to Buy and set a price target of $800. The Freedom Capital rep forecasts strong ad growth, steady engagement across its platforms, and long-term upside from Meta’s AI initiatives.
The analyst credited Meta’s Q3 2025 performance, topping expectations. The Facebook developer reported Q3 2025 revenue of $51.2B, up 26% from last year, with ad revenue reaching $50.1B. Additionally, Management raised CapEx and expense guidance for 2025 and flagged significantly faster growth in 2026, citing AI infrastructure needs. Meta has been on a massive spending spree in recent months. The company has invested billions in hiring talent and building the data centers necessary to meet its demand for AI. However, if EPS is falling short like it did in Q3 due to increased spending on AI, some investors seemingly believe investing in the company isn’t worth the risk.
Ismailov, however, isn’t one of those bearish investment experts. He says Meta’s use of AI-driven recommendation tools continues to lift engagement, while early signs of WhatsApp monetization add a new source of growth. Furthermore, Ismailov believes this increase in AI spending will pay off, stating Meta’s AI strategy isn’t fully reflected in the stock’s valuation, creating an opportunity for long-term investors.
While other Wall Street analysts outside of Ismailov are worried about Meta stock, Mark Zuckerberg isn’t either. “Meta Superintelligence Labs is off to a great start, and we continue to lead the industry in AI glasses,” he said during the earnings call If we deliver even a fraction of the opportunity ahead, then the next few years will be the most exciting period in our history.”
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The Meta CEO appears to be banking on huge gains in the future to make up for the high spending now. He also offered a contingency plan, noting that if AI doesn’t grow as expected, the company can repurpose infrastructure for other workloads “in a very profitable way.“ At the time of this press release, META is trading within its 52-week range and below its 200-day simple moving average. CNN analysts are bullish, with a median growth forecast of 30% gains to $850.00 in the next 12 months. Out of 73 analysts surveyed, 88% rate META a buy.
