Analysts at Freedom Capital Markets upgraded their price forecasts for Meta Platforms stock, suggesting the tech giant’s stock price will soar. Analyst Seiken Ismailov upgraded Meta from Hold to Buy and set a price target of $800. Freedom Capital officials predict long-term benefits from strong advertising growth, steady engagement across platforms, and Meta’s AI initiatives.
The analyst assessed that Meta’s results for the third quarter of 2025 exceeded expectations. Facebook developers reported third-quarter 2025 revenue of $51.2 billion, up 26% year-over-year, with ad revenue reaching $50.1 billion. Additionally, management raised its 2025 capex and expense guidance and warned of significantly accelerated growth in 2026, citing AI infrastructure needs. Meta has been spending big in recent months. The company has invested billions of dollars in hiring talent and building the data centers needed to meet AI demands. However, if EPS is lower than it was in Q3 due to increased spending on AI, some investors seem to think investing in the company isn’t worth the risk.
But Ismailov is not one of those bearish investment experts. He said Meta’s use of AI-driven recommendation tools continues to drive engagement, while early signs of WhatsApp monetization add new sources of growth. Additionally, Ismailov said Meta’s AI strategy is not fully reflected in the stock’s valuation, creating an opportunity for long-term investors, and believes this increased AI spending will pay off.
While Wall Street analysts other than Mr. Ismailov are worried about Meta, Mark Zuckerberg isn’t either. “The Meta Superintelligence Lab is off to a great start and we continue to lead the AI glasses industry. If we can deliver even a fraction of the opportunities ahead, the next few years will be the most exciting in our history,” he said on the earnings call.
Meta’s CEO appears to be counting on huge profits in the future to offset current high spending. He also proposed a contingency plan, saying that even if AI doesn’t grow as expected, the company can repurpose its infrastructure for other workloads “in a very profitable way.” As 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% to $850.00 over the next 12 months. Of the 73 analysts surveyed, 88% rate META a Buy.
