Three weeks ago, we suggested three ways to play META Platforms (META) stock by shorting out-of-the-money puts, buying long-dated in-the-money calls, and shorting near-term out-of-the-money calls. This is an update. META stock is at $771.29 in midday trading. META stock peaked at $790.06 on Aug. 12. More News from Barchart META stock - last 3 months - Barchart - Sept. 19, 2025 META is up from $754.79 three weeks ago, when I wrote an Aug. 24 Barchart article, “Meta Platforms Stock Is Off Its Highs - Thr ...

Core Insights - Meta Platforms is seeking to enter the wholesale power-trading business to better manage the electricity needs of its data centers [3] Group 1 - The company has filed an application with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for authorization to pursue this initiative [3]

Meta's new Ray-Ban Display is a major leap forward for smart glasses, but analysts think improvements on price, weight and battery life are needed to win over everyday consumers. ...

AI Development - Meta's CTO provided a post-mortem on demo failures of new AI glasses at its developer conference [1] Company Focus - Meta showcased new AI glasses at its developer conference [1]

Core Insights - Meta's new smart glasses technology faced multiple demo failures during the Meta Connect developer conference, raising concerns about the reliability of the product [1][2][3] Group 1: Product Overview - Meta introduced three new pairs of smart glasses: an upgraded version of Ray-Ban Meta, a new Meta Ray-Ban Display with a wristband controller, and the sports-focused Oakley Meta Vanguard [1] - The failures occurred during live demonstrations, including a cooking demo and a WhatsApp video call [2][3] Group 2: Technical Issues - The cooking demo failed because the command to start the Live AI triggered all Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the venue, overwhelming the system [6][8] - Bosworth explained that the issue was due to a mistake in resource management planning, leading to a self-inflicted DDoS situation [9][10] - The WhatsApp call failure was attributed to a new bug where the smart glass display went to sleep, causing a race condition that prevented the call notification from appearing [11][12] Group 3: Company Response - Despite the demo failures, Bosworth expressed confidence in the product's capabilities, stating that the issues were merely demo failures and not indicative of product failure [12][13]

Core Viewpoint - Meta Platforms Inc. has applied to sell electricity in wholesale markets, indicating a strategic move to address increasing power demands driven by advanced AI development [1][2] Group 1: Company Actions - Meta submitted an application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to obtain authorization for selling energy, capacity, and ancillary services [1] - The application was filed through a subsidiary, Atem Energy LLC, which is designated to act as a power marketer in the US [2] Group 2: Industry Context - Major technology companies, including Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet's Google, are facing urgent challenges in securing electricity as they develop resource-intensive AI systems [1] - Projections from BloombergNEF suggest that power demand from data centers for AI model development is expected to quadruple over the next decade [1]

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is up +0.16%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.04%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.19%.  December E-mini S&P futures (ESZ25) are up +0.13%, and December E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQZ25) are up +0.26%. Stock indexes are moving higher today, with the Nasdaq 10 posting a new all-time high.  The prospects for additional Fed interest rate cuts sparked risk-on sentiment in asset markets and supported stocks.  Market volatility may be higher ...

Meta announced a bunch of new smart glasses. There is the Meta Ray-B band display, which is smart glasses with a little display. VSong, who has worn all of these and reviewed all of them, said they're the best smart glasses she's ever tried.And I think the thing that I'm so struck by with this one in particular is there is this weird kind of distant look you get in your eyes when you're looking at a heads-up display that is just awkward in life. Like if you and I are just sitting here looking at each other ...

Core Insights - Stock buyback activity is expected to recover after a slowdown in the first half of 2025, with S&P 500 buybacks in Q2 falling 20% from record highs in Q1, but anticipated to increase in the current quarter [2][5] - Analysts indicate that buybacks may not significantly contribute to earnings per share (EPS) growth as they have in the past, with major companies showing no meaningful year-over-year growth in buybacks [3][4] - The S&P 500's buyback yield has reached its lowest level in 20 years, at around 2%, partly due to increased spending on artificial intelligence, which has reduced share repurchases [4][6] Buyback Activity Trends - The decline in buyback yield is expected to stabilize as repurchase activity increases, with estimates suggesting total share repurchases could reach $1 trillion this year, a 5% increase from 2024 [5][7] - Companies that consistently engage in buybacks, referred to as "buyback aristocrats," may benefit from a rising scarcity premium, showing larger market caps and higher year-to-date returns compared to the broader index [6][7]

Core Insights - The article provides a comprehensive comparison of Meta Platforms against its competitors in the Interactive Media & Services industry, focusing on financial metrics, market position, and growth prospects [1] Company Overview - Meta Platforms is the largest social media company globally, with nearly 4 billion monthly active users [2] - The core business, "Family of Apps," includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, which are used for various purposes, including social interaction and digital business [2] - Meta generates revenue by selling ads based on customer data collected from its applications, while its Reality Labs business remains a small part of overall sales [2] Financial Metrics Comparison - Meta's Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio is 28.31, which is 0.43x less than the industry average, indicating potential for growth at a reasonable price [5] - The Price to Book (P/B) ratio of 10.05 is 2.07x higher than the industry average, suggesting the company might be overvalued based on book value [5] - The Price to Sales (P/S) ratio is 11.32, which is 0.15x the industry average, indicating possible undervaluation based on sales performance [5] - Meta's Return on Equity (ROE) is 9.65%, which is 6.64% above the industry average, reflecting efficient use of equity to generate profits [5] - The Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) stands at $25.12 billion, which is 7.18x above the industry average, highlighting strong profitability [5] - Gross profit is $39.02 billion, indicating 7.03x above the industry average, demonstrating higher earnings from core operations [5] - Revenue growth of 21.61% exceeds the industry average of 11.8%, indicating strong sales performance [5] Debt-to-Equity Ratio Insights - Meta's debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is 0.25, indicating a favorable balance between debt and equity compared to its top 4 peers [10] - The low P/E ratio suggests potential undervaluation compared to peers, while the high P/B ratio indicates a premium valuation based on book value [8] - The high ROE, EBITDA, gross profit, and revenue growth highlight strong financial performance and growth potential within the industry [8]