ZACKS·2026-02-20 09:40Core Viewpoint - Meta Platforms is expanding its AI capabilities through a multi-year partnership with NVIDIA, aiming to enhance its data centers and improve user engagement across its platforms [2][3]. Group 1: AI Expansion and Infrastructure - The partnership with NVIDIA will support Meta's AI training and inference, allowing the company to build the world's largest personalization and recommendation systems for its 3.58 billion users [2][3]. - Meta is adopting NVIDIA Confidential Computing for WhatsApp and the Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform to enhance its infrastructure [3]. Group 2: User Engagement and Advertising - The integration of AI is driving user and advertiser engagement across Meta's platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads [4]. - In Q4 2025, the number of daily active users generating media through Meta AI tripled year over year, indicating a significant boost in user engagement [5]. - Meta is testing a business assistant powered by Meta AI to help advertisers with campaign optimization and account support [5]. Group 3: Financial Outlook and Investment - Meta's capital spending for 2026 is projected to be between $115 billion and $135 billion, with a combined expected spending of $700 billion on AI infrastructure from major tech companies [7]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is $29.67 per share, reflecting a 26.3% growth from 2025, while revenues are expected to reach $247.15 billion, a 23% increase [11]. Group 4: Market Position and Valuation - Meta's shares have decreased by 7.4% over the past 12 months, underperforming the broader tech sector and competitors like Alphabet [9]. - The stock is currently considered overvalued with a forward price/sales ratio of 6.42X, compared to the industry average of 3.86X [10]. - Meta's Zacks Rank is 3 (Hold), suggesting that investors should wait for a more favorable entry point [14].