We recently published a list of Top 10 AI News Everyone is Talking About. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) stands against other top AI news everyone is talking about.
Jim Cramer in a latest program on CNBC talked about the ongoing “rebellion” against the data center and the impact of tariffs on the broader market. Cramer said that data centers have been a key story in the stock market for months but now it’s losing steam due to a variety of factors. He also mentioned the weakening economic indicators.
“I know these tariffs have people on edge. Consumer confidence indicators have just plummeted. Interest rates are sinking for fear of an economy gone soft. The key 10-year Treasury yield is back to where it was in mid-December when many thought we were looking at many more rate cuts than we’ve gotten. We have had to put rate cuts talk on hold. Now it’s right back because there’s a newfound paralysis—too many things happening at once, scaring people.”
Cramer said that the “seeds of doubt” about data center chip demand were sown following the launch of DeepSeek and the market is still reeling from its effects.
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For this article we picked 10 AI stocks the market is buzzing about these days. With each stock, we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 235
James Cakmak, Clockwise Capital CIO, believes Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is the cheapest among the Mag. 7 group of stocks, according to CNBC.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) crushed expectations with the latest quarterly results but yet again pointed to higher expenses in the future. In 2025, it sees total operating expenses in a range of $114-$119 billion, with 19-25% y/y growth. Capex is expected to rise 61-74% y/y to $60-$65 billion, compared to just $37.3 billion in FY24. Advertising rose strongly but analysts believe it should be seen in the context of higher political ad spend and holiday quarter perspective. In 2025, the company might not be able to keep reporting double-digit growth in ad pricing amid weaker consumer spending and a cautious macroeconomic backdrop.
In the long term, Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) shares are expected to grow because of AI. How?
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) is driving usage and ads revenue by improving its algorithms and user experience thanks to AI. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)’s advancements in Reels and WhatsApp are helping manage CapEx growth as the company strives to stay competitive in AI. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)’s substantial user base of 3.3 billion provides a data and distribution edge that could capture a significant share of the GenAI market.
Rowan Street Capital stated the following regarding Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META): Investment Initiated: April 2018: Internal Rate of Return (IRR*): 22% *IRR represents the annualized rate of return on an investment, accounting for the timing and magnitude of cash flows over the holding period.
For META, our 22% IRR aligns closely with the company’s compounded growth in earnings per share (EPS) and free cash flow per share during the 6 years holding period.
Looking ahead, Meta is expected to grow its revenues, earnings, and free cash flow per share at mid-teens rates over the next two years. There’s a good possibility that it could exceed these estimates, considering the breadth of growth initiatives currently in place, such as advancements in Al, monetization of Reels, expansion into business messaging, and the ongoing development of the metaverse…” (Click here to read the full text)
Overall, META ranks 3rd on our list of top AI news everyone is talking about. While we acknowledge the potential of META as investment, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than META but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
