Meta Platforms, Inc. engages in the development of products that enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality headsets, and wearables worldwide. It operates in two segments, Family of Apps and Reality Labs. The Family of Apps segment offers Facebook, which enables people to share, discuss, discover, and connect with interests; Instagram, a community for sharing photos, videos, and private messages, as well as feed, stories, reels, video, live, and shops; Messenger, a messaging application for people to connect with friends, family, communities, and businesses across platforms and devices through text, audio, and video calls; and WhatsApp, a messaging application that is used by people and businesses to communicate and transact privately. The Reality Labs segment provides augmented and virtual reality related products comprising consumer hardware, software, and content that help people feel connected, anytime, and anywhere. The company was formerly known as Facebook, Inc. and changed its name to Meta Platforms, Inc. in October 2021. The company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California

Meta still has very strong profitability and high cash flow generation, but the market is already pricing this in with fairly generous multiples. A P/E of 20.98 is only slightly above the industry median, while P/S of 7.30, P/B of 5.43, and especially P/FCF of 40.74 look noticeably more expensive than the sector and suggest limited room for further valuation expansion. At the same time, margins remain outstanding: gross margin of 81.75%, operating margin of 38.08%, and net margin of 29.84% are all significantly above industry benchmarks, supporting the quality of the business. ROE of 29.73%, ROA of 17.98%, and ROI of 23.76% are also strong, although they have declined from higher levels over the years, indicating some cooling in efficiency relative to peaks. Revenue, assets, equity, and cash position continue to grow, while cash on hand of $90.26 billion and a current ratio of 2.23 confirm comfortable liquidity. However, the quick ratio is 0.00, which for an investor means current liquidity depends on the structure of current assets and does not allow short-term risks to be fully ignored. Debt burden is moderate at a debt/equity ratio of 0.32, but long-term debt has increased to $83.66 billion, so the balance sheet no longer looks as risk-free as it did a few quarters ago. Net income and operating income remain very high, but their year-to-year trend is uneven, and EBITDA and profitability in recent periods do not show acceleration. The dividend yield of 0.07% has virtually no impact on the investment case and does not offset the high valuation. Overall, the company’s fundamentals are excellent, but the current price already reflects a substantial portion of the business quality, so the upside from re-rating appears limited. For an investor, this is more a story of a strong but already expensive leader, where only a modest downward adjustment to the forecast is justified due to inflated multiples and rising debt burden.

Meta Platforms, Inc.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Оптимистичный взгляд на свои позиции резко сменился на неуверенность.

Strong index, significantly down. An optimistic view of his position suddenly changed to uncertainty.

Слабый индекс, значительно упал. Медведи сохранили, но резко ослабили уверенность в своих позициях.

Weak index, significantly down. The bears retained but sharply weakened their confidence in their positions.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок не поддерживает быков.

Strong index, flat. The market does not support the bulls.

Сильный индекс, незначительно упал. Рынок на стороне медведей.

Strong index, slightly down. The market is on the bears' side.

Сильный индекс, незначительно вырос. Отток средств из лонгов на высоком уровне.

Strong index, slightly up. Outflow of funds from longs at a high level.

Сильный индекс, незначительно упал. Приток средств в шорты на высоком уровне.

Strong index, slightly down. Inflow of funds into shorts at a high level.

Meta remains a highly profitable and fast-growing business, but expensive valuation multiples and rising debt limit the potential for further valuation expansion.

Key Points
Meta Platforms just announced a stock split designed to help it fund its AI spending.
The company’s third-quarter results were pretty strong.
Meta’s AI efforts are starting to bear fruit, and there could be more ahead.
A stock split is a corporate action in which a company increases the number of shares it has outstanding by dividing existing shares into multiple shares and proportionately decreasing its share price. Stock splits don't change a company’s intrinsic value, but they can garner significant attention because they make each share more affordable, potentially increasing trading activity.
And the latest major corporation on Wall Street to announce a stock split is none other than Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META). The tech leader has beaten the broader equity market since its 2012 IPO, gaining a little over 1,700%. Yet, the stock still has outstanding long-term prospects.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Meta's strong third-quarter update
Meta Platforms announced its stock split alongside its third-quarter results. The split wasn't the best part of the company's update: Meta's financial performance during the period was pretty strong. Meta Platforms' revenue increased by 26% year over year to $64.6 billion.
True, the company's operating income dropped by 37% year over year to about $13 billion, but that was largely due to legal-related expenses. Meta recorded a $9.89 billion charge because of a recent legal settlement. Without that, the company's operating income would have increased by 11% year over year.
Besides, the legal settlement was worth the trouble. Meta Platforms agreed to pay up to $18 billion (with $12.7 billion guaranteed and $5.3 billion contingent on certain conditions) over 10 years to a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general representing dozens of U.S. states and territories in connection with lawsuits alleging that Meta's social media platforms have harmed consumers.
The amount is by no means catastrophic, especially considering the time frame. Returning to Meta's third-quarter results, the company posted earnings per share of $3.83, up 265% year over year, as the company's provision for income taxes dropped significantly. Meta also made progress elsewhere.
For instance, the company's daily active people across its websites and apps rose 3% year over year to 3.64 billion. Now turning to Meta's planned stock split, the company will create a new Class C non-voting common stock and issue one Class C share for each outstanding share.
The company emphasized that it is making this move to help raise capital. The tech giant could fund various activities by issuing Class C shares without diluting CEO Mark Zuckerberg's voting control. Meta's main motivation for doing this is clear: the company is looking to fund its aggressive artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions to tap into what it sees as a large market opportunity.
The AI tailwind
Meta made significant AI-related progress during the third quarter. For instance, the company released Muse, a consumer-facing AI agent that was an instant hit. Meta noted that more than 10 million people in the U.S. and Canada have set up Muse, and about 25% use it on any given day.
The company also reported that Muse is particularly popular as a shopping assistant, which is important given that one of Meta's plans to monetize the agent is to charge retailers small per-transaction fees.
Retailers only have an incentive to pay these fees if Muse-related shopping generates significant revenue for them. So, engagement with the personal agent will be critical to track. Meta still has a long way to go.
The company wants Muse to reach billions of people, and it will continue to invest to make that goal a reality. And if Meta can get there -- or even somewhere close to that target -- it will help boost the company's revenue and profits over the long run.
The company has also released a small-business version of Muse, as well as Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, advanced AI agent models designed to handle tasks in expert domains, such as law and finance. Significant utilization here could also be a major boost to the business.
Of course, Meta's core ad business remains healthy and continues to generate most of the company's revenue. But Meta has a clearer path to a more diversified revenue stream than it has had in a long time, and that should excite investors.
Despite the fears that the company's AI investments would harm the business, the tech leader seems to have found a way to turn it into an advantage, and there is more where that came from. Meta isn't done delivering market-beating returns.
Should you buy stock in Meta Platforms right now?
Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $355,124!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,296,254!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 901% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 210% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 24, 2026.
Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Meet Wall Street's Newest Major Stock Split: It Has Soared 1,730% Since Its 2012 IPO, and There Is Plenty of Upside Left

In this video, I will cover the four stocks I don't mind buying toward the end of 2026 and explain why Meta, MercadoLibre, Nu, and Nebius made the list. Watch the short video to learn more, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below.
*Stock prices used were from the trading day of Oct. 9, 2026. The video was published on Oct. 11, 2026.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Should you buy stock in Nebius Group right now?
Before you buy stock in Nebius Group, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nebius Group wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $380,363!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,315,732!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 919% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 211% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 19, 2026.
Neil Rozenbaum has positions in MercadoLibre, Meta Platforms, Nebius Group, and Nu Holdings. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends MercadoLibre, Meta Platforms, and Nu Holdings. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Neil is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, radio show, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off.

Nebius and 3 Other Stocks I Don't Mind Buying Before 2026 Ends

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) is up by +0.57% today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is down by -0.11%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +1.52%. December E-mini S&P futures (ESZ26) are up +0.58%, and December E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQZ26) are up +1.51%.
Stock indexes are mostly higher today, with chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks leading the broader market higher after last week’s selloff. Earnings optimism is lifting stocks ahead of this week's earnings results from Meta Platforms, Tesla, and Netflix. Also, weaker crude oil prices today have improved market sentiment and are supportive of stocks.
Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.
On the downside, homebuilders are under pressure after today’s US economic news showed the Oct NAHB housing market index fell 3 points to a 14-year low of 29, below expectations of 31.
Mostly better-than-expected Chinese economic news is positive for global growth prospects and stocks. China Q3 GDP rose +1.2% q/q and +4.5% y/y, stronger than expectations of +1.0% q/q and +4.4% y/y. Also, China's Sep industrial production rose +5.5% y/y, right on expectations and the largest increase in 6 months. In addition, China's Sep retail sales rose +1.1% y/y, stronger than expectations of +0.5% y/y and the largest increase in 6 months. Finally, China's Sep surveyed jobless rate unexpectedly fell -0.1 to 5.2%, below the expected 5.3% and signaling a stronger labor market. On the downside, China's Sep new home prices fell -0.14% m/m, the fortieth consecutive month of declines.
Stocks have support from the prospect of solid quarterly earnings results. According to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence, Q3 S&P 500 earnings are expected to climb by +25% from a year earlier, up from a July estimate of 22%. As of today, 45 of the S&P 500 companies have reported results, with 80% beating estimates.
Nov WTI crude oil prices (CLX26) are moving lower today on some profit-taking after last week's rally to a 5-week high. US Energy Secretary Wright said Persian Gulf oil flows have recovered to about 80% of their pre-war level, though refined-product shipments remain constrained. Crude oil prices have underlying support from concerns about disruptions to Middle Eastern energy supplies after Houthi rebels in Yemen targeted Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, a significant Red Sea port for Saudi oil exports that avoids the Strait of Hormuz, with missiles and drones. Also, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that two tankers were attacked in the Persian Gulf near Saudi Arabia's port city of Jubail over the weekend.
Markets are discounting a 17% chance of a +25 bp Fed rate hike at the next FOMC meeting on October 27-28.
Overseas stock markets are mixed today. The Euro Stoxx 50 fell to a 1-week low today and is down -1.18%. China's Shanghai Composite closed up +0.39%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average fell to a 1-month low and closed down -0.62%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ6) are down -4 ticks. The 10-year T-note yield is up +3.2 bp to 5.127%. Today’s stock rally has reduced safe-haven demand for government debt, weighing on T-notes. Losses in T-notes are limited amid some safe-haven buying due to the social unrest in France. Weaker WTI crude oil prices today are also lowering inflation expectations and supporting T-notes.
European government bond yields are moving higher today. The 10-year German bund yield is up +3.6 bp to 3.462%. The 10-year UK gilt yield is up +5.7 bp to 5.430%.
The German Bundesbank said in a report today that "inflation risks in the Eurozone are clearly tilted to the upside."
Markets are discounting an 8% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at the ECB’s next meeting on October 29.
US Stock Movers
Chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks are moving higher today, recovering some of last week’s rout. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) is up more than +2%. SanDisk (SNDK) is up more than +6% to lead gainers in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, and Western Digital (WDC) is up more than +6%. Also, Marvell Technology (MRVL) is up more than +5%, and Intel (INTC), Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (STX), Lam Research (LRCX), and Micron Technology (MU) are up more than +4%. In addition, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Applied Materials (AMAT) are up more than +3%, and Analog Devices (ADI), KLA Corp (KLAC), Broadcom (AVGO), and Qualcomm (QCOM) are up more than +2%.
The Magnificent Seven stocks, excluding Meta, are up today, supporting broader market gains. Amazon.com (AMZN) is up more than +4% to lead gainers in the Dow Jones Industrials, and Tesla (TSLA) is up more than +3%. Also, Nvidia (NVDA), Alphabet (GOOGL), and Microsoft (MSFT) are up more than +1%. In addition, Apple (AAPL) is up +0.14%. Conversely, Meta Platforms (META) is down -0.87%.
Cloud infrastructure stocks are climbing today. Applied Digital (APLD) is up more than +8%, and Nebius Group NV (NBIS) and Lumentum Holdings (LITE) are up more than +3%. Also, CoreWeave (CRWV) and Arista Networks (ANET) aew up more than +2%, and Oracle (ORCL) is up more than +1%.
Home builders and building supplies are slipping today after the US Oct NAHB housing market index fell more than expected to a 14-year low. DR Horton (DHI) and Pulte Group (PHM) are down more than -2%, and Lennar (LEN), KB Home (KBH), Toll Brothers (TOL), and Builders Firstsource (BLDR) are down more than -1%.
Disc Medicine (IRON) is up more than +39% after announcing that its investigational drug bitopertin met all primary and secondary endpoints in a Phase 3 Apollo trial in adults and adolescents with erythropoietic protoporphyria.
Cleveland Cliffs (CLF) is up more than +13% after reporting Q3 adjusted Ebitda of $612 million, above the consensus of $591.5 million.
Datadog (DDOG) is up more than +5% after Bernstein upgraded the stock to outperform from market perform with a price target of $350.
NRG Energy (NRG) is down more than -5% to lead losers in the S&P 500 after Jeffries cut its price target on the stock to $131 from $160.
Ameriprise Financial (AMP) is down more than -3% after Bank of America Global Research double-downgraded the stock to underperform from buy with a price target of $445.
Earnings Reports (10/19/2026)
AGNC Investment Corp (AGNC), BOK Financial Corp (BOKF), Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (CLF), Crown Holdings Inc (CCK), Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB), FNB Corp/PA (FNB), RLI Corp (RLI), Steel Dynamics Inc (STLD), W R Berkley Corp (WRB), Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL), Wintrust Financial Corp (WTFC), Zions Bancorp NA (ZION).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

Strength in Chipmakers and AI-Infrastructure Stocks Lead the Broader Market Higher

AGI Is Almost Ready. Is Your Portfolio?
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
When Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang posted on X in September that “AGI has arrived,” it raised many eyebrows across the markets. Now, as the man selling the robots that he claims have surpassed human intelligence, he certainly has a vested interest in declaring this milestone. But what is artificial general intelligence (AGI), and why does it matter to investors?
You should count yourself an interested party if you own any of the Magnificent 7 stocks, or companies that do business with those giants. Or even if you simply work for a living. You have a stake in whether AGI is on its way.
In plain English, AGI is artificial intelligence that’s as capable as a skilled worker at most jobs.
Today’s AI models may be decent coders or data analysts, but they can’t work for long stretches without supervision or pick up new skills as they go. AGI, however, could theoretically replace one of your co-workers, or you.
For companies building AI, a more practical question is when AGI starts making money, so some measure the milestone in dollars. Huang, for instance, told podcaster Lex Fridman in March that true AGI would be capable of building a billion-dollar company (a bar he believes today’s AI clears).
Let’s look at how researchers define the stages along the way to AGI and beyond.
Level
What It Can Do
Where We Are
1. Narrow AI
Specializes in a specific task (chess, spam filters)
Already built and widely used
2. Generative AI
Writes, codes, and more, but needs a human to check its work
Today’s chatbots, such as Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT
3. Artificial general intelligence
Does most work a capable human can, unsupervised
Achieved according to Huang, disputed by many researchers
4. Artificial super intelligence
Beats the best humans at nearly everything
Hypothetical
Today’s best models are on that second rung, mostly because of the supervision problem mentioned above. Research group METR found that the longer the task, the worse AI does; and when left alone on a job that would take a person two workdays, top models succeed only about half the time. That’s unreliable enough that your co-worker’s desk remains occupied, for now.
GPT-6, the model Huang praised, is too new to have undergone METR’s testing, so its reliability for long tasks is unproved. That leaves the open question of how close we are to AGI. You’ll notice each tech leader’s view tends to align with what’s best for their business.
How Close Are We?
It depends on whom you ask.
ALREADY HERE
Huang has declared AGI’s arrival twice this year, first on a March podcast and again in his September post about GPT-6. Of the seven leaders on this list, he’s the only one who says the threshold is already behind us.
NEXT MODEL
Musk keeps setting deadlines for AGI, and he keeps missing them. He predicted in 2024 that AGI would arrive by 2025, then pushed his forecast to 2026. He now says xAI’s next major model, Grok 5, will be the one to reach it.
BY DECEMBER
Sam Altman, OpenAI
Huang called OpenAI’s new model AGI, but OpenAI’s own CEO hasn’t gone that far. A week before GPT-6 launched, Altman told Time that OpenAI was “not quite yet” there, though he expects an internal system he would call AGI by year-end. His chief research officer puts the company “80% of the way” to AGI.
IN SIGHT
Zuckerberg rarely discusses AGI. He skipped straight to “superintelligence,” or ASI, and Meta’s annual report now lists delivering “personal superintelligence for everyone” as part of its vision. In a July 2025 letter, he wrote that Meta had “begun to see glimpses of our AI systems improving themselves.”
EARLY 2030s
Pichai expects AGI shortly after 2030. Until then, he says, we’re in an era of “artificial jagged intelligence,” where models solve advanced coding and science problems yet stumble over tasks a child could handle. His caution hasn’t slowed Alphabet’s spending, though, since he told investors in July that competing at the frontier of AGI development is the company’s first priority.
PROOF FIRST
Jassy hasn’t put a date on AGI, and Amazon’s AGI chief, Peter DeSantis, said in June that models need to be about 100 times more efficient before AI comes close. So Amazon makes sure it already has committed contracts for much of the new capacity it builds. AWS customers have signed $496 billion in contracts for future services, meaning they’ve committed to spending more than twice what Amazon itself is spending this year.
WRONG QUESTION
Satya Nadella, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Nadella, the group’s contrarian, described companies announcing their own AGI milestones as “nonsensical benchmark hacking” and believes AI should be measured by its ability to drive economic growth. He also cautioned that AI models are getting commoditized, so most of AI’s profits will go to companies selling the software and cloud platforms that businesses run AI on. That view happens to serve Microsoft, which owns Windows, Office, and Azure.
Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) leaders have said little about AGI, figuring that however smart AI gets, it will need a place to live ... and Apple already owns that real estate, in more than a billion pockets.
Setting CEOs’ incentives aside, the model that set off this debate offers evidence for both camps. Here’s how GPT-6 Astra, the OpenAI release behind Huang’s post, stacks up.
Signs AGI is close
Reasons for doubt
Astra can control computer systems on its own, from spreadsheets to full websites
When Astra doesn’t know an answer, it makes one up about half the time instead of admitting it, per evaluator Artificial Analysis
Astra scored 98% on FrontierMath Tier 4, a set of research-level math problems
Independent testing found Astra only tied Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5.1 on overall intelligence
Regardless of a consensus around whether AGI is here or not, what’s inarguable is that the gap between AI and AGI is shrinking with every new model release. For investors, the bigger opportunity is who profits on the way to AGI.
Who Cashes In on AGI
JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) estimates the biggest cloud companies will spend about 93% of operating cash flow on AI this year, up from 33% in 2023. Alphabet even announced plans in June to sell up to $84.75 billion of new stock to help fund its build-out.
If AGI shows up sooner rather than later, these companies could earn back their spending many times over. But if progress stalls, the industry could end up with far more data centers than it can fill.
Meanwhile, these companies are especially well-positioned to benefit from all that spending.
Nvidia: At the risk of stating the obvious, Nvidia’s chips run a large share of the world’s AI data centers. Last quarter, its sales more than doubled to $96.2 billion. Management expects about 90% growth this quarter, yet Nvidia still can’t make chips fast enough to meet demand. Every step closer to AGI means labs need more computing power, and Nvidia is the company selling that horsepower.
Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO): Broadcom designs custom AI chips for Alphabet, Meta and OpenAI, all of whom want cheaper alternatives to Nvidia’s pricey GPUs. Its AI chip sales more than tripled last quarter to $16.7 billion, and management expects AI revenue to roughly double to about $115 billion next fiscal year. That Broadcom and Nvidia both more than doubled AI sales suggests demand can support multiple winners.
Alphabet: Alphabet develops frontier AI models of its own while renting computing power to peers building theirs. That rental business is booming, as Google Cloud revenue grew 82% last quarter to $24.8 billion. Its cloud backlog, which counts work customers have committed to but Alphabet hasn’t delivered yet, reached $514 billion, and just over half of it should turn into revenue within two years.
Big tech is increasingly borrowing to fund its AI build-out, and lenders have started charging more for that debt. Alphabet spent more cash than it brought in last quarter, which hadn’t happened since it went public in 2004. If any major spender decided to slow its build-out, all three of these companies would likely feel it at once.
The Bottom Line
While we wait for AGI to arrive, investors can prepare.
Know your exposure: The Magnificent 7 make up roughly a third of the S&P 500, so an index fund already ties a big share of your money to the AI build-out. Add in any other tech stocks you own, and your stake is likely bigger than you think.
Favor companies with paying customers: Look for AI businesses with rising sales and signed contracts (e.g., Google Cloud’s $514 billion backlog) over companies counting on a breakthrough years from now.
Think in years: If AGI is a decade out, there’s no rush to buy everything at once. Dollar-cost averaging lowers the risk of buying at a peak.
When AGI arrives, you won’t need to hear it from the man selling robots, since it’ll be written all over the economy and in your portfolios.
What’s one stock you’re holding on the belief that AGI will transform the markets?
Share with friends and family, or become a member to hear what your fellow Fools are saying!
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again
In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. If you’d invested $5,000 then, you’d be sitting on $2,783,470 today.*
Now, for the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. It’s a key player in the $1.8 trillion space race, and with the stock recently sitting 20% off its highs, the window to get in early is closing fast.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 18, 2026.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Lou Whiteman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Broadcom, JPMorgan Chase, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, radio show, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off.

Breakfast News: The Sunday Edition

Mark Zuckerberg’s Second Act?

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) closed down by -1.09% on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) closed down by -0.34%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed down -2.50%. December E-mini S&P futures (ESZ26) fell -1.14%, and December E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQZ26) fell -2.51%.
Stock indexes sold off sharply on Friday, with the S&P 500 falling to a 2-week low and the Nasdaq 100 dropping to a 1-month low. Selling in chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks led the market lower on Friday, driven by concerns about whether companies will see returns on their huge investments in the AI infrastructure buildout. Also, CoreWeave sank more than -11% to weigh on cloud infrastructure stocks as concerns about the company’s credit risk linger.
Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.
Stock losses accelerated Friday afternoon as crude oil prices soared more than 3% to a 1-month high, raising inflation expectations and fueling fears the Fed will keep raising interest rates to contain inflation.
Higher bond yields undercut stocks after Fed Chair Warsh made no remarks on monetary policy or his outlook for the US economy late Thursday evening at the IMF annual meeting in Bangkok. The 10-year T-note yield rose +1 bp to 5.09%.
Friday’s US economic news was mixed for stocks. The Sep import price index ex-petroleum rose +0.8% m/m, stronger than expectations of +0.6% m/m, the largest increase in 5 months and a sign of price pressures. However, Sep manufacturing production rose +0.3% m/m, right on expectations.
Stocks have support from the prospect of solid quarterly earnings results that began this week. Goldman Sachs on Monday raised its three-month view on global equity markets to overweight from neutral, saying. “Earnings growth remains supportive for equities and the recent valuation de-rating has improved asymmetry into the third-quarter earnings season.” According to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence, Q3 S&P 500 earnings are expected to climb by +25% from a year earlier, up from a July estimate of 22%. As of Friday, 40 of the S&P 500 companies have reported results, with 78% beating estimates.
Nov WTI crude oil prices (CLX26) surged more than +3% on Friday to a 1-month high. Crude prices rallied on Friday amid a weaker dollar and concerns that escalating Middle East hostilities could disrupt regional energy supplies. Prices race to their highs Friday afternoon after US lawmakers introduced a bill to block President Trump’s deal with Russia to release several hundred million barrels of diesel fuel.
Markets are discounting a 17% chance of a +25 bp Fed rate hike at the next FOMC meeting on October 27-28.
Overseas stock markets settled higher on Friday. The Euro Stoxx 50 closed up +0.58%. China's Shanghai Composite closed up +0.24%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average closed up +1.39%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ6) closed down -2.5 ticks on Friday. The 10-year T-note yield rose +2.7 bp to 5.085%. Dec T-notes were under pressure Friday after Fed Chair Warsh's lack of guidance at the annual IMF meeting in Bangkok weighed on T-notes. Also, Friday’s +3% surge in WTI crude oil to a 1-month high raised inflation expectations and weighed on T-notes. Friday’s stock plunge sparked safe-haven buying of government debt and limited T-note losses.
European government bond yields were mixed on Friday. The 10-year German bund yield rose +1.3 bp to 3.426%. The 10-year UK gilt yield fell -0.2 bp to 5.373%.
ECB Governing Council member and Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said. "The ECB has raised interest rates twice, and if the situation remains as it is, we don't rule out the possibility that we may have to take further action."
Markets are discounting a 10% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at the ECB’s next meeting on October 29.
US Stock Movers
Chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks continued their week-long slide on Friday, weighing on the broader market. Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (STX) closed down more than -7%, and Western Digital (WDC), SanDisk (SNDK), and ARM Holdings Plc (ARM) closed down more than -6%. Also, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Micron Technology (MU), Intel (INTC), and Marvell Technology (MRVL) closed down more than -5%, and Lam Research (LRCX), KLA Corp (KLAC), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Broadcom (AVGO) closed down more than -4%. In addition,
CoreWeave (CRWV) closed down more than -11% to weigh on cloud infrastructure stocks as debt concerns linger after swaps priced in more than a 50% chance the company will default on its debt within five years. Also, Nebius Group NV (NBIS) closed down more than -12% to lead losers in the Nasdaq 100, and Applied Digital (APLD) closed down more than -11%. In addition, Lumentum Holdings (LITE) closed down more than -5%, and Oracle (ORCL) and Arista Networks (ANET) closed down more than -4%.
The Magnificent Seven stocks, excluding Apple, fell on Friday and weighed on the overall market. Meta Platforms (META) closed down more than -3%, and Alphabet (GOOGL) closed down more than -2% to lead losers in the Dow Jones Industrials. Also, Tesla (TSLA) closed down more than -2%, and Amazon.com (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), and Nvidia (NVDA) closed down more than -1%. Apple (AAPL) bucked the trend and closed up +0.43%.
Cybersecurity stocks retreated on Friday. Okta (OKTA) closed down more than -10%, and SentinelOne (S), Fortinet (FTNT), Crowdstrike Holdings (CRWD), and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) closed down more than -7%. Also, Cloudflare (NET) closed down more than -6%, Zscaler (ZS) closed down more than -5%, and Gen Digital (GEN) closed down more than -2%.
Energy producers and service providers rallied on Friday after WTI crude oil rose more than +3% to a 1-month high. APA Corp (APA) closed up more than +4%, and Diamondback Energy (FANG) closed up more than +4% to lead gainers in the Nasdaq 100. Also, ConocoPhillips (COP) and Devon Energy (DVN) closed up more than +3%, and Chevron (CVX) closed up more than +2% to lead gainers in the Dow Jones industrials. In addition, Baker Hughes (BKR), ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM), Occidental Petroleum (OXY), and SLB Ltd (SLB) closed up more than +2%, and Halliburton (HAL) and Phillips 66 (PSX) closed up more than +1%.
Defense contractors rose on Friday as the companies are set to benefit from increased defense spending. Northrop Grumman (NOC) closed up more than +4%, and Lockheed Martin (LMT), RTX Corp (RTX), and L3Harris Technologies (LHX) closed up more than +3%. Also, General Dynamics (GD) closed up more than +2%, and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) closed up more than +1%.
Defensive food producers moved higher on Friday amid the slump in the broader market. Kraft Heinz Co (KHC), McCormick & Co (MKC), J M Smucker (SJM), Hershey Co (HSY), Hormel Foods (HRL), and Mondelez International (MDLZ) closed up more than +1%.
Omeros (OMER) closed down more than -14% after the European Medicines Agency issued a negative opinion on the company’s application for its narsoplimab therapy.
Earnings Reports (10/19/2026)
AGNC Investment Corp (AGNC), BOK Financial Corp (BOKF), Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (CLF), Crown Holdings Inc (CCK), Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB), FNB Corp/PA (FNB), RLI Corp (RLI), Steel Dynamics Inc (STLD), W R Berkley Corp (WRB), Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL), Wintrust Financial Corp (WTFC), Zions Bancorp NA (ZION).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

Stock Indexes Finish Sharply Lower as Tech Stocks Plunge

Key Points
Muse is the top app on the Apple App Store with an estimated 3 million weekly users.
Meanwhile, Meta will spend about $145 billion in AI data center costs this year.
Paid subscriptions won't come close to offsetting the company's AI costs.
By all early accounts, Meta Platforms' (NASDAQ: META) new Muse AI agent is a huge success. The app has an estimated 3 million weekly users and has been at the top of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) App Store for several weeks.
Meta shareholders have driven the company's stock up more than 20% since Muse launched, optimistic that the company has figured out how to monetize AI.
Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Call me a skeptic, but I'm not sold on the idea that Muse will be the catalyst some investors hope for. For one, Meta will burn through $145 billion in AI data center spending this year. Even selling a heck of a lot of Muse subscriptions won't come close to recouping those costs.
Secondly, virtually every major tech company is moving in the same agentic AI direction. The market is already getting crowded, and it's just getting started.
Cheap AI doesn't exist
Muse is free to use with a limited number of AI tokens, and there are two paid tiers: $20/month (5 million weekly tokens) and $100/month (3 billion weekly tokens). Those prices align with what most AI companies charge for their monthly AI services right now, but the problem for Meta (and likely its rivals, too) is that these subscriptions won't come anywhere close to offsetting AI expenses.
As mentioned, Meta is spending $145 billion to build AI data centers this year, and some analysts think it could spend even more next year. Recouping those costs through subscriptions will be nearly impossible. That's especially when you consider that Muse is a consumer product, not an enterprise product like many other AI agents. Enterprise products can generate significant revenue because companies have larger budgets than consumers and are more willing to stick with the same service for longer.
Microsoft and Alphabet both recently grew cloud revenue rapidly, thanks mostly to selling cloud-based AI services to companies. Meta isn't a cloud company, and that's sort of the problem. Meta is investing similar amounts of money in AI data centers as its peers but doesn't have enterprise products to offset its high costs.
Meta recently launched Muse for Small Business, but it's more of a workflow automation tool (allowing Muse to connect to a Canva subscription) than the robust tools Anthropic and OpenAI offer. Making matters worse for Meta is that it's very likely that even its current subscription prices aren't high enough to match the amount of AI tokens users are spending.
For $100/month, Muse users (Musers?) receive 3 billion tokens per week. But the total amount of tokens a user gets often exceeds the value of what they pay for them. Earlier this year, a SemiAnalysis report found that a $200/month ChatGPT subscription actually gives a user $14,000 worth of AI tokens. For Claude, $200 essentially gets you $8,000 worth of tokens.
In short, AI companies are heavily discounting their products. A similar disparity is likely occurring with Muse's token costs versus its subscription price, which isn't ideal when it's spending hundreds of billions of dollars on AI.
The consumer-side competition will heat up, too
The other problem I think Meta will face with Muse is that, very soon, it probably won't be a unique product. While Meta beat many of its rivals to the punch in offering a consumer-first personal AI agent that can accomplish useful everyday tasks, it certainly won't be the last. Apple has already inched closer to this area with its newest version of Siri.
And while Siri can't yet book hotels or shop online for you, it likely could soon. If it does, Apple could eventually have the upper hand in this space because of its focus on consumer privacy.
Even with Muse's popularity, Meta consumers don't have much trust in the company's privacy practices. A recent Oppenheimer survey found that just 8% of respondents said they'd trust Meta with their passwords, compared with 30% for Alphabet and 23% for Apple (which took the No. 1 and No. 2 spots).
Even if Muse successfully fends off the competition for a while, it doesn't change the fact that Meta is burning through piles of cash. And with the company still generating the vast majority of its $200 billion in annual revenue from advertising, Muse's subscriptions aren't likely to make much of a dent in Meta's sales either.
Should you buy stock in Meta Platforms right now?
Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $380,579!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,359,789!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 934% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 213% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 15, 2026.
Chris Neiger has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Meta's Muse Agent Is a Massive Hit. I'm Still Not Sold on Meta Stock.

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) closed down by -1.11% on Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) closed down by -0.09%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed down -2.02%. December E-mini S&P futures (ESZ26) fell -1.16%, and December E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQZ26) fell -2.10%.
Stock indexes sold off sharply on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 falling to a 1.5-week low and the Nasdaq 100 dropping to a 3.5-week low. Inflation woes dampened market sentiment and sparked stock liquidation on Wednesday after US September consumer prices rose more than expected, reinforcing speculation that the Fed will keep interest rates higher for longer amid sticky price pressures. The chance of a 25 bp Fed rate hike at this month’s FOMC meeting rose to 37% from 22% before the CPI report. Also, the rout in chipmakers continued Wednesday, weighing on the overall market.
Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.
Wednesday’s broader market slump sparked defensive buying of health care and pharmaceutical stocks, limiting losses in the Dow Jones industrials.
US Sep CPI rose +3.7% y/y, stronger than expectations of +3.6% y/y. Sep core CPI rose +2.6% y/y, stronger than expectations of 2.5% y/y.
The Fed Beige Book was hawkish, noting that a majority of the twelve Fed districts in the six weeks through October 5 reported economic growth, and half saw robust or intensifying price pressures.
Stocks and bonds garnered some support Wednesday on comments from Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman, who signaled she favors keeping Fed policy steady at this month's FOMC meeting when she said, "We have some time to wait and see how financial conditions and the economy evolve before we decide that we need to take any more action" on interest rates.
US MBA mortgage applications fell -2.7% in the week ended October 9, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down -4.0% and the refinancing mortgage sub-index down -0.4%. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose +1 bp to a 2.75-year high of 7.50% from 7.49% the prior week.
China's trade news was better than expected, supporting global growth prospects. China's Sep exports rose +36.3% y/y, stronger than expectations of +25.7% y/y and the most in 7 months. Sep imports rose +31.0% y/y, stronger than expectations of +25.0% y/y.
Stocks have support from the prospect of solid quarterly earnings results starting this week. Goldman Sachs on Monday raised its three-month view on global equity markets to overweight from neutral, saying. “Earnings growth remains supportive for equities and the recent valuation de-rating has improved asymmetry into the third-quarter earnings season.” According to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence, Q3 S&P 500 earnings are expected to climb by +25% from a year earlier, up from a July estimate of 22%.
Nov WTI crude oil prices (CLX26) closed up more than +1% on Wednesday as Yemen's Houthi rebels launched multiple drone and missile attacks across Saudi Arabia, including energy infrastructure. Also, Iranian attacks on shipping attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz have increased in recent weeks, threatening a rebound in energy supplies from the Middle East.
Markets are discounting a 37% chance of a +25 bp Fed rate hike at the next FOMC meeting on October 27-28.
Overseas stock markets settled mixed on Wednesday. The Euro Stoxx 50 closed up +0.38%. China's Shanghai Composite closed down -0.89%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average closed down -0.05%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ6) closed up by +4.5 ticks on Wednesday. The 10-year T-note yield fell -2.5 bp to 5.183%. T-note prices recovered from early losses on Wednesday and settled higher as a slump in equity markets fueled short-covering in T-notes. Also, dovish comments on Wednesday from Fed Vice Chair Bowman were bullish for T-notes when said she sees no urgent need for the Fed to raise interest rates.
T-notes initially retreated on Wednesday on the stronger-than-expected US Sep CPI report, which boosted the chance of a Fed rate hike later this month to 37% from 22% before the report. Also, Wednesday’s +1% increase in WTI crude oil has raised inflation expectations and is bearish for T-notes. In addition, the Fed Beige Book was negative for T-notes, noting intensifying price pressures in more than half of the Fed’s districts.
European government bond yields moved lower on Wednesday. The 10-year German bund yield fell -0.3 bp to 3.466%. The 10-year UK gilt yield fell -2.3 bp to 5.424%.
The German Sep wholesale price index rose +8.7% y/y from +6.8% y/y in Aug, the strongest pace of increase in nearly 3.5 years.
Markets are discounting a 12% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at the ECB’s next meeting on October 29.
US Stock Movers
Chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks sold off Wednesday, weighing on the overall market. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) fell to a 3.5-week low and closed down more than -4%. CoreWeave closed down more than -15% to lead losers in the Nasdaq 100, and Lumentum Holdings (LITE) closed down more than -8%. Also, Marvell Technology (MRVL) closed down more than -7%, and ARM Holdings Plc (ARM) closed down more than -6%. In addition, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and SanDisk (SNDK) closed down more than -5%, and Lam Research (LRCX), Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (STX), Microchip Technology (MCHP), Intel (INTC), and Western Digital (WDC) closed down more than -4%.
The Magnificent Seven technology stocks fell on Wednesday, weighing on the broader market. Nvidia (NVDA) and Meta Platforms (META) closed down more than -3%, and Tesla (TSLA) closed down more than -2%. Also, Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon.com (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT) closed down more than -1%. Bucking the trend, Apple (AAPL) closed up +0.50%.
Cybersecurity stocks weakened on Wednesday, weighing on the overall market. Cloudflare (NET) and Okta (OKTA) closed down more than -6%, and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) closed down more than -5%. Also, Crowdstrike Holdings (CRWD) and SentinelOne (S) closed down more than -4%, and Fortinet (FTNT) and Zscaler (ZS) closed down more than -3%.
Cryptocurrency-exposed stocks fell on Wednesday after Bitcoin (^BTCUSD) fell more than -1%. Iren Ltd (IREN) closed down more than -12%, and MARA Holdings (MARA) and Riot Platforms (RIOT) closed down more than -9%. Also, Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY) and Robinhood Markets (HOOD) closed down more than -8%, and Circle Internet Group (CRCL), BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR), and Strategy (MSTR) closed down more than -5%. On addition, Coinbase Global (COIN) and Bullish (BLSH) closed down more than -4%.
Health insurance stocks moved higher on Wednesday as a defensive play amid the broader market rout. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) closed up more than +4% to lead gainers in the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrials. Also, CVS Health Corp (CVS), Cardinal Health (CAH), and United Health Services (UHS) closed up more than +3%, and HCA Healthcare (HCA) and the Cigna Group (CI) closed up more than +2%. In addition, Centene (CNC) and Humana (HUM) closed up more than +1%.
Defensive pharmaceutical stocks rallied on Wednesday amid the broader market slump. Amgen (AMGN), Eli Lilly (LLY), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Merck & Co (MRK), Pfizer (PFE), and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) closed up more than +3%, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) closed up more than +2%.
Dell Technologies (DELL) closed down more than -11% to lead losers in the S&P 500 , Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) closed down more than -8%, and NetApp (NTAP) closed down more than -6% after Barclays downgraded the stocks to equal weight from overweight.
Bank of America (BAC) closed down more than -4% after reporting Q3 equities trading revenue ex-DVA of $2.51 billion, weaker than the consensus of $2.63 billion.
State Street (STT) closed down more than -3% after reporting Q3 revenue of $4.00 billion, weaker than the consensus of $4.04 billion.
Progressive (PGR) closed down more than -3% after reporting Q3 net premiums written of $22.30 billion, below the consensus of $22.50 billion.
Liquidia (LQDA) closed up more than +27% after reaching a global settlement resolving all pending litigation with United Therapeutics.
Earnings Reports (10/15/2026)
Alcoa Corp (AA), Bank of New York Mellon Corp/The (BNY), Charles Schwab Corp/The (SCHW), First Horizon Corp (FHN), Interactive Brokers Group Inc (IBKR), JB Hunt Transport Services Inc (JBHT), Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc (MRSH), PNC Financial Services Group Inc (PNC), Prologis Inc (PLD), US Bancorp (USB).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

Stocks Sharply Lower on Inflation Woes and Slumping Chipmakers

Key Points
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) has a virtual monopoly on manufacturing advanced AI chips.
TSMC has leaned on its pricing power to increase profits and expand its margins.
Momentum from the current AI infrastructure build-out should continue through the next few years.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) has been one of the best-performing big tech stocks over the past three years, up 380%. That's better than every "Magnificent Seven" stock in that time, and it hasn't shown many signs of slowing down. As of this writing, it's up over 45% for the year.
Although it's not often considered a typical AI stock, TSMC's latest run is largely driven by the ongoing AI boom. As the world's largest semiconductor (chip) foundry, TSMC is as valuable to the AI ecosystem as virtually any company in the mix. And that's why I'm confident a $5,000 investment in the stock could grow to $8,000 by 2030. Let's take a deeper dive.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
So, what exactly does TSMC do?
TSMC is the go-to chip manufacturing company for many of the electronics we use daily. While companies like Apple design their iPhone chips, Nvidia designs chips for its data center hardware, and Broadcom designs chips for its networking equipment, they all rely on TSMC to actually manufacture them.
No company has TSMC's expertise, results, and scale, so it's in a league of its own. It has a 73% market share in the foundry market, but its share of advanced AI chips is well into the upper 90% range. It has been using that to its advantage, too.
The data centers that AI hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta Platforms are spending trillions to build are filled with advanced chips made by TSMC. So, no matter which of those companies pulls ahead in the AI race, TSMC will continue to benefit. That's a lucrative position to be in.
Profits continue to flow
TSMC's virtual monopoly has given it lots of pricing power. Companies either pay a premium for chips they know will be high-performance and meet the required scale, or go with a less efficient alternative and risk performance. TSMC's market shows which option companies generally choose.
Its revenue growth over the past few years has been impressive (up 33.7% year over year in the second quarter), but earnings growth has been even more explosive.
Over the same three-year span, its gross margin rose from 54.1% to 67.7%, operating margin from 42% to 60.3%, and net profit margin from 37.8% to 55.6%.
How much a $5,000 investment could be worth by 2030
For illustration, let's assume TSMC's stock price remains flat through the rest of 2026. That means the stock would need to grow 60% from 2027 to 2030, averaging 17% returns per year. Right now, TSMC is a $2.3 trillion company trading at 26.5 times its projected 2027 earnings, which is on the high end of its average over the past three years.
If we assume this holds steady over three years, TSMC would need to grow its earnings per share (EPS) by around 15.6% annually. That's more than feasible for a company that has grown by 198% over the past three years. Current estimates put TSMC's year-over-year EPS growth well above that for the next couple of years, but even if it cuts back modestly to 20% after, a $5,000 investment can easily grow to $8,000. And 20% is on the low end of what I expect the growth to be.
AI is fueling TSMC's current momentum, but its business goes beyond that. Even if AI momentum slows over the next three or so years, TSMC's business is broad and deep enough to keep thriving. Margins would likely take a hit, but I don't imagine the company or investors would harp on it too much.
We can't predict how stock prices will move -- and good business or financial performance doesn't guarantee good stock price performance -- but I think TSMC's stock still has enough momentum to turn $5,000 into $8,000 by 2030.
Should you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing right now?
Before you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $380,795!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,390,634!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 946% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 215% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 14, 2026.
Stefon Walters has positions in Apple, Microsoft, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Prediction: $5,000 Invested in Taiwan Semiconductor Could Be Worth This Much by 2030

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) closed down by -0.02% on Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) closed down by -0.35%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed down -0.31%. December E-mini S&P futures (ESZ26) fell -0.02%, and December E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQZ26) fell -0.32%.
Stock indexes settled lower on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq 100 falling to a 1.5-week low. Weakness in chipmakers weighed on the broader market Tuesday amid concerns that investment in artificial intelligence may be unsustainable due to safety concerns and signs of funding strain. Also, a selloff in South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix knocked South Korea’s Kospi Index down more than -5% on Tuesday to a 2.5-month low amid concerns over intensifying competition from China, adding additional pressure to chip stocks.
Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.
However, stocks recovered from their worst levels on Tuesday as bond yields fell on dovish Fed comments that bolstered speculation the Fed won’t be forced to raise interest rates aggressively. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said the recent surge in long-term bond yields is helping to curb demand in interest-rate-sensitive sectors, such as housing and automobiles, doing some of the Fed's work to tighten monetary policy. Waller’s comments suggest he favors holding policy steady at the FOMC meeting later this month. Also, New York Fed President John Williams said, "It may be appropriate for one more 25 bp Fed rate hike this year, but I don't think at this time I have any reason to believe that we would need to do more."
Hawkish comments on Tuesday from Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee limited the decline in T-note yields when he said inflation tied to the AI boom is "jumping out of its lane" and starting to push up prices in unrelated corners of the economy. The 10-year T-note yield fell -3 bp to 5.21%.
Tuesday’s US economic news was supportive for stocks after Sep existing home sales unexpectedly rose +1.5% m/m to 3.99 million, stronger than expectations of a decline to 3.95 million.
Stocks have support from the prospect of solid quarterly earnings results starting this week. Goldman Sachs on Monday raised its three-month view on global equity markets to overweight from neutral, saying. “Earnings growth remains supportive for equities and the recent valuation de-rating has improved asymmetry into the third-quarter earnings season.”
According to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence, Q3 S&P 500 profits are expected to climb by +25% from a year earlier, up from a July estimate of 22%. Q3 earnings season begins this week when US money center banks report.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its 2026 global GDP forecast to 3.1% from 3.0% in July and kept its 2026 global consumer price forecast unchanged from July at 4.7%.
Nov WTI crude oil prices (CLX26) rose slightly on Tuesday amid concerns about Middle East energy-supply disruptions. Saudi Arabia has seen an increase in attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen in recent days, while Iran has ramped up attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Gains in crude were limited on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia said its Sep crude production rose by +2 million bpd (+40% m/m) to 8.732 million bpd, recovering from a 36-year low in August. Goldman Sachs estimates a $24-a-barrel risk premium in crude oil prices due to the Middle East conflict. However, if Europe releases half the diesel it has announced from reserves, fair value prices could fall by about $11 a barrel.
Markets are discounting a 22% chance of a +25 bp Fed rate hike at the next FOMC meeting on October 27-28.
Overseas stock markets settled mixed on Tuesday. The Euro Stoxx 50 closed down -0.55%. China's Shanghai Composite recovered from a 2.5-month low and closed up +0.10%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average fell to a 1.5-week low and closed down -1.82%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ6) closed up by +5.5 ticks on Tuesday. The 10-year T-note yield fell -2.5 bp to 5.213%. Dec T-notes rose to a 1-week high on Tuesday, and the 10-year T-note yield fell to a 1-week low of 5.171%. Lower inflation expectations supported gains in T-notes on Tuesday after the 10-year breakeven inflation rate fell to a 1-week low of 2.336%. Dovish Fed comments also supported T-note prices on Tuesday when Fed Governor Christopher Waller said the recent surge in long-term bond yields is doing some of the Fed’s work to tighten monetary policy, suggesting he favors holding policy steady at the FOMC meeting later this month. Also, New York Fed President John Williams said that after the Fed hikes rates one more time this year, he believes the Fed’s rate-hike cycle is done.
T-note gains were limited Tuesday after Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said inflation remains too high. Also, Tuesday’s report showing Sep existing home sales unexpectedly increased weighed on T-notes.
European government bond yields were mixed on Tuesday. The 10-year German bund yield fell to a 1-week low of 3.426% and finished down -0.8 bp to 3.469%. The 10-year UK gilt yield rose +0.7 bp to 5.447%.
Markets are discounting a 12% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at the ECB’s next meeting on October 29.
US Stock Movers
Chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks retreated for a second session on Tuesday, weighing on the overall market. Applied Materials (AMAT) closed down more than -6% to lead losers in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 after failing to give a detailed outlook at an investor day conference. Also, Micron Technology (MU) and KLA Corp (KLAC) closed down more than -3%, and Lam Research (LRCX) closed down more than -2%. In addition, ASML Holding NV (ASML) and Western Digital (WDC) closed down more than -1%.
Pharmaceutical stocks sold off on Tuesday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) closed down more than -4%, and Merck & Co (MRK), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS), Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc (JAZZ), and Untragenyx Pharmaceutical (RARE) closed down more than -2%. Also, Gilead Sciences (GILD), Amgen (AMGN), Eli Lilly (LLY), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) closed down more than -1%.
Energy producers and service providers rallied on Tuesday as WTI crude prices rose. Valero Energy (VLO) closed up more than +4%, and Marathon Petroleum (MPC) and Phillips 66 (PSX) closed up more than +3%. Also, APA Corp (APA), ConocoPhillips (COP), and Devon Energy (DVN) closed up more than +2%, and Chevron (CVX), Diamondback Energy (FANG), and ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) closed up more than +1%.
Telecom operators moved higher on Tuesday. Charter Communications (CHTR) closed up more than +4%, and T-Mobile US (TMUS), Comcast (CMCSA), Verizon Communications (VZ), and AT&T (T) closed up more than +1%.
Syndax Pharmaceuticals (SNDX) closed down more than -16% after saying its MAXPIRe Phase 2 trial of its axatilimab to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis failed to meet its primary endpoint.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) closed down more than -8% after Piper Sandler downgraded the stock to neutral from overweight.
SentinelOne (S) closed down more than -6% after announcing that it intends to offer $1.25 billion in convertible senior notes due in 2031 via private placement.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) closed down more than -5% to lead losers in the Dow Jones Industrials after forecasting full-year sales of $101.00 billion to $101.40 billion, the midpoint below the consensus of $101.24 billion.
Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) closed down more than -5% after reporting Q3 total domestic store comparable sales growth of +0.30%, below the consensus of +0.72%.
Meta Platforms (META) closed up more than +2% to lead gainers in the Nasdaq 100, adding to Monday’s +3% gain, after releasing a new artificial intelligence model called Muse Wonder, which the company claims has “frontier capabilities.”
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings (OLLI) closed up more than +2% after its Board of Directors approved a $500 million stock buyback plan.
Amer Sports (AS) closed up more than +2% after Jefferies initiated coverage on the stock with a buy recommendation and a price target of $42.
Earnings Reports (10/14/2026)
Bank of America Corp (BAC), Blackrock Inc (BLK), Fastenal Co (FAST), Morgan Stanley (MS), Progressive Corp/The (PGR), State Street Corp (STT).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

Indicator	May 26	Jun 26	Jul 26	Sep 26	Oct 26	TTM	Median
P/E	—	21.21	20.98	—	—	20.98	17.73
Price/Sales	7.80	6.34	6.27	—	7.30	7.30	0.99
P/B	7.09	5.49	5.43	—	—	5.43	1.47
P/FCF	33.98	35.34	34.96	—	40.74	40.74	10.25

Indicator	May 26	Jun 26	Jul 26	Sep 26	Oct 26	TTM	Median
EPS	7.31	6.18	6.18	7.40	7.40	7.40	0.33
EPS Forecast	6.71	7.10	7.10	6.52	6.52	6.52	0.27
Revenue	—	60.80B	—	—	—	60.80B	83.00M
Gross Profit	—	49.47B	—	—	—	49.47B	—
EBITDA	—	25.13B	—	—	—	25.13B	—

Meta Platforms, Inc.

Recent quarterly and TTM performance

Valuation

Debts

Efficiency

Other ratios

Revenue

Indicator	May 26	Jun 26	Jul 26	Sep 26	Oct 26	TTM	Median
ROE	—	29.73	—	—	—	29.73	13.26
ROA	—	17.98	—	—	—	17.98	5.10
ROI	—	23.76	—	—	—	23.76	7.48
Net Worth	1.57K	1.44K	—	—	1.66K	1.66K	0.65
Quick Ratio	—	0.00	—	—	—	0.00	0.92
Current Ratio	—	2.23	—	—	—	2.23	1.15

Indicator	May 26	Jun 26	Jul 26	Sep 26	Oct 26	TTM	Median
Net Profit Margin	—	29.84	—	—	—	29.84	9.98
Operating Margin	—	38.08	—	—	—	38.08	14.37
Gross Margin	—	81.75	—	—	—	81.75	55.30
Return on tangible equity	—	33.12	—	—	—	33.12	26.67