New York, Jan 16, 2026, 16:28 EST — After-hours
- Meta shares dipped slightly in after-hours trading following a mostly flat session
- Wikimedia’s fresh AI content agreements set a benchmark for the cost of training data in Big Tech
- Traders are focused on Meta’s Jan. 28 results, looking for clues on spending and ad demand
Meta Platforms’ stock edged down 0.1% in after-hours trading Friday, settling at $620.32. Earlier in the session, shares fluctuated between $620.20 and $628.90.
The upcoming catalyst for the stock isn’t tied to one product announcement but centers on costs — the expenses involved in training AI models, staffing, and maintaining infrastructure — as investors approach the company’s quarterly earnings report.
The debate expanded this week as analysts highlighted the massive funding Big Tech might require for data centers. A Reuters report late Thursday revealed Barclays forecasts U.S. corporate bond issuance hitting $2.46 trillion in 2026, driven largely by “hyperscalers” — the biggest players building giant data centers. The report pointed out Meta’s $30 billion bond sale in October, marking the largest non-M&A high-grade deal ever recorded. 1
Wikimedia Foundation announced partnerships with Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and others to promote its Wikimedia Enterprise product, which sells customized data for AI training. Lane Becker, president of Wikimedia Enterprise, emphasized that tech firms relying on Wikipedia “need to figure out how to support [it] financially.” 2
For Meta, the deal signals a shift among big model creators—from scraping free web content to paying for curated datasets. The move aims both to ensure quality and dodge the legal headaches tied to large-scale copying.
Some investors see a bigger repositioning at play. Capital.com analyst Kyle Rodda described the recent sell-off in megacap stocks as potentially “ominous,” yet he viewed it as “healthy broadening” of market leadership. 3
Regulators are tightening the screws. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is zeroing in on “acqui-hires”—where a company scoops up a startup’s team and licenses its tech but doesn’t buy the whole company—making sure these deals aren’t a backdoor around merger reviews, Bloomberg reported, citing FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson. The story noted Meta shelled out $15 billion to hire Scale AI’s CEO without actually acquiring the business. 4
The broader market held steady. The S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow finished a bit up on Friday. Monday’s a holiday—markets closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Bruce Zaro of Granite Wealth Management emphasized that growth stocks and big tech remain “the most important thing” since they “are going to set the trend.” 5
The risk scenario is clear: if ad growth slows down as AI spending and paid data deals ramp up, Meta’s margins might suffer. A tougher stance from regulators on talent or licensing could inject more uncertainty at a critical time.
Meta plans to report its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings after the market closes on Wednesday, Jan. 28, with a conference call set for 4:30 p.m. ET. The spotlight will be on spending outlooks and any progress in turning AI-driven engagement into actual revenue, beyond just user metrics. 6
