New York, February 7, 2026, 09:54 EST — Market closed.
- Meta shares slipped Friday, with investors grappling with hefty AI investments that could pressure short-term earnings.
- The “Magnificent Seven” are once again pulling in different directions, leaving mega-cap tech trading uneven as Monday gets underway.
- Next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation numbers might shake up rate expectations, a key factor for growth stocks.
Meta Platforms ended Friday’s session 1.3% lower at $661.46, then bounced back slightly after the bell, ticking up 0.4% to $664.00 in late trading. For the week, shares dropped roughly 6.4%. 1
The retreat is significant: investors have stopped assuming Big Tech’s AI expansion comes without cost. Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta are on track to lay out over $630 billion together this year. Meta alone has signaled capital expenditures could reach $135 billion—covering big-ticket items like servers and data centers. 2
The market’s split shows up in that massive wave of spending. Amazon shares dropped on Friday after the company detailed a $200 billion spending plan, while Alphabet warned that capital expenditures could double, pushing its stock lower too. Meta slipped 1.3%. Still, a few major tech players managed gains, according to Reuters. “The AI build-out trade had got too pricey,” said Andrew Wells, chief investment officer at SanJac Alpha. 3
Investors are narrowing their focus on AI, growing more selective about which names they’ll back. This week, a Reuters analysis called the AI trade “splintering” as cash moves toward companies building AI infrastructure, and away from software areas seen as more vulnerable to disruption. “Spending for spending’s sake” isn’t flying anymore, said Mark Hawtin, head of global equities at Liontrust. 4
Operational glitches aren’t doing sentiment any favors. Instagram, owned by Meta, bounced back after going dark for over 10,000 users in the U.S. this week, per Downdetector numbers reported by Reuters. Meta had nothing to say when asked for comment. 5
Legal risk isn’t off the table. Next week, Los Angeles will see Meta and Google face a social-media addiction lawsuit, WIRED reports. Over in New Mexico, opening statements are coming in a different case—this one accuses Meta’s platforms of facilitating child exploitation, according to WBUR via Texas Public Radio. 6
The main wild card for the stock remains what’s dogging the rest of the mega-cap pack: does spending outpace earnings? If ad demand softens, or expenses refuse to budge while those AI bets drag out before delivering, Meta’s margin narrative can unravel quickly.
Interest rates remain in focus. Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson described himself as “cautiously optimistic” about the economy but emphasized that the central bank is keeping rates steady in the 3.50%–3.75% band while tracking inflation and jobs data. 7
U.S. markets return Monday, and traders are bracing to see if the AI-capex debate picks up steam—or fades out. Macro numbers could also shake up the rate outlook. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed January’s jobs report lands Wednesday, February 11, with the January Consumer Price Index pushed to Friday, February 13, due to the government shutdown delay. 8
