Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) finished the latest U.S. session modestly higher and then slipped slightly in after-hours trading—while a wave of fresh headlines landed that could shape sentiment heading into Tuesday’s open (Dec. 16).
After Monday’s closing bell in New York (Dec. 15 in the U.S.; already Dec. 16 in many international time zones), META closed at $647.87, up $3.64 (+0.57%) on the day, and traded around $647.51 in after-hours dealings (down 0.06%) shortly after the close. [1]
Below is what investors and traders should know tonight—spanning the day’s biggest news, updated Wall Street targets, near-term catalysts, and the key “before the bell” items that can move mega-cap tech.
META stock after the bell: the quick snapshot
Meta’s end-of-day tape showed a steady session with a tight but meaningful intraday swing:
- Close: $647.87 (+0.57%) [2]
- After-hours: $647.51 (-0.06%) [3]
- Day’s range: $638.74 to $653.00 [4]
- Volume: ~15.1 million shares [5]
- 52-week range: $479.80 to $796.25 (META remains roughly ~19% below its 52-week high based on these figures) [6]
The small after-hours drift suggests that, for now, the market is in “wait-and-see” mode—likely because today’s most significant developments are headline- and policy-driven rather than tied to an earnings print or a single product launch.
The story moving sentiment tonight: Reuters probes Meta’s China-linked ad-fraud exposure
The most market-relevant headline risk for Meta coming out of today is a pair of Reuters investigations that raise uncomfortable questions about ad integrity, enforcement, and incentives—issues that can become financial risks if they invite regulatory scrutiny or force changes to ad systems that hit revenue.
1) Reuters: Meta tolerated China-linked ad fraud to protect billions in revenue
Reuters reported that internal material reviewed by the outlet suggests Meta accepted elevated levels of fraudulent ads tied to China while trying to limit the “revenue impact” of enforcement. Reuters wrote that Meta believed China was the origin of roughly a quarter of scam/banned-product ads on its platforms worldwide and described a cycle of stepped-up enforcement followed by a pullback. [7]
Key details flagged in the report include:
- Reuters said Meta’s China-linked ad revenue more than doubled from $7.4 billion (2022) to $18.4 billion (2024), based on the company’s public financial statements. [8]
- Reuters described internal figures showing problematic ads falling sharply during a 2024 crackdown—then rising again by mid-2025 after a pivot away from that tighter approach. [9]
- Meta, via spokesperson Andy Stone, told Reuters the special China-focused anti-fraud team was intended to be temporary and said the company’s systems blocked or removed tens of millions of ads submitted through Chinese business partners over the past 18 months (usually before users saw them). [10]
For META stock, this type of reporting can matter in two ways:
- Regulatory risk (new inquiries, hearings, fines, operating restrictions), and
- Revenue quality questions (how much revenue is tied to ad ecosystems that could be curtailed).
2) Reuters: “Trusted experts” helped run scam ads—Meta removed its partner directory after evidence was presented
In a related story, Reuters reported that a Reuters journalist was able to place ads promising unrealistic investment returns that ran on Facebook and Instagram, reaching more than 20,000 users across multiple regions, according to statistics available to the advertiser. [11]
Reuters said the ads were placed with help from agencies shown in Meta’s official “Partner Directory,” and that after Reuters presented evidence about “Badged Partners” allegedly offering to break advertising rules, Meta deleted its partner directory and said it was reviewing the program and some partners. [12]
This second piece adds a concrete “systems test” angle that markets often pay attention to: not just allegations, but a documented pathway to bypassing controls.
What to watch next: whether Meta provides additional public response overnight, whether policymakers/regulators signal interest, and whether other outlets amplify the story in a way that shifts the narrative in Tuesday’s premarket.
Product and engagement update: Threads expands communities and tests new badges
Not all of today’s Meta news was negative. TechCrunch reported that Meta’s social network Threads expanded its communities feature from roughly 100+ communities to more than 200, and is also testing features like community “flairs” and a “Champion” badge for highly engaged members. [13]
In the near term, product changes like this are typically sentiment drivers more than immediate revenue drivers. But strategically, Threads engagement matters because:
- Higher time spent can support monetization over time, and
- Meta is clearly positioning Threads more directly against Reddit and X in the “interest/community” category. [14]
The cash return angle: Meta’s dividend timing just became relevant again
Meta’s dividend can influence short-term positioning (especially around record dates, dividend capture strategies, and options pricing).
Meta announced on Dec. 3, 2025 that its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.525 per share, payable Dec. 23, 2025, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 15, 2025. [15]
Market data services also list Dec. 15, 2025 as the ex-dividend date. [16]
Why it matters tonight:
- If you’re reviewing today’s price action, remember the stock traded on an ex-dividend day (a technical factor that can slightly affect comparisons or intraday narratives). [17]
Forecasts and analyst calls: targets remain high, but the AI spending debate isn’t going away
Even with headline risk and a volatile 2025 narrative, Wall Street target prices remain elevated—though not uniform.
A bullish note: Citizens reiterates $900 target (Investing.com)
Investing.com reported that Citizens reiterated a Market Outperform rating and a $900 price target, and also referenced other firms’ stances (including Piper Sandler and Morgan Stanley) in the same write-up. [18]
The same article noted:
- Piper Sandler reiterated an Overweight rating with an $840 target, and
- Morgan Stanley maintained an Overweight rating but lowered its price target to $750, citing concerns including revenue durability and operating expense uncertainty. [19]
The broader consensus: Strong Buy, but a wide target range
StockAnalysis’ analyst aggregation shows a consensus “Strong Buy” rating with an average price target around $818.58, but also a notably wide target range (low end in the mid-$600s; high end above $1,000). [20]
That wide spread is important: it reflects the market’s core disagreement about how quickly Meta can turn massive AI investment into durable margin expansion—and how much integrity/regulatory friction could weigh on the ad engine.
A fresh “what’s next” angle for 2026: estimates and revisions
A Nasdaq.com write-up (Zacks content) published today frames META as down about 19% from its 52-week high and highlights changes in earnings estimates, including:
- A Zacks consensus view for Q4 2025 EPS around $8.15, and
- Discussion of Meta’s Q4 revenue guidance range of $56–$59 billion and a Q4 revenue consensus figure around $58.37 billion. [21]
For Tuesday’s open, this matters less as a “catalyst” and more as context: investors are still weighing whether estimate revisions and capex trajectories justify the multiple—especially when new integrity headlines threaten to complicate the ad story.
What to watch before the market opens Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025
Here are the concrete, time-specific items that can move META and the broader Nasdaq tape before 9:30 a.m. ET.
1) Pre-market U.S. economic data (all Eastern Time)
According to the New York Fed’s Economic Indicators Calendar, Tuesday morning includes multiple releases before the opening bell:
- 8:30 a.m. ET: Business Leaders Survey [22]
- 8:30 a.m. ET: Imports and Exports (BLS) [23]
- 8:30 a.m. ET: New Residential Construction (Census) [24]
- 9:15 a.m. ET: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization (Federal Reserve) [25]
Why META investors should care: even when company-specific news dominates, rates and growth expectations can still swing mega-cap multiples—especially when the market is already sensitive to “AI capex vs. payoff” debates.
2) Follow-through risk from the Reuters investigations
If additional reactions hit overnight—Meta statements, lawmakers calling for probes, or other outlets verifying and extending the reporting—META could see a more directional premarket move than tonight’s relatively calm after-hours tape implies. [26]
3) Watch the levels traders are keying on
Based on today’s session:
- A near-term reference resistance area is around today’s high (~$653). [27]
- A near-term support reference is around today’s low (~$639). [28]
- The psychologically important round level around $650 is also in play given where the stock closed. [29]
The bottom line for META heading into Tuesday
Meta ends the day higher, but the most important “after the bell” development is not the few pennies of after-hours movement—it’s the potential for integrity and enforcement headlines to translate into regulatory pressure or operational constraints in 2026, right as investors are already laser-focused on the costs of Meta’s AI push. [30]
At the same time, Wall Street’s targets remain broadly constructive (with several firms still pointing to significant upside), Threads continues to iterate on engagement features, and Meta’s dividend schedule is active into late December. [31]
For the Dec. 16 open, the “must-watch” checklist is simple: premarket economic releases at 8:30/9:15 a.m. ET, any overnight fallout from Reuters’ reporting, and whether META holds above key support levels as liquidity returns. [32]
References
1. stockanalysis.com, 2. stockanalysis.com, 3. stockanalysis.com, 4. stockanalysis.com, 5. stockanalysis.com, 6. stockanalysis.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. techcrunch.com, 14. techcrunch.com, 15. investor.atmeta.com, 16. stockanalysis.com, 17. stockanalysis.com, 18. www.investing.com, 19. www.investing.com, 20. stockanalysis.com, 21. www.nasdaq.com, 22. www.newyorkfed.org, 23. www.newyorkfed.org, 24. www.newyorkfed.org, 25. www.newyorkfed.org, 26. www.reuters.com, 27. stockanalysis.com, 28. stockanalysis.com, 29. stockanalysis.com, 30. www.reuters.com, 31. www.investing.com, 32. www.newyorkfed.org
