Meta Platforms (META) Stock News Today: “Mango” and “Avocado” AI Models, New Analyst Targets, and the 2026 Spending Debate (Dec. 19, 2025)

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) stock is in a familiar tug-of-war heading into year-end: investors are drawn to the company’s still-dominant digital advertising engine, but they’re also wrestling with the cost (and uncertainty) of Meta’s all-in push to build AI infrastructure and ship next-generation models.

As of Friday, December 19, 2025 (14:56 UTC), META traded around $664.63, valuing the company at roughly $1.85 trillion. The stock’s valuation metrics remain elevated, with a P/E near 31.5 based on the latest available data.

Below is a detailed roundup of what’s moving Meta stock on 19.12.2025, plus the forecasts and analysis shaping sentiment into 2026.

META stock snapshot on Dec. 19, 2025

Meta shares were essentially steady in early Friday trading, hovering in the mid-$660s and keeping the company among the largest U.S. market-cap names.

Investors tracking Meta’s 2025 chart are also watching how quickly the stock can reclaim prior highs: recent market coverage pegged Meta’s 52-week high at $796.25 (Aug. 15, 2025)—a level that still frames the “AI spending vs. AI payoff” debate. ^[1]

The headline AI catalyst: reports of “Mango” and “Avocado” models for 2026

The biggest fresh narrative for Meta stock today is the report that the company is developing two new flagship AI models:

“Mango”: an AI model focused on image and video generation
“Avocado”: a next-generation, text-based large language model (LLM), reportedly emphasizing better coding performance and early “world model” research (systems that learn from visual data)

The Wall Street Journal said these models are targeted for release in the first half of 2026, with details discussed internally by Meta leadership, including Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang. ^[2]

Why it matters for META stock: 2026 has increasingly been framed as Meta’s “prove it” year for AI—when investors expect more visible product lift (new creation tools, smarter assistants, better ad automation) to justify the company’s enormous capital buildout.

Monetization watch: Meta may charge for future “Avocado” access

Just as important as the model roadmap is how Meta plans to monetize it.

Earlier reporting highlighted a potential strategy shift: Meta has reportedly considered charging for access to a future AI model (specifically referenced as “Avocado” in coverage), signaling that Meta could move away from its more open distribution posture and toward more directly monetizable AI offerings. ^[3]

For shareholders, this is a key point: a more “closed” or paid-access model can improve revenue visibility—but it can also reduce ecosystem adoption and invite tougher scrutiny around platform power.

Analyst forecasts today: price targets are still bullish—but trimming is happening

Wall Street’s tone on Meta is increasingly nuanced: many analysts still see Meta as a top-tier digital ad platform, but they’re adjusting models to reflect heavier AI costs.

Wedbush: still “Outperform,” but target cut to $880

On Dec. 19, Wedbush lowered its price target to $880 (from $920) while keeping an Outperform rating. The firm still called Meta its top advertising pick for 2026, citing resilient digital ad trends, adoption of tools like Advantage+, and monetization of new channels. Wedbush also flagged likely margin pressure next year, while noting cost discipline could provide upside. ^[4]

BofA: “Buy” with $810 target, expects 2026 AI sentiment to improve

A separate analyst view spotlighted today sees Meta’s valuation already reflecting “AI worry” and argues sentiment could improve in 2026 as Meta rolls out new models and tools. That note maintained a Buy rating and referenced a $810 price target. ^[5]

Morgan Stanley: target reportedly lowered to $750, still “Overweight”

Meanwhile, a Morgan Stanley move reported earlier in December lowered Meta’s price target to $750 from $820, while maintaining an Overweight stance—another example of “still bullish, but recalibrating for capex.” ^[6]

What these forecasts imply for investors: The Street’s core bet remains intact (Meta’s ad machine + AI product upgrades), but price targets are starting to reflect a world where Meta’s AI buildout is bigger, longer, and more margin-compressive than many expected a year ago.

The biggest fundamental driver into 2026: AI capex, data centers, and margins

If there’s one variable dominating Meta stock discussions, it’s not user growth or ad demand—it’s how much Meta will spend to win in AI.

Meta already lifted its 2025 capex range—and warned 2026 will be “notably larger”

In its late-October update, Reuters reported Meta raised the lower end of its 2025 capex outlook to $70–$72 billion and forecast “notably larger” capital expenses in 2026 tied to AI, including aggressive data center buildouts. ^[7]

Reuters also reported Meta’s Q3 update included:

Q4 revenue guidance of $56B–$59B (vs. an LSEG-compiled analyst average near $57.25B at the time)
A statement that more than 3.5 billion people used at least one Meta app daily in the prior month (showing the scale of the monetization base) ^[8]

Meta’s $600B U.S. investment plan raises the stakes

In November, Reuters reported Meta said it would invest at least $600 billion in U.S. infrastructure and jobs over the next three years, including AI data centers—underscoring how “industrial” Meta’s AI effort has become. ^[9]

New risk factor: local backlash against data centers

As Big Tech’s AI buildout accelerates, resistance is growing. Coverage of U.S. communities pushing back on energy-hungry projects highlighted rising political and regulatory friction around data centers—including a backlash tied to Meta’s planned Louisiana project and concerns about who bears grid and utility costs. ^[10]

Bottom line: Bulls see a moat being built—compute capacity that competitors can’t easily match. Bears see a margin headwind (and potentially a political one) that could linger well past 2026.

Regulation and legal pressure: still a major overhang for META stock

Beyond spending, Meta’s other persistent stock overhang is the regulatory environment—particularly in Europe.

EU antitrust probe into WhatsApp AI policy

Reuters reported the European Commission opened an antitrust investigation into whether Meta’s policy could limit other AI providers’ access to WhatsApp—potentially benefiting Meta AI. Reuters said EU officials may even consider interim measures that could temporarily block rollout of the policy while the probe proceeds. ^[11]

Spain: parliamentary investigation into alleged privacy violations

Reuters also reported Spain’s parliament planned to investigate Meta over suspected privacy violations involving Facebook and Instagram users, adding to the broader regulatory drumbeat across the EU region. ^[12]

U.S. social harm litigation: internal research allegations

In late November, Reuters reported on unredacted court filings in litigation brought by U.S. school districts alleging Meta buried internal research about mental health impacts—claims Meta disputed. ^[13]

For META investors, these issues matter less because they change tomorrow’s revenue—and more because they can change the long-term “rules of the road” for AI distribution, data use, ad targeting, and platform design.

Advertising: growth engine, but scrutiny is intensifying—especially around China

Meta’s core business is still advertising, and that’s where both its strength and its reputational risks show up most clearly.

Reuters investigation: alleged tolerance for China-linked ad fraud to protect revenue

A Reuters Special Report published Dec. 15 said internal documents indicated Meta calculated a meaningful share of its China-linked ad revenue was tied to scams and banned content, and described internal debates around enforcement actions that could reduce revenue. Reuters reported:

Meta’s China ad business reached over $18 billion in annual sales in 2024, described as more than a tenth of global revenue
Internal documents reviewed by Reuters estimated about 19% of that revenue—more than $3 billion—came from ads tied to scams, illegal gambling, pornography, or other banned content
Reuters also reported Meta believed China was the origin of about a quarter of scam/banned-product ads on its platforms globally ^[14]

Meta, via a spokesperson, disputed aspects of the framing and described ongoing efforts to fight scams, while Reuters noted U.S. senators had called for regulators to look into the issue after related reporting. ^[15]

Investor takeaway: Even if ad demand remains strong, enforcement, brand trust, and regulatory reaction can all affect the durability (and valuation multiple) of Meta’s ad cash flows.

Today’s “news ecosystem” storyline: link-sharing limits, AI publisher deals, and what Meta is optimizing for

Meta’s relationship with news and publishers is back in focus today, in two very different ways:

Facebook testing limits on external link sharing (unless users pay)

The Guardian reported Meta is running a limited Facebook test that could restrict non-paying users to posting two external links per month, pushing people toward paid Meta Verified tiers. Meta said it’s a test to understand whether increased link-sharing adds value for subscribers. ^[16]

This is not just a “publisher” story—it’s a monetization story. It suggests Meta is experimenting with ways to extract subscription revenue (or at least paid upgrades) from behaviors that were historically free.

Meta signed AI data agreements with news publishers

Separately, Reuters reported Meta struck multiple commercial AI data agreements with publishers (including major U.S. outlets and France’s Le Monde) to power “real-time” news and updates inside Meta AI, delivered through links to publisher sites. ^[17]

Put together, these two items highlight Meta’s evolving playbook:

Use AI assistants to answer questions and route users to sources (publisher partnerships)
Use platform controls to influence how information spreads (link-sharing tests)
Use subscriptions to monetize power users and creators (Meta Verified)

Hardware optionality: Meta acquires an AI-wearables startup

Meta also continues building toward an “AI hardware” future beyond phones.

Reuters reported Meta acquired Limitless, an AI-wearables startup known for a pendant device that records and transcribes conversations, as Meta doubles down on AI-enabled consumer hardware. Reuters noted Meta did not disclose financial terms and framed the deal in the context of Meta’s smart glasses partnerships. ^[18]

For the stock, wearables remain a longer-dated call option—but they reinforce the thesis that Meta wants AI to be a daily utility, not just a feature inside apps.

Capital returns: dividend payment coming next week

While AI spending dominates headlines, Meta is also leaning into shareholder returns.

Meta’s investor relations site confirmed the board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.525 per share, payable December 23, 2025, to stockholders of record as of December 15, 2025. ^[19]

For some investors, the dividend is less about yield and more about signaling: Meta believes it can fund massive AI capex and return cash—at least for now.

What to watch next for Meta stock

Heading into 2026, META investors are likely to focus on a tight set of catalysts:

Concrete timelines and capabilities for “Mango” and “Avocado” (and whether early 2026 launches actually happen) ^[20]
Signals on paid AI access—will Meta increasingly monetize advanced models rather than open them? ^[21]
2026 expense and capex clarity—whether Wall Street gets comfortable with the scale, or penalizes margins further ^[22]
EU antitrust outcomes affecting WhatsApp AI integration and platform access rules ^[23]
Ad integrity and enforcement scrutiny, especially after Reuters’ reporting on scam ads and China-linked revenue ^[24]

The META bull case vs. bear case, as of Dec. 19, 2025

Why bulls are still in the trade:

Massive global user scale and a mature ad engine that keeps generating cash ^[25]
Credible analyst support with upside-oriented targets (e.g., $810–$880 in recent notes) ^[26]
A more defined next-gen AI roadmap (“Mango” / “Avocado”) aimed at 2026 ^[27]

What bears think could go wrong:

AI infrastructure costs rise faster than monetization, pushing margins down ^[28]
Regulatory friction in Europe constrains product rollout and platform control ^[29]
Trust and enforcement questions around ads intensify, inviting tougher oversight ^[30]

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