Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) is back in the spotlight on December 15, 2025, as investors balance two very different narratives: a shareholder-friendly dividend milestone on one side, and renewed scrutiny over ad integrity and partner vetting on the other.
META shares are trading around the mid-$640s in early Monday action, after closing $644.23 on Friday, December 12. [1] The stock’s 52-week range stands at $479.80 to $796.25, leaving it roughly 19% below its yearly high even after a strong multi-year run. [2]
Below is a complete, publication-ready breakdown of the latest news, analyst forecasts, dividend details, and forward-looking risks shaping the Meta stock story as of 15.12.2025.
META stock price check: where shares stand on Dec. 15, 2025
Meta stock’s recent tape has been defined by volatility: strong enthusiasm around AI progress, followed by investor sensitivity to rising spending and regulation.
Key reference points investors are watching today:
- Recent close (Dec. 12): $644.23 [3]
- 52-week low / high: $479.80 / $796.25 [4]
- Market cap: around $1.62 trillion (varies slightly by quote source and timing) [5]
The technical and sentiment takeaway: META is not trading at peak optimism—but it also isn’t priced like a company in distress. It’s priced like a mega-cap that investors believe will keep growing, yet must prove its AI spending can translate into durable profit expansion.
The biggest Meta stock news today: Reuters investigations put ad integrity front and center
Two major Reuters investigations published today are a central overhang for META’s risk narrative because advertising remains Meta’s profit engine.
1) Reuters: Meta tolerated significant China-linked ad fraud to protect revenue
Reuters reports that Meta’s ad business in China reached over $18 billion in annual sales in 2024 (more than a tenth of Meta’s global revenue), and internal documents reviewed by Reuters suggested Meta calculated that roughly 19% of that China revenue—more than $3 billion—was tied to ads for scams, illegal gambling, pornography, and other prohibited content. [6]
According to Reuters’ reporting, internal efforts reduced that share meaningfully for a period in 2024, but later documents indicated a strategic “pivot” and that a China-focused anti-scam team was paused/disbanded; Reuters also reports that by mid-2025, banned ads climbed back to about 16% of Meta’s China revenue. [7]
Meta disputed key implications in a statement to Reuters, saying the specialized team was meant to be temporary and emphasizing broader anti-scam efforts, including automated systems that blocked or removed 46 million ads submitted through Chinese business partners over the past 18 months (often before users saw them). [8]
Why this matters for META stock:
This is not just a reputational story. It connects to the questions institutional investors care about: platform safety, advertiser trust, regulatory exposure, and the durability of ad revenue—especially from markets and partner ecosystems that may be difficult to monitor.
2) Reuters: “Trusted Experts” and “Badged Partners” assisted scam ad placement
In a second investigation, Reuters reports that a journalist was able to run scam-style crypto ads on Facebook and Instagram with help from agencies tied to Meta’s partner ecosystem, despite the ads violating policy. Reuters says the journalist used agencies listed in Meta’s Partner Directory and that three agencies assisted in enabling the ads, including offering access to privileged advertising accounts for a fee. [9]
Reuters also reports that, after receiving evidence, Meta removed its partner directory and placed involved parties under review. [10]
Why this matters for META stock:
Meta has long argued that it’s improving enforcement through automation and tools. Reuters’ test suggests the weak point may be the “human layer” in the ecosystem—resellers, agencies, and privileged accounts—where incentives can clash with enforcement goals.
META dividend update: Meta goes ex-dividend today (Dec. 15, 2025)
Today is also a shareholder calendar date for Meta: META is ex-dividend on December 15, 2025. [11]
Meta previously announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.525 per share, payable on December 23, 2025, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 15, 2025. [12]
For investors who track income:
- Meta’s dividend is still small relative to the share price (around 0.3% yield), but it’s symbolically important because it reinforces Meta’s evolution into a mega-cap that aims to deliver both growth and capital returns. [13]
Wall Street forecasts for Meta stock: price targets remain in the $800–$900 conversation
Despite the headline risk from the Reuters investigations, the Street’s forward view on META remains broadly constructive—though not uniform.
Citizens reiterates a $900 price target (Dec. 15, 2025)
One of today’s notable published calls: Citizens reiterated a $900 price target on Meta stock, implying roughly ~40% upside from the mid-$640s area, according to Investing.com’s report of the note. [14]
The same report highlights a bullish thesis centered on Meta’s expected product and platform updates into 2026 that could lift engagement/time spent and, by extension, ad impressions—while also pointing to Meta’s profitability profile (including high gross margins) and valuation context. [15]
Consensus targets: Strong Buy, but ranges show debate
Across widely followed consensus trackers:
- StockAnalysis lists a “Strong Buy” consensus and an average price target of $818.58, with targets ranging from $645 on the low end to $1,117 on the high end. [16]
- MarketWatch’s compiled analyst page similarly shows a very wide distribution, including a high of $1,117, and an average around the mid-$800s. [17]
What the range signals:
The high-end targets reflect confidence that Meta can turn AI into a multi-year monetization engine. The lower-end targets reflect worries that higher spending, regulation, and platform integrity costs could compress valuation multiples or margins.
Earnings watch: the next report is the next major catalyst
The next major scheduled event is Meta’s Q4 2025 earnings report, expected in early February.
Multiple market calendars list February 4, 2026 as the report date (timing and confirmation language varies by provider). [18]
Current snapshot of widely cited expectations:
- TipRanks lists Feb. 4, 2026 (After Close) and a consensus EPS forecast of 8.2 for Q4 2025. [19]
- Investing.com lists the next earnings date as Feb. 4, 2026 and shows a quarterly revenue forecast around $58.34B. [20]
The official baseline: Meta’s latest guidance and spending outlook
Meta’s most recent official outlook (from its Q3 2025 results materials) guided:
- Q4 2025 revenue:$56–$59 billion
- Full-year 2025 expenses:$116–$118 billion
- Full-year 2025 capex:$70–$72 billion
Meta also warned that it expects capital-expenditure dollar growth to be notably larger in 2026 than 2025, and that total expenses are expected to grow at a significantly faster percentage rate in 2026—driven largely by infrastructure costs, including incremental cloud expenses and depreciation. [21]
Translation for META stock:
The market is treating Meta like an AI compounder—but insisting on visibility into the payoff timeline. The next earnings call is where investors will look for clarity on:
- 2026 capex trajectory
- margin resilience
- ad growth durability
- Reality Labs discipline
- any legal/regulatory impacts
The 2026 bull case vs. bear case for Meta stock
Bull case: AI strengthens the ad machine and creates new revenue layers
Bulls argue Meta has several advantages that can compound:
- unmatched scale in consumer attention across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp
- improving AI-driven ad tools that can lift conversion and pricing power
- strong capital returns (buybacks + dividend)
- optionality in AI consumer products and wearables
This pro-AI strategic posture—and the internal pressure to execute—was reflected in reporting about Meta’s “year of intensity,” a period described as a major AI-driven overhaul with significant cultural and organizational shifts. [22]
Bear case: regulation, ad integrity, and AI spending collide
Skeptics focus on three friction points:
- Ad integrity and enforcement risk
The Reuters investigations raise the prospect of more regulatory and political scrutiny—particularly if enforcement shortcomings are framed as systematic, not isolated. [23] - Europe’s ad model is changing
The European Commission says Meta has committed to give EU users a choice between full personalization and a reduced-data ad experience starting in January 2026. [24]
Meta itself has warned that further EU-required changes to its “Less Personalized Ads” offering could have a significant negative impact on European revenue. [25] - Capex/expense trajectory could pressure free cash flow
Even if revenue grows, the multiple can compress if investors conclude Meta is drifting into “infrastructure-like” spending levels without enough incremental margin payoff. Meta’s own guidance language points to that risk. [26]
What to watch next for META stock (starting this week)
If you’re following Meta stock closely into year-end and early 2026, these are the near-term items likely to move sentiment:
- Follow-on reactions to the Reuters investigations: statements from regulators, lawmakers, large advertisers, or new disclosures could amplify (or contain) the story. [27]
- Any signals on 2026 spending discipline: investors want evidence of prioritization, not just ambition. [28]
- EU rollout details for reduced personalization options and what it means for pricing and measurement. [29]
- Q4 earnings setup: watch estimate revisions, ad pricing data points, and management commentary ahead of the early-February report window. [30]
Bottom line: Meta stock enters 2026 with upside optimism—and real headline risk
On December 15, 2025, Meta stock is sending a familiar message: the Street still sees meaningful upside—often to the low-to-mid $800s and, in some cases, $900+—but investors are no longer willing to ignore the costs and risks that come with being the world’s largest attention-and-advertising platform while simultaneously pursuing an AI arms race. [31]
The dividend ex-date is a reminder that Meta is now firmly in “mature mega-cap” territory. [32] But today’s Reuters reporting is a reminder that ad integrity—especially through partner ecosystems—remains a key variable in Meta’s valuation story. [33]
References
1. stockanalysis.com, 2. investor.atmeta.com, 3. stockanalysis.com, 4. investor.atmeta.com, 5. www.investing.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. stockanalysis.com, 12. investor.atmeta.com, 13. stockanalysis.com, 14. www.investing.com, 15. www.investing.com, 16. stockanalysis.com, 17. www.marketwatch.com, 18. www.tipranks.com, 19. www.tipranks.com, 20. www.investing.com, 21. investor.atmeta.com, 22. www.businessinsider.com, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu, 25. investor.atmeta.com, 26. investor.atmeta.com, 27. www.reuters.com, 28. investor.atmeta.com, 29. digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu, 30. www.tipranks.com, 31. stockanalysis.com, 32. investor.atmeta.com, 33. www.reuters.com
