New York, Jan 8, 2026, 17:54 EST — After-hours
- China said it will assess and investigate Meta’s acquisition of AI startup Manus
- Meta shares closed down about 0.4% and were little changed after the bell
- Traders watch for Beijing’s next move and the next earnings catalyst window
Meta Platforms, Inc. shares slipped on Thursday, closing just a bit lower before holding steady in after-hours trading. This came after China said it would review the Facebook parent’s acquisition of AI startup Manus. The stock wrapped up the day down 0.4% at $646.06, bouncing between $635.79 and $647.03 during the session. China’s commerce ministry announced it would team up with other agencies to carry out the review. Spokesman He Yadong made it clear that deals involving foreign investment, technology exports, and overseas data transfers have to comply with Chinese law.
The review arrives as Meta ramps up its AI capabilities by bringing in Manus, a Singapore-based startup founded in China, which Meta plans to fold into products such as Meta AI. “Scrutiny is almost guaranteed,” said Jeremy Goldman, senior director at Emarketer. Reuters
China said it will review whether the deal fits its rules on outward investment, tech exports, and cross-border data flows, highlighting the growing tech clash between the U.S. and China. Meta and Manus didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, AP reported; Meta stated there will be no ongoing Chinese ownership in Manus and added the startup plans to stop services and operations in China, where Facebook and Instagram remain banned. “Security has become the top concern for Chinese policymakers,” said Gary Ng, a senior economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis. AP News
Earlier this week, Meta said it would pause the international launch of its Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, pointing to tight supply and strong demand in the U.S. The company is zeroing in on fulfilling orders at home while weighing when to push abroad. Francisco Jeronimo from IDC noted that Meta sold 15,000 units in the first quarter, grabbing a 6% slice of the smart glasses market. At CES in Las Vegas, Meta also rolled out new features, including a teleprompter and wider pedestrian navigation across several U.S. cities.
A regulatory filing showed that Chief Operating Officer Javier Olivan sold 517 shares on Jan. 5 at about $650.41 each, following a 10b5-1 plan — a method that lets executives trade on a preset timetable. After the sale, he still owned 11,683 shares, the Form 4 revealed.
Wall Street ended Thursday on uneven ground, with the Nasdaq sliding 0.4% while the Dow pushed up 0.6%. Megacaps bore the brunt of this split, lagging behind their peers. All attention now shifts to Friday’s U.S. employment report for December 2025, set for release at 8:30 a.m. ET—a crucial snapshot that often reshuffles rate forecasts and stirs volatility among high-growth shares.
Still, China’s review might not spark swift moves; instead, it could drag out, causing delays for Meta’s Manus plans. Even the hint that the deal might be blocked—or that key technology won’t transfer—would only increase doubts about Meta’s AI timeline.
Meta hasn’t announced when it will release its next quarterly earnings, but Nasdaq data points to Feb. 4 as the probable date. Until then, investors are zeroing in on moves from Beijing and waiting for Meta to share more about how it plans to integrate Manus—and just how much this deal could cost.
