NEW YORK, Jan 8, 2026, 4:32 PM (EST) — After-hours
- Meta shares slipped after China’s commerce ministry said it would assess Meta’s Manus acquisition
- Beijing flagged compliance risks tied to tech exports and overseas data transfers
- Traders now look to U.S. payrolls on Friday and Meta’s next earnings window
Meta Platforms shares were down 0.4% at $646.06 in after-hours trade on Thursday after China’s commerce ministry said it would assess and investigate Meta’s acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus. The stock swung between $635.79 and $647.03 during the session.
The move lands as investors get pickier about the big checks going into AI, and whether they pay back soon enough to justify rich valuations. “It’s become a ‘show me’ sector,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth, pointing to scrutiny over how companies monetize AI and the return on capital spending. Reuters
Chinese officials had been reviewing the roughly $2 billion deal for possible technology-control violations, after Manus shifted staff and technology to Singapore ahead of the sale, a Financial Times report said. The review could hinge on whether the transfer required an export license under Chinese law, and could give Beijing leverage over the transaction — including, in an extreme case, pushing the parties to abandon it, the report said.
Meta also faces legal pressure at home. A U.S. appeals court this week appeared skeptical of Meta and other social media companies’ bid to toss more than 2,200 lawsuits accusing their platforms of addicting young users, with judges questioning whether broad protection under Section 230 — a U.S. law that generally shields platforms from liability for third-party content — applies to claims targeting product design features.
A separate filing showed Meta Chief Operating Officer Javier Olivan sold 517 shares on Jan. 5 at $650.41 under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which is a pre-arranged trading program that can allow executives to sell on a set schedule.
The risk for bulls is simple: China’s review turns an AI talent-and-tech purchase into a policy problem, and policy timelines do not run on Wall Street’s clock. If Beijing presses for licensing, conditions or remedies, the integration story could drag into the quarter, and the market tends to discount uncertainty fast.
Next up, traders will watch Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for any jolt to rate expectations and tech multiples, along with fresh signals from Beijing on the Manus review. Meta is also estimated to report earnings on Feb. 4, according to Nasdaq’s earnings calendar, which says the date is derived from an algorithm.
