NEW YORK, January 28, 2026, 09:52 EST — Regular session
- Meta shares were little changed in early trading ahead of results due after the bell
- Options markets imply a roughly 6% post-earnings move as investors focus on 2026 spending
- A $6 billion Corning supply deal and fresh EU scrutiny on WhatsApp add to the backdrop
Meta Platforms (META.O) shares were down 0.03% at $672.75 in morning trade on Wednesday, as investors held back ahead of the company’s quarterly results after the market closes.
The print lands with U.S. stocks hovering near record levels and traders waiting for a Federal Reserve rate decision later in the day. “Tech is always closely watched because people want to see whether it can continue performing,” said Louise Dudley, a portfolio manager for global equities at Federated Hermes. 1
Derivatives markets are signaling a bigger swing than the tape suggests. Options pricing — the cost of contracts used to hedge or bet on a move — implies Meta shares could shift close to 6% in either direction by the end of the week, according to Investopedia. 2
Expectations are tight. “Expectations are very high,” said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, adding that investors want “very visible monetization” from the heavy AI-related spending at firms such as Meta. 3
Meta’s data-center buildout is also turning into real purchase orders. Corning was the biggest gainer in the S&P 500 on Tuesday after the company signed a deal with Meta worth up to $6 billion for fiber-optic cables in AI data centers, Reuters reported. 4
Wall Street is looking for another quarter of strong ad-driven growth. Meta is expected to post fourth-quarter revenue of about $58.41 billion and earnings per share of $8.19, with a conference call around 4:30 p.m. ET, Business Insider reported, citing Bloomberg estimates. 5
What matters most, investors say, is the 2026 guide: capital expenditure, or capex — cash spent on things like data centers and computing gear — and how fast that bill rises. Any hints on Threads monetization will also get airtime.
Wearables sit in the mix too. Snap said it will create an independent subsidiary for its augmented reality smart glasses to attract outside investment and take on Meta, as the Ray-Ban Meta line has gained traction. “Success will depend less on breakthrough hardware innovation, but more on ecosystem integration and software value,” said Francisco Jeronimo, a vice president at IDC. 6
Regulators have been busy as well. The European Commission on Monday designated WhatsApp’s channels feature as a “very large platform” under the EU’s Digital Services Act, giving Meta four months — until mid-May 2026 — to meet additional obligations, Reuters reported. 7
But the quarter can still go sideways for the stock. If Meta’s spending outlook comes in hotter than investors can stomach, or if ad pricing and demand show new cracks, the post-earnings move could be sharp.
The next catalyst is tonight: Meta reports after the closing bell on Wednesday, with investors watching for 2026 expense and capex lines as closely as the headline profit.
