New York, Jan 15, 2026, 16:33 ET — After-hours
- After the close, Meta Platforms shares climbed roughly 0.9%, following a bounce in U.S. tech stocks.
- Wikipedia’s operator revealed that Meta is one of the partners involved in new AI content training agreements.
- A filing revealed Meta COO Javier Olivan offloaded 517 shares. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on Jan. 28.
Meta Platforms, Inc. shares climbed roughly 0.9% to $620.80 in after-hours trading Thursday, following a regular session that saw the stock hit near its peak for the day. During the session, shares fluctuated between $614.34 and $624.15.
Investors are focusing on the true costs of building and training large AI systems — beyond chips and power, the data needed for model training is under scrutiny. Meta has ramped up its AI efforts across apps and infrastructure, while the market searches for clues on spending control as earnings season ramps up.
Licensing and partnership deals around training data continue to roll in, as companies seek cleaner access and aim to cut legal risks. For Meta stock, the key issue is whether these deals remain limited and manageable—or evolve into a recurring expense that can’t be ignored.
On Thursday, Wikipedia announced partnerships with major tech players like Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon to help train AI models, Reuters reported. Lane Becker, president of Wikimedia Enterprise, told Reuters that “Wikipedia is a critical component of these tech companies’ work that they need to figure out how to support financially.” Reuters
Broader market sentiment gave a boost as the Dow climbed 0.76%, the S&P 500 rose 0.47%, and the Nasdaq added 0.55%, fueled by a rally in chip stocks following Taiwan Semiconductor’s earnings, Reuters reported. “That’s been kind of squashed this morning with the news from Taiwan Semiconductor,” said Alan Lancz, president of Alan B. Lancz & Associates. Reuters
Positions remain crowded in a handful of names, boosting the impact of minor news. Hedge funds maintained heavily concentrated long bets in big tech stocks like Meta for 2025, according to a Hazeltree report referenced by Reuters. A long position bets on a stock’s rise, while a short expects a decline.
Meta’s data-center expansion drew some attention today after U.S. federal immigration officers arrested two dump truck drivers at a Meta construction site in Richland Parish, Louisiana, the local sheriff’s office reported. The site itself was not entered by authorities, and Meta had no immediate comment. The sheriff’s office confirmed, “During those stops, two drivers were arrested by ICE due to their immigration status.” Reuters
A recent regulatory filing revealed a minor insider sale. Meta COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares on Jan. 12, each going for $653, according to a Form 4 filing. The transaction was made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, a pre-set program allowing scheduled sales.
Meta is set to report its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings after the market closes on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The company will follow up with a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Investors will zero in on ad demand and pricing trends, watching closely for any changes in spending tied to AI infrastructure. They’ll also look for signs management might highlight new recurring costs related to training data. Meanwhile, Reality Labs’ results will remain a key sentiment driver, despite the stock’s focus on AI news.
However, the setup carries downside risk. Should licensing shift from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-pay” across several data sources, expenses could rise without immediate revenue gains — and any hiccup in the company’s major build projects might raise red flags about timing and execution.
The immediate question is whether Meta can maintain its after-hours gains through Friday’s session and how traders will position themselves ahead of the Jan. 28 report and earnings call.
