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MetaMETA

Interactive Media & Services · Menlo Park, California · In the S&P 500
High quality
$614.99−1.53%After hours: $614.00 (−0.16%)At the close, 30 Oct · Prices from CNBC, may be delayed
▼ 18.2% over 1 year
Meta over 1 yearDaily close, $, to 30 Oct 2026
$700Nov2026MarMayJulSep$614.99$700NovMarJul$614.99
Source: Nasdaq daily closes
Market value$1.60T
Price to earnings24.1x
Forward P/E21.0x
Dividend yield0.34%
Year to date−6.8%
One year−18.2%
Next earningsNot scheduled
SectorCommunication Services
52-week range (closes)
$525.72$777.59

Quality and valuation

How Meta compares with other communication services stocks. A description, not a recommendation.

Meta and 4 interactive media & services peers. Across: valuation (P/E) against the sector. Up: business quality against the sector. Hover or tap a logo for its numbers.

Business quality: stronger than mostValuation: in line with its sector

A stronger business than most communication services companies, priced about in line with them.

Meta trades at 21.0 times the next 12 months of expected earnings, against a median of 14.8x for the 28 communication services stocks we cover. The quality score blends where it ranks on revenue growth, gross margin, operating margin and free-cash-flow margin (net margin for banks and insurers) over the last 12 months, from SEC filings.

  • Revenue grew faster than the sector median: +27.5% vs +10.8%
  • Keeps more of each sale (gross margin): 81.0% vs 60.9%
  • More profitable (operating margin): 32.9% vs 18.6%
  • Turns more of its sales into cash: 11.9% vs 9.0%
META trades at 21.0x forward earnings, above the sector medianForward p/e, Interactive Media & Services peers
SNAP7.5xPINS8.9xBIDU14.0xRDDT14.9xMETA21.0xGOOGL21.2xSector median 14.8xSNAP7.5xPINS8.9xBIDU14.0xRDDT14.9xMETA21.0xGOOGL21.2xSector median 14.8x
Source: CNBC quotes; Mostly Markets
At 21.0x earnings, META is cheaper than its average since Oct 2024Price over the last 12 months of reported (GAAP) diluted EPS
P/EUsual range (±1 s.d.)
20x25x30xAverage 26.2x2025202621.0x25x30xAverage 26.2x2025202621.0x
Source: Nasdaq prices; SEC filings

Financials

From Meta's SEC filings, through the quarter ending 30 Sep 2026. Hover or tap a bar for its value.

Revenue grew 26.1% from a year earlierQuarterly revenue, $bn, latest Q3 ’26
$0bn$20bn$40bn$60bnQ4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’25$64.6bnQ3 ’26$0bn$25bn$50bnQ4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’25$64.6bnQ3 ’26
Source: SEC filings
Growth slowed to +26.1% last quarterRevenue growth, year on year, %
0%10%20%30%Q4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’2526.1%Q3 ’260%20%Q4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’2526.1%Q3 ’26
Source: SEC filings
Operating margin was 20.1% last quarterOperating income as a share of revenue, %
0%20%40%Q4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’2520.1%Q3 ’260%20%40%Q4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’2520.1%Q3 ’26
Source: SEC filings
Free cash flow was $28.6 billion over 12 monthsQuarterly free cash flow (operating cash flow minus capex), $bn
$0bn$5bn$10bnQ4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’25−$1.2bnQ3 ’26$0bn$10bnQ4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’25−$1.2bnQ3 ’26
Source: SEC filings
Last 12 monthsMETASector median
Revenue growth+27.5%+10.8%
Gross margin81.0%60.9%
Operating margin32.9%18.6%
Free cash flow margin11.9%9.0%
Price to earnings24.1x17.9x

Stories on Meta

Thursday, 29 October
Chart

Apple Leads the Magnificent Seven in 2026 as Alphabet Slides Into the Red

Apple is up 28.3% this year as of Thursday's close. Alphabet's 12.6% drop after its results left it down 9.3%, one of three of the seven now below where they started 2026.

AAPL▲ 1.5%
Screens of market charts
Tuesday, 27 October
Our picks

3 Cash Machine Stocks We Love and 1 We Hate

GoDaddy, Salesforce and Altria turn a third or more of their revenue into free cash and trade at 8–14 times it. Meta's AI spending cut its free cash flow by 36%.

GDDY▼ 3.3%
Commuters in a financial district at dawn
Friday, 23 October
Big movers

Five Stocks That Made News This Week: Zscaler, Hasbro, Lam Research, Meta and Moderna

Zscaler soared 23.0% this week as security stocks rallied and Hasbro 18.9% after raising its outlook, while Lam Research plunged 12.8% on a supply warning and Meta 9.4% on its AI spending.

ZS▲ 7.3%
Screens of market charts
Big movers

Stocks Making the Biggest Moves Yesterday: Moderna, Lam Research, Spotify, Meta and P&G

Moderna plunged 17.6% on Thursday after its melanoma data posted early, Lam Research plunged 11.8% on a supply warning, and Spotify soared 11.1% on its profit forecast.

MRNA▼ 1.2%
A trading floor
Thursday, 22 October
Why it moved

Meta (META) Shares Slide After Free Cash Flow Turns Negative

Meta slid 7.0% on Thursday after spending $34.91 billion on data centers and equipment in a quarter, leaving free cash flow at -$2.12 billion, and creating new nonvoting shares.

META▼ 7.0%
Commuters on their phones

Similar companies

Interactive Media & Services, by market value.

CompanyPriceTodayYTDValue
GOOGLAlphabet$279.84−1.40%−10.6%$3.37T
BIDUBaidu$76.40−2.86%−41.5%$26.11B
RDDTReddit$91.73−29.22%−60.1%$17.65B
PINSPinterest$19.36−2.81%−25.2%$10.96B
SNAPSnap$5.34−5.99%−33.8%$9.03B