Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth declined by nearly $18 billion on Thursday as Meta’s stock paced an 11-day losing streak, with Wall Street souring on the Facebook parent’s plans to accelerate spending on AI.
Key Facts
- Shares of Meta plunged 9% as of Thursday afternoon, pacing what would be the stock’s worst single-day loss this year so far and a 21.7% slide over the last 11 trading sessions.
- The latest dip in Meta’s shares cut $17.8 billion from Zuckerberg’s net worth, valued at $183.3 billion, ranking him the sixth-richest person in the world directly ahead of Nvidia’s Jensen Huang ($167.2 billion) and behind Michael Dell ($228.9 billion).
- A decline for Meta’s stock comes after the firm raised its spending forecast for the year to $137.5 billion while also declining to commit to an estimate for 2027.
- Meta also reported quarterly earnings of $6.18 per share, falling well below consensus analyst estimates of $7.18, according to FactSet, even as revenue topped projections at $60.8 billion.
- A boost in spending drew ire of some economists: Scotiabank analyst Nat Schindler cut his stock price target for Meta to $600 from $700, warning investors that until the firm can prove it can deliver on AI revenue, Meta should focus on free cash flow durability rather than the size of its AI opportunity.
- Wedbush Securities trimmed its price target to $595 from $671, arguing investors should scrutinize whether Meta’s spending will yield returns, adding to reductions on price targets from other firms, including Evercore ISI (down $110), Wolfe Research ($100), Goldman Sachs ($90) and Cantor Fitzgerald ($90), among others.
Tangent
Microsoft’s stock soared 15% after reporting its AI work assistant, Microsoft 365 Copilot, now has more than 30 million paid users, up from 20 million in April. The company reiterated its spending goals for the year and signaled a possible expansion in fiscal 2027. Forrester analyst Tracy Woo said Microsoft’s quarterly revenue of $90 billion, which topped estimates of $87.6 billion, and the success of its Copilot signaled the firm’s data center buildout is “beginning to deliver returns.”
Key background
Meta, once a powerhouse stock that rarely showed vulnerability, has dropped nearly 18% this year following landmark court rulings and concerns around its AI buildout. Zuckerberg’s firm saw some relief earlier this month, posting its best week since 2024 during a five-session stretch ending July 10 that boosted Meta’s stock by more than 14%. That came as Meta rolled out Muse Image, a new AI model to be used as a tool for creating images, despite backlash from Hollywood unions, talent agencies and cybersecurity firms over privacy concerns.
This story was originally published on forbes.com
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