Deal Dispatch: Chicken Chains, Solar Pains And Disney's Hulu Gains — Plus, Why Big Tech Should Break Up
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 13 2025
0mins
Should l Buy META?
Source: Benzinga
Bojangles Sale and M&A Activity: Bojangles, a fried chicken and biscuit chain, is being valued at $1.5 billion, attracting interest from private equity firms and strategic buyers amid a surge in U.S. chicken sales and broader M&A activity in the restaurant industry.
Corporate Acquisitions and Bankruptcy Updates: Meta Platforms has acquired a 49% stake in Scale AI for $14.8 billion, while Disney has bought Comcast's stake in Hulu for approximately $9 billion. Meanwhile, Marelli Holdings filed for bankruptcy due to financial struggles exacerbated by tariffs and supply chain issues.
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Analyst Views on META
Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise
44 Analyst Rating
37 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 654.070
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
Current: 654.070
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
About META
Meta Platforms, Inc. is building human connections, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. The Company's products enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, augmented reality (AR), and wearables. It also helps people discover and learn about what is going on in the world around them, enabling people to share their experiences, ideas, photos, videos, and other content with audiences ranging from their closest family members and friends to the public at large. The Company's segments include Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL). FoA segment includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads. RL segment includes its virtual, augmented, and mixed reality related consumer hardware, software and content. Its product offerings in VR include its Meta Quest devices, as well as software and content available through the Meta Horizon Store.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Investment Opportunity Amid Meta Platforms' Stock Pullback
- Advertising Revenue Growth: Meta's revenue in Q4 2025 rose 24% year-over-year to $59.9 billion, driven by an 18% increase in ad impressions, indicating strong user engagement; despite a slowdown in ad price growth, the sheer volume of ads suggests sustained competitiveness in the advertising market.
- Expanding User Base: The company reported 3.58 billion daily active users in December, a 7% increase year-over-year, providing robust support for future revenue growth, with management guiding for Q1 2026 revenue between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion, implying approximately 30% year-over-year growth.
- Strong Financial Position: Despite heavy investments in AI infrastructure, Meta generated $43.6 billion in free cash flow in 2025, ending the year with $81.6 billion in cash and equivalents, significantly exceeding $58.7 billion in long-term debt, thus providing ample financial flexibility for ambitious projects.
- Surging Capital Expenditures: Meta's capital expenditures reached $72.2 billion in 2025, with expectations to rise dramatically to $115 billion to $135 billion in 2026, reflecting a 73% year-over-year increase; while this presents growth opportunities, it may also pressure free cash flow and profit margins, necessitating careful risk assessment by investors.
See More
Meta Acquires AI Networking Platform Moltbook
- Acquisition Deal: Meta has acquired the social networking platform Moltbook for an undisclosed amount, with the deal expected to close in mid-March, which will further enhance Meta's positioning in the AI sector.
- Founders Joining: Moltbook's founders, Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr, will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs, likely bringing new perspectives and innovations to Meta's AI initiatives.
- Platform Background: Launched in late January 2023, Moltbook aims to provide an experimental 'third space' for AI agents, developed significantly with the help of Schlicht's personal AI assistant, Clawd Clawderberg.
- Customer Service Continuity: Meta has stated that existing Moltbook customers can temporarily continue using the platform, ensuring user experience remains unaffected while preparing for future integration.
See More
Meta Acquires Moltbook and Welcomes Two Founders to the MSL Team
Meta's Acquisition: Meta has acquired Moltbook, a social network specifically designed for AI agents, which has been highly anticipated in the tech community.
Founders Joining Meta: The founders of Moltbook, Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr, will be joining Meta's Superintelligence Labs (MSL) as part of the acquisition.
Leadership: The acquisition and integration of Moltbook into Meta's operations will be led by former Scale AI CEO, Alexandr Wang.
Focus on AI Development: This move reflects Meta's ongoing commitment to advancing AI technologies and enhancing its capabilities in the field.
See More
META PURCHASES MOLTBOOK - AXIOS
Meta's Acquisition: Meta has acquired the company Moltbook, enhancing its capabilities in the digital space.
Strategic Move: This acquisition is part of Meta's strategy to expand its offerings and strengthen its position in the market.
See More
Growing Skepticism Towards AI in the U.S.
- Public Skepticism: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman highlighted at BlackRock's US Infrastructure Summit that skepticism towards AI is rising, with many Americans blaming the technology for increasing energy costs and corporate layoffs, even when AI may not be directly responsible.
- Challenges to AI Adoption: Altman warned of 'a bunch of potential headwinds' slowing AI adoption, stating that 'AI is not very popular in the U.S. right now,' indicating a decline in public acceptance that could impact future investments and development.
- Economic Impact Forecast: Investor Vinod Khosla predicted that by 2030, AI could handle 80% of jobs, potentially replacing a significant portion of the $15 trillion U.S. labor output, which could sharply reduce costs and increase purchasing power.
- Debate on Control and Responsibility: Altman emphasized ongoing tensions regarding the power dynamics between governments and companies, suggesting that this debate could influence policy-making and technology regulation, further affecting the development and application of AI.
See More
Nebius Group's Future Outlook: Optimism and Pessimism Coexist
- Significant Revenue Growth: Nebius Group's revenue skyrocketed by 479% year-over-year in 2025, reaching $529.8 million, marking a successful pivot to a pure-play AI cloud infrastructure provider and demonstrating strong market demand and business potential.
- Future Revenue Expectations: The company anticipates its annualized revenue to soar from $1.25 billion at the end of 2025 to between $7 billion and $9 billion by the end of 2026, and achieving this target will further solidify its leadership position in the global AI services market.
- Capital Expenditure Plans: Nebius plans to invest between $16 billion and $20 billion in 2026 to enhance its infrastructure capabilities, which could lead to increased debt burden; however, if AI demand remains robust, these investments are expected to yield attractive returns.
- Market Competition Pressure: In competing with major rivals like CoreWeave, Nebius must secure sufficient GPU supply and power capacity to avoid cash flow issues due to high spending, and its stock performance over the next five years will depend on various market factors.
See More
Investment Opportunity Amid Meta Platforms' Stock Pullback
- Advertising Revenue Growth: Meta's revenue in Q4 2025 rose 24% year-over-year to $59.9 billion, driven by an 18% increase in ad impressions, indicating strong user engagement; despite a slowdown in ad price growth, the sheer volume of ads suggests sustained competitiveness in the advertising market.
- Expanding User Base: The company reported 3.58 billion daily active users in December, a 7% increase year-over-year, providing robust support for future revenue growth, with management guiding for Q1 2026 revenue between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion, implying approximately 30% year-over-year growth.
- Strong Financial Position: Despite heavy investments in AI infrastructure, Meta generated $43.6 billion in free cash flow in 2025, ending the year with $81.6 billion in cash and equivalents, significantly exceeding $58.7 billion in long-term debt, thus providing ample financial flexibility for ambitious projects.
- Surging Capital Expenditures: Meta's capital expenditures reached $72.2 billion in 2025, with expectations to rise dramatically to $115 billion to $135 billion in 2026, reflecting a 73% year-over-year increase; while this presents growth opportunities, it may also pressure free cash flow and profit margins, necessitating careful risk assessment by investors.
See More
Meta Acquires AI Networking Platform Moltbook
- Acquisition Deal: Meta has acquired the social networking platform Moltbook for an undisclosed amount, with the deal expected to close in mid-March, which will further enhance Meta's positioning in the AI sector.
- Founders Joining: Moltbook's founders, Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr, will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs, likely bringing new perspectives and innovations to Meta's AI initiatives.
- Platform Background: Launched in late January 2023, Moltbook aims to provide an experimental 'third space' for AI agents, developed significantly with the help of Schlicht's personal AI assistant, Clawd Clawderberg.
- Customer Service Continuity: Meta has stated that existing Moltbook customers can temporarily continue using the platform, ensuring user experience remains unaffected while preparing for future integration.
See More
Meta Acquires Moltbook and Welcomes Two Founders to the MSL Team
Meta's Acquisition: Meta has acquired Moltbook, a social network specifically designed for AI agents, which has been highly anticipated in the tech community.
Founders Joining Meta: The founders of Moltbook, Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr, will be joining Meta's Superintelligence Labs (MSL) as part of the acquisition.
Leadership: The acquisition and integration of Moltbook into Meta's operations will be led by former Scale AI CEO, Alexandr Wang.
Focus on AI Development: This move reflects Meta's ongoing commitment to advancing AI technologies and enhancing its capabilities in the field.
See More
META PURCHASES MOLTBOOK - AXIOS
Meta's Acquisition: Meta has acquired the company Moltbook, enhancing its capabilities in the digital space.
Strategic Move: This acquisition is part of Meta's strategy to expand its offerings and strengthen its position in the market.
See More
Growing Skepticism Towards AI in the U.S.
- Public Skepticism: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman highlighted at BlackRock's US Infrastructure Summit that skepticism towards AI is rising, with many Americans blaming the technology for increasing energy costs and corporate layoffs, even when AI may not be directly responsible.
- Challenges to AI Adoption: Altman warned of 'a bunch of potential headwinds' slowing AI adoption, stating that 'AI is not very popular in the U.S. right now,' indicating a decline in public acceptance that could impact future investments and development.
- Economic Impact Forecast: Investor Vinod Khosla predicted that by 2030, AI could handle 80% of jobs, potentially replacing a significant portion of the $15 trillion U.S. labor output, which could sharply reduce costs and increase purchasing power.
- Debate on Control and Responsibility: Altman emphasized ongoing tensions regarding the power dynamics between governments and companies, suggesting that this debate could influence policy-making and technology regulation, further affecting the development and application of AI.
See More
Nebius Group's Future Outlook: Optimism and Pessimism Coexist
- Significant Revenue Growth: Nebius Group's revenue skyrocketed by 479% year-over-year in 2025, reaching $529.8 million, marking a successful pivot to a pure-play AI cloud infrastructure provider and demonstrating strong market demand and business potential.
- Future Revenue Expectations: The company anticipates its annualized revenue to soar from $1.25 billion at the end of 2025 to between $7 billion and $9 billion by the end of 2026, and achieving this target will further solidify its leadership position in the global AI services market.
- Capital Expenditure Plans: Nebius plans to invest between $16 billion and $20 billion in 2026 to enhance its infrastructure capabilities, which could lead to increased debt burden; however, if AI demand remains robust, these investments are expected to yield attractive returns.
- Market Competition Pressure: In competing with major rivals like CoreWeave, Nebius must secure sufficient GPU supply and power capacity to avoid cash flow issues due to high spending, and its stock performance over the next five years will depend on various market factors.
See More
