Forecast: Stock Market Bubble Expected to Burst in 2026, Leading to a Major Decline in One Well-Known Stock (Clue: It's Not Quantum Computing) | Intellectia.AI
Forecast: Stock Market Bubble Expected to Burst in 2026, Leading to a Major Decline in One Well-Known Stock (Clue: It's Not Quantum Computing)
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Nuclear Energy's Role in Data Centers: Nuclear energy is increasingly vital for powering next-generation data centers, with big tech companies signing purchase agreements with nuclear suppliers to meet rising electricity demands driven by AI infrastructure.
Investor Caution on Nuclear Stocks: Despite the surge in nuclear energy stock prices due to optimism surrounding tech partnerships, many of these agreements are not yet operational, leading to concerns that current valuations may be overextended.
Oklo's Market Position: Oklo has seen significant stock gains, but its lack of revenue and product readiness raises questions about its $16 billion market cap, making it a potential bubble stock in the nuclear energy sector.
Future Outlook and Investment Strategy: While nuclear energy is expected to support the AI infrastructure boom, investors should be discerning in their choices, as sharp corrections in stock prices, particularly for companies like Oklo, may occur by 2026.
Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for META is 824.71 USD with a low forecast of 655.15 USD and a high forecast of 1117 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
44 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for META is 824.71 USD with a low forecast of 655.15 USD and a high forecast of 1117 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
37 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 612.960
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
Current: 612.960
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
BofA
Neutral -> Buy
upgrade
$111 -> $127
2026-01-21
New
Reason
BofA
Price Target
$111 -> $127
AI Analysis
2026-01-21
New
upgrade
Neutral -> Buy
Reason
As previously reported, BofA upgraded Oklo (OKLO) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $127, up from $111, following the company's signing of a firm, binding agreement with Meta (META) to develop a phased 1.2 GW advanced nuclear campus. While the MW contribution is "modest," the deal signals a "meaningful step forward" and provides tangible proof of execution and counterparty commitment, the analyst tells investors. Meta's willingness to commit capital years ahead of delivery underscores the importance of nuclear as AI and data center demand accelerate, adds the analyst, who sees Oklo as the most levered public SMR name to data center demand.
UBS
Buy
downgrade
$915 -> $830
2026-01-20
New
Reason
UBS
Price Target
$915 -> $830
2026-01-20
New
downgrade
Buy
Reason
UBS lowered the firm's price target on Meta Platforms to $830 from $915 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The Q4 earnings outlook for advertising-driven companies points to slimmer beats after a slow October tied to a government shutdown, followed by a rebound in November and December, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Among nine companies, five exceeded prior forecasts, two were in line, and two came in modestly below expectations, UBS says.
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Guggenheim
Buy
downgrade
$875 -> $800
2026-01-08
Reason
Guggenheim
Price Target
$875 -> $800
2026-01-08
downgrade
Buy
Reason
Guggenheim lowered the firm's price target on Meta Platforms to $800 from $875 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm's lowered target reflects its assumption of higher investment levels on "relatively unproven projects," but the 2026 outlook for Meta operating trends "remains constructive," the analyst tells investors.
Cantor Fitzgerald
Overweight
maintain
$720 -> $750
2026-01-08
Reason
Cantor Fitzgerald
Price Target
$720 -> $750
2026-01-08
maintain
Overweight
Reason
Cantor Fitzgerald raised the firm's price target on Meta Platforms to $750 from $720 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. Despite lingering macro concerns, the outlook for Global Internet stocks into 2026 is increasingly positive as AI enters a "Synergy" phase that should drive accelerating revenue growth, improved value capture, and clearer long-term returns on capex, the analyst tells investors in a research note. With valuations still about 20% below medium-term ranges despite 2025 outperformance, the group is positioned to outperform in 2026 amid positive estimate revisions and improving sentiment, Cantor says.
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.
