Major Averages Close Broadly Higher After December Nonfarm Payrolls Report
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 09 2026
0mins
Should l Buy META?
The major averages closed broadly higher after the December nonfarm payrolls report. Stocks have shown resilience early in 2026 after a strong finish to 2025, but the run of gains had met headwinds earlier this week as investors considered cooling tech momentum and the labor data that could influence expectations for the Federal Reserve's policy path.Employers added 50,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.4%, but total job gains last year were the weakest since 2020.Looking to commodities, gold prices were surging past $4,500, with the "safe haven" asset getting closer to its record high. Oil prices also jumped, with the commodity up over 2% as traders listen for more news coming out of Venezuela.Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:Metaannouncedwith Okloand VistraIntelshares were on the rise after President Trump touted aJohnson & Johnsonreached an agreement with the Trump administration to "improve access to medicines and lower costs" of drugs for American patients, and announcedSoftBankand OpenAI areDecember U.S. nonfarm, with the unemployment rate falling to 4.4%2. WALL STREET CALLS:Wells FargoAirbnbto Equal Weight, citing two years of share underperformanceAdobeto Market Perform at BMO, sees lack of positive catalystsBairdGE Vernovato Neutral from OutperformMizuho alsoZillow Groupto Neutral from OutperformQualcommto Neutral at Mizuho, which sees headwinds to Qualcomm's handset shipments and iPhone content in 20263. AROUND THE WEB:Amazonis planning a big-box retail store in the Chicago suburbs, The Information reportsViswas Raghavan, head of banking at Citigroup, told Nikkei in an interview that the big bank has "significant investment plans for Japan," with particular interest in midsize companies amid an increase in M&ANvidiahas hired Alison Wagonfeld, a Googlemarketing executive, as Chief Marketing Officer, CMO, at the company, WSJ reportsRokuCEO and chairman Anthony Wood believes the first 100% AI-generated "hit movie" will debut within the next three years, Variety reportsNomura Securities reports that Sandiskis on track to double the price of its high-capacity 3D NAND memory devices for enterprise-grade solid-state drives this quarter, Toms Hardware reports4. MOVERS:CG Oncologyincreases after announcing it expects PIVOT-006 Phase 3Allogene Therapeuticsgains after Citizensthe stock to OutperformuniQurehigher in New York after announcing ascheduled with FDAAquestivelower after announcing thein its NDA for AnaphylmBeta Bionicsfalls after BofAthe stock to Neutral5. EARNINGS/GUIDANCELi Auto, with revenue lower year-over-yearCarter'sprovidedand FY25Evolusprovidedand narrowed its outlook for FY25AXT Inc.cut itsChipMOS, with EPS higher year-over-yearINDEXES:The Dow rose 237.96, or 0.48%, to 49,504.07, the Nasdaq gained 222.86, or 0.95%, to 23,702.88, and the S&P 500 advanced 44.82, or 0.65%, to 6,966.28.
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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: 525.720
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
Current: 525.720
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.
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- Portfolio Performance: Despite a strong global equity market in 2025 driven by AI and top tech stocks, Montaka's portfolio underperformed due to significant dispersion in stock returns, with some holdings declining from short-term factors like AI disruption and weakness in housing sectors, indicating market uncertainty.
- Positive Market Outlook: Montaka maintains a positive outlook, believing that long-term opportunities will grow as AI adoption accelerates, particularly in investments in data centers, semiconductors, and critical commodities like lithium, reflecting confidence in structural trends.
- Strategic Adjustments: The fund has adjusted its strategy by adding undervalued positions, trimming holdings that rallied, and initiating a new investment in a lithium producer to address future supply shortages linked to renewable energy and battery demand, showcasing its adaptive investment approach.
- Meta Platforms Analysis: Montaka highlighted Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) in its letter, noting a one-month return of -9.30%, yet emphasized that AI-driven improvements in ad targeting significantly enhance advertising effectiveness, underscoring the company's competitive edge in digital advertising.
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- Portfolio Performance: Despite a strong global equity market in 2025 driven by AI and top tech stocks, Montaka's portfolio underperformed due to significant dispersion in stock returns, with some holdings declining from short-term factors like AI disruption and weakness in housing sectors, indicating market uncertainty.
- Positive Market Outlook: Montaka maintains a positive outlook, believing that long-term opportunities will grow as AI adoption accelerates, particularly in investments in data centers, semiconductors, and critical commodities like lithium, reflecting confidence in structural trends.
- Strategic Adjustments: The fund has adjusted its strategy by adding undervalued positions, trimming holdings that rallied, and initiating a new investment in a lithium producer to address future supply shortages linked to renewable energy and battery demand, showcasing its adaptive investment approach.
- Meta Platforms Analysis: Montaka highlighted Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) in its letter, noting a one-month return of -9.30%, yet emphasized that AI-driven improvements in ad targeting significantly enhance advertising effectiveness, underscoring the company's competitive edge in digital advertising.
See More
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- Subscription Service Testing: Meta is testing a premium subscription service called Instagram Plus on its Instagram app, allowing users to view Stories without notifying the poster, enhancing user privacy and potentially attracting more subscribers.
- New Feature Rollout: The subscription will offer unlimited audience list creation and the ability to see how many times a Story has been viewed, enhancing user engagement and content management capabilities, which may increase user retention.
- Market Testing Regions: The service is currently being tested in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines, with pricing varying by country, demonstrating Meta's flexible pricing strategy aimed at maximizing user acceptance and market penetration.
- User Base Impact: With approximately 3 billion monthly active users, Instagram may account for about 40% of Meta's total revenue, and if successfully launched, this service could significantly boost the company's revenue and competitive position in the market.
See More
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- Merger Talks Progress: Unilever has confirmed it is in talks to merge with McCormick, with the deal expected to involve an upfront cash component of approximately $15.7 billion and the majority of consideration in McCormick equity, indicating strong interest in consolidation within the food industry.
- Stock Price Surge: Following the announcement, McCormick's shares rose over 3%, reflecting positive market expectations regarding the potential merger, which could enhance the company's competitive position and resource integration capabilities.
- Rating Upgrade Impact: Deutsche Bank upgraded Diageo from hold to buy, resulting in a nearly 3% stock price increase, as analysts noted that structural and cyclical headwinds in alcohol sales are already priced into the stock, indicating market confidence in its future performance.
- Strong Order Growth: Jefferies upgraded Amphenol from hold to buy, leading to a more than 2% increase in its stock price, with analysts highlighting strong order growth and solid margins, suggesting a positive outlook for the company's performance and growth potential.
See More
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- Data Center Development: Nebius is set to establish a data center in Lappeenranta, Finland, with a capacity of up to 310 MW, expected to start serving customers by 2027, positioning it as one of the largest cloud infrastructures in Europe and solidifying its role in the AI infrastructure market.
- Investment and Partnerships: The company recently secured a $2 billion investment from Nvidia and struck multibillion-dollar cloud service deals with Microsoft and Meta, which not only enhance its market visibility but also provide a solid financial foundation for future expansions.
- Market Reaction: Despite shares of Nebius rising over 2% in early trading, the overall bearish sentiment on Stocktwits persists amid a broader market selloff, indicating cautious investor attitudes towards AI-related trades.
- Company Evolution: Since its emergence in 2024 following the spin-off from Yandex, Nebius has rapidly focused on AI infrastructure, recently acquiring AI search startup Tavily and announcing a significant $24 billion deal with Meta, marking crucial progress towards becoming a key AI hyperscaler in the industry.
See More
The 'Magnificent Seven' Stocks Struggle Amid AI Spending Concerns
- ETF Performance Decline: The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF has fallen over 9% this year, significantly underperforming the broader market, leading investors to potentially view it as a buying opportunity, though valuation considerations remain critical.
- Surge in Capital Expenditures: The Magnificent Seven are projected to spend nearly $700 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, raising concerns among investors about the ability of these companies to deliver strong returns on such massive investments, which has contributed to declining valuations across the group.
- Lowest Valuation for Meta: Meta Platforms currently trades at less than 20 times forward earnings, with a projected 73% increase in capital expenditures for 2026 aimed at supporting AI infrastructure, although its advertising business could benefit from AI applications.
- Investor Confidence Wavers: Despite Meta's success in advertising revenue, investors are concerned about Zuckerberg's investment strategy in AI, particularly after significant losses in its metaverse division, highlighting the need for disciplined investment approaches.
See More
Investors at a Crossroads with AI: Concerns and Opportunities
- Investor Anxiety: While investors remain optimistic about AI's potential, there are concerns regarding the significant spending on AI infrastructure by the 'Magnificent Seven,' with projected capital expenditures nearing $700 billion in 2025, leading to a decline in overall valuations.
- Meta's Low Valuation: Meta Platforms is currently trading at a PE ratio of less than 20 times forward earnings, with projected capital expenditures for 2026 ranging from $115 billion to $135 billion, a 73% increase from last year, primarily aimed at supporting AI infrastructure, raising concerns about investment returns.
- Advertising Business Potential: Meta reported a 24% year-over-year increase in advertising revenue in 2025, highlighting AI's potential in enhancing ad targeting, although investors are wary of Zuckerberg's investment strategies, especially following his significant bet on the metaverse.
- Alphabet's Success: Alphabet's stock has risen over 75% in the past year, successfully overcoming a high-profile lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, demonstrating the competitiveness of its AI models and positioning itself as a value investment choice within the 'Magnificent Seven,' attracting investor interest.
See More
