Meta Plans 6.5 GW AI Buildout, Unwinds $2B Manus Deal on China Order
META sits 28% above its 52-week low of $520.26 on elevated volume (2.3× avg).
Summary
Meta is planning a massive 6.5 GW AI compute deployment in 2026, with roughly 5.5 GW coming online in the second half, at an estimated capex of ~$22B per GW. This follows the $145B capex forecast from June and signals a shift toward in-house chips (project Iris) that could lower infrastructure costs. Separately, Chinese regulators have ordered Meta to unwind its ~$2B investment in Manus AI, with Tencent now negotiating to acquire the startup at a valuation of at least $2B — a forced exit that removes a strategic AI asset. On the product side, Meta deployed Muse Spark 1.1 and is exploring third-party compute sales, while also pulling its Muse Image AI tool after privacy backlash. HSBC named Meta a top pick ahead of Q2 earnings, citing company-specific growth drivers. The combination of aggressive AI capex, regulatory friction in China, and product pivots makes this a critical update for positioning ahead of earnings.
At the time of this announcement, META was trading at $668.02 on NASDAQ in the Technology sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.7T. The 52-week trading range was $520.26 to $796.25. This news item was assessed with neutral market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10. Source: Wiseek News.