Meta’s New AI Spark Drives Stock Gains and Analyst Optimism

Meta Platforms, the social‑media giant, unveiled its latest AI system, Muse Spark, earlier than planned. The surprise debut came just before the company’s earnings report on April 29 and followed a race with rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. Investors reacted strongly: the share price rose roughly 7 % to close at $612. 42. Wall Street experts echoed the upbeat mood. Mizuho’s Lloyd Walmsley kept an “Outperform” note with a target of $850, praising the early launch as proof that Meta is advancing in AI. He highlighted potential new revenue from shopping and search, but urged clearer monetisation plans.William Blair’s Ralph Schackart also maintained an “Outperform” stance, noting that the launch could allay earlier doubts about Meta’s AI progress. He sees promising prospects in business‑focused AI and shopping tools, though cautions that scaling will take time. BofA Securities’ Justin Post reiterated a “Buy” rating and an $885 target, arguing that the launch reduces uncertainty around Meta’s AI strategy. He compares the sentiment lift to Alphabet’s recent experience and believes the company’s valuation remains fair given its advertising strength and AI upside. Across the market, analysts largely rate Meta as a “Strong Buy. ” In the past three months, 39 buys, six holds and no sells have been recorded. The consensus price target sits at $862. 05 per share, suggesting a potential upside of about 41 %.