Is Meta Stock a Buy Going Into 2026?

2025 was the year Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) made its intentions clear. The company spent aggressively on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, doubled down on open-source models through Llama, and reshaped its organization to prioritize speed and execution. Investors largely accepted the strategy, even as margins came under pressure.

Going into 2026, the question is no longer whether Meta is serious about AI. The real question now is whether Meta can convert ambition into results.

Image source: Getty Images.

What the market already knows

Much of Meta's AI narrative is well known. Investors understand that the company has committed tens of billions of dollars to compute and data centers. They know Meta is taking a different path from competitors by pushing Llama as an open-source foundation rather than a closed, monetized product. They've also seen management reorganize AI teams under Superintelligence Labs to speed up execution.

None of this is controversial.

What remains uncertain is whether these moves translate into durable economic gains or merely higher costs with more extended payback periods. That uncertainty is what makes 2026 an important year for the company.

The bull case: Reasons to own the stock

The bullish argument for Meta going into 2026 rests on execution, not hype.

First, AI has the potential to materially improve Meta's core advertising business. Better targeting, smarter ranking, and more effective creative tools not only boost engagement but also improve return on ad spend. If Meta's AI systems continue to make ads more efficient, revenue growth can accelerate without a proportional increase in ad load. Arguably, the use of AI has already contributed toward Meta's solid 26% growth in revenue in the first nine months of 2025.

Second, Llama gives Meta a strategic advantage that doesn't show up neatly on income statements. By positioning Llama as open infrastructure, Meta pulls developers and enterprises into its ecosystem while pushing deployment costs outward. If Llama becomes a default layer for AI development, Meta benefits indirectly through better products, faster innovation, and ecosystem gravity.

Third, Meta's scale remains unmatched. With billions of users across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, the company can deploy AI features, gather feedback, and iterate faster than almost any competitor. If Meta's restructured AI organization delivers on speed, that feedback loop becomes a powerful compounding advantage.

If these pieces come together, Meta's long-term earnings power could improve further from here.

The risk case: What could go wrong

While there are potential upsides, the downside risks aren't remote either. Meta doesn't need to fail for the stock to disappoint. It only needs to execute slower than investors expect.

The most obvious risk is that AI spending stays elevated longer than anticipated. Building and running large-scale models is expensive, and the payoff may arrive later than the market hopes. If margins remain under pressure without clear signs of operating leverage, sentiment could sour quickly.

There's also risk in Meta's open-source strategy. Llama's success depends on sustained developer adoption. If closed models continue to outperform open ones in terms of convenience or performance, developers may drift back toward proprietary ecosystems, thereby weakening Meta's influence. To this end, some of the leading AI models are from closed models, such as ChatGPT, Grok, and Anthropic.

Finally, regulatory and macro risks haven't disappeared. Advertising budgets remain cyclical, and regulatory scrutiny around AI and data usage could introduce new constraints.

The real question for 2026

Whether Meta is a buy going into 2026 comes down to a single issue: Can Meta turn AI essentially from a cost center into a profit amplifier?

Investors should watch for specific signals:

• Evidence that AI-driven ad improvements are lifting monetization efficiency.
• Faster rollout of AI features across Meta's apps.
• Signs of operating leverage reemerging, even as AI investment continues.
• Stability within Meta's AI organization, with fewer restructurings and a more precise execution rhythm.

These indicators matter far more than flashy model releases or benchmark scores.

So, is Meta stock a buy?

Meta stock going into 2026 isn't a bet on AI hype. It's a bet on execution.

For long-term investors comfortable with near-term volatility, Meta can make sense as a conditional buy, provided they believe the company can convert its scale, infrastructure, and ecosystem into tangible returns over the next few years.

For others who need clearer margin expansion or faster payback, it could be better to wait on the sidelines for clearer signs.

Either way, it's a stock to follow closely in 2026.

Lawrence Nga has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.