Meta’s stock rises as investors see AI revenue potential

Meta Platforms just gave investors a reason to think bigger than banner ads. The company posted third-quarter 2026 revenue of $64.6 billion, up 26% year-over-year, and shares climbed more than 4% in after-hours trading. The numbers behind the jump Wall Street’s consensus estimate for the quarter sat at approximately $63.37 billion. Meta cleared that bar with room to spare. Advertising still did most of the heavy lifting. Ad sales rose 26% to $63.1 billion, which means ads accounted for nearly all of the quarter’s revenue. Meta guided fourth-quarter revenue to a range of $73 billion to $76 billion. Shares closed the regular session at $697.52 and were trading around $726 after hours, a gain of more than 4%. Muse and the case for AI as a business The centerpiece of Meta’s AI story this quarter was Muse, its AI agent. The product reached more than 10 million accounts across the US and Canada within six weeks of launch. CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that AI could become a significant source of revenue for the company. He framed it as an opportunity that could potentially grow larger than the traditional advertising model over time. The price tag for the AI push Meta tightened its full...