If you’re checking the facebook share price today, you’re actually looking for Meta Platforms Inc. (META). It’s been a weird morning for the social media titan. As of Sunday, January 18, 2026, the markets are closed, but the "hangover" from Friday's trading session is still being felt across investor forums and brokerage apps.
The stock wrapped up the week at $620.25. That’s a tiny, almost microscopic dip of 0.09% from the previous close. Honestly, in the world of high-stakes tech, a nine-cent drop is basically noise. But don't let the flatline fool you; underneath that calm surface, Meta is in the middle of a massive identity crisis that has Wall Street split right down the middle.
The Reality of the facebook share price today
The numbers don’t lie, but they do hide things. Right now, Meta’s market cap is sitting pretty at $1.56 trillion. You've got a P/E ratio of about 27.4, which, if we're being real, is actually somewhat "cheap" compared to some of its Mag 7 siblings like Nvidia or Microsoft.
Last Friday, the stock saw a high of $629.08 before sliding back down to that $620.25 mark. It’s been a bumpy month. We started the year with the stock hovering around $660, and we’ve seen a steady, grinding decline of about 5% over the last week alone.
Why the sudden chill?
It’s not because people stopped scrolling Instagram.
In fact, engagement is up.
The issue is the bill.
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Meta is currently projecting a capital expenditure (CapEx) budget for 2026 that could top $100 billion. That is an insane amount of money to spend on data centers and AI chips. Mark Zuckerberg is essentially betting the entire house on "Prometheus," their new supercluster designed to train Llama 5.
Investors are starting to ask: "When do we get our money back?"
What’s actually driving the price right now
Most people think Facebook is just a place where your aunt posts minion memes. In reality, it's a massive AI-driven advertising engine.
- AI-Enhanced Ads: The "Advantage+" tools are already pulling in $60 billion in annual recurring revenue. They’re using AI to guess what you want to buy before you even know you want it. It’s creepy, but it’s incredibly profitable.
- WhatsApp Monetization: This is the "sleeping giant." For years, WhatsApp was just a free utility. Now, they’re rolling out AI agents for businesses. If they can turn WhatsApp into a "super-app" like WeChat is in China, the current stock price will look like a bargain.
- The Energy Problem: You can't run the world's most powerful AI on a couple of AA batteries. Meta is now hunting for nuclear and renewable energy contracts to power its data centers. Their success in 2026 might depend more on their ability to secure power grids than their ability to write code.
The "Year of Superintelligence"
Analysts at firms like Piper Sandler and BofA are still banging the drum for a "Buy" rating. Piper Sandler actually named Meta their top large-cap pick for 2026. They’re looking at a price target of $835 to $900.
If you believe that AI will fundamentally change how we use the internet, Meta is the toll booth you have to pass through. If you think AI is a bubble that’s about to pop, then Meta is a very expensive falling knife.
Is the dip a "Bargain" or a "Trap"?
Technical analysts like the folks over at Trefis point out that $620 is a major support zone. In the past, whenever the stock hit this level, it tended to bounce back by nearly 19% on average.
But history isn't a crystal ball.
We saw Meta drop 77% during the inflation shock a few years back. It’s a volatile beast. The company is scheduled to report its Q4 2025 earnings on January 28, 2026. That date is circled in red on every trader's calendar. If Zuckerberg stands up and says the AI spending is going even higher without showing a clear path to revenue, expect that $620 support level to shatter.
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Actionable Insights for Investors
If you're holding or looking to buy, keep these specific triggers in mind for the coming weeks:
- Watch the Capex: If the January 28th earnings call confirms the $100 billion spending plan without a massive revenue beat, the stock might take a short-term hit.
- The Llama 5 Factor: Any news regarding the performance of the Llama 5 model compared to OpenAI’s latest offerings will move the needle more than user growth numbers.
- Energy Contracts: Keep an eye out for news regarding Meta's investments in nuclear or specialized energy grids. It sounds boring, but it’s the most critical bottleneck for their growth.
To get a clearer picture before the next market open, you should look at the historical support levels from the 2025 Q3 earnings report and compare them to the current forward P/E of 21.1 to see if the valuation aligns with your risk tolerance.