Meta Slides 4% as Retracement Follows 32% Monthly Run; Pinterest and Snap Inch Higher

Meta Platforms is sliding after a stunning one-month run, but the real question is whether its new AI agent Muse can actually deliver the revenue that fueled the rally or leave investors holding an expensive bet on unproven execution.

Published September 25, 2026, 10:41am ET · 4 min read

Market Movers desk. Editor: David Moadel.

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A white rectangular sign features the Meta Platforms logo, a blue infinity loop. Below the logo, a black bar displays 'Meta' and '1 Hacker Way' in white sans-serif text. Lush green foliage and trees form the background, and a light brown, gravelly path with a concrete edge is in the foreground.
The Meta Platforms corporate sign is visible as the technology giant prepares to release its Q1 2026 earnings report, with investors closely watching its AI spending initiatives. © Kelly Sullivan / Stringer / Getty Images North America

Profit taking is hitting Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META | META Price Prediction) after a monthly run fueled by its new AI agent, Muse. Meta Platforms stock is down 4% to $750.18 early in the session, a pullback from a 32% gain over the past month. Much of that run arrived well ahead of any revenue from the agent, which leaves Meta Platforms priced for a great deal of execution.

Elsewhere in social media, Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) is edging higher as the selling stays focused on one large name in the group. Pinterest stock is up 1% to $18.92, holding firm while Meta Platforms stock is pulling back. Meanwhile, the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ) is up 0.5%, leaving large-cap technology in positive territory as Meta Platforms stock is slipping.

Social media and digital advertising names around Meta Platforms are trading on their own AI monetization debate, apart from the direction of large-cap technology, and that debate centers on whether Muse can give Meta Platforms a second revenue line beyond advertising, turning a heavy cost into a source of income. Both Pinterest and Meta Platforms sit in the Internet Content and Information industry, which makes the gap between their moves more telling.

Muse Launch Drives the Run and the Pullback

Muse, the AI agent Meta Platforms launched this month, drew heavy buying on expectations that it becomes a revenue line beyond advertising. The company has tied Muse to its advertising business along with its wearables and shopping products, which gives the agent several routes to monetization. Along the way, Meta Platforms has reached the consumer AI device market ahead of OpenAI, though its strategy there remains unproven.

Spending is the other half of that equation, as Meta Platforms made clear in its Q2 2026 report on July 29. Meta Platforms set a 2026 capital expenditures range of $130 billion to $145 billion, raising the low end. Its Q2 free cash flow came in at $784 million. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg stated on the earnings call that day that “these AI investments are paying off.”

META earnings explorer

Meta Moves Apart From Its Sector

Selling is concentrated in Meta Platforms. Large-cap technology is higher and Pinterest stock is rising, which marks the move as profit taking in one name. Snap (NYSE:SNAP), another ad-supported social platform, faces the same question Meta Platforms does about how AI turns into revenue; SNAP shares are up 0.18% to $5.44. At the same time, a modest gain in Pinterest stock suggests that the advertising group around Meta Platforms is holding up despite META’s pullback.

Within the Global X Social Media ETF (NASDAQ:SOCL), Meta Platforms carried a 10.6% weight as of April 30. A holding of that size gives Meta Platforms stock real influence over how the social media basket trades, even when other members of the group are steady. That link means a pullback in one giant can color the read on the entire corner of the market, though Meta’s peers seem to be holding steady today.

Execution risk is the concern, since Meta Platforms stock has moved far enough in a month to price in a lot of success already, and whether Muse monetizes at the scale that run implies is a question the current figures don’t settle and may take several quarters of disclosure to answer. Any early revenue disclosure tied to the agent could shift how Meta Platforms stock is valued.

Balancing the Bull and Bear Case for Meta

On the bullish side, Meta Platforms has a path to turning years of infrastructure spending into a second revenue line beyond advertising. Linking Muse to ads, wearables and shopping gives the company several ways to earn from the agent across its apps and devices. That setup is what carried Meta Platforms stock through its monthly run, and it gives the company a story that extends beyond ad pricing.

META price target

Skeptics can point to the distance between the run in Meta Platforms stock and the revenue that hasn’t shown up yet. Heavy AI spending by Meta Platforms already weighs on its free cash flow, so a slow Muse ramp could keep pressure on the shares. A deeper pullback could follow if the agent’s revenue ramp falls behind the expectations built into the run.

Investors adding exposure after a month like this may want to maintain a moderate position size, since Meta Platforms stock can swing sharply in both directions. For current shareholders, reviewing their allocation to Meta Platforms can help keep their exposure in line with their plan. Revenue detail on Muse in the next quarterly report could be the next real test for META stock.

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David Moadel

David Moadel is financial writer specializing in stocks, ETFs, options, precious metals, and Bitcoin. David has written well over 1,000 articles for leading online publications, helping investors understand markets, income strategies, and risk.His work has appeared in The Motley Fool, InvestorPlace, U.S. News & World Report, TipRanks, ValueWalk, Benzinga, Market Realist, TalkMarkets, Finmasters, 24/7 Wall St., and others.With a master’s degree in education, David has taught at the elementary, high school, and college levels. That teaching background shapes his writing style: clear, educational, and practical. David has also built a loyal social-media audience by providing trustworthy financial content on YouTube, X/Twitter, and StockTwits.

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