Rihard Jarc
Co-Founder & CIO of New Era Funds, AI/Cloud/Semiconductor Research
Meta's valuation is compelling again because its operating-cash-flow multiple has fallen while revenue growth accelerated over the past year. It trades at 12x operating cash flow, close to 10x 2027 operating cash flow. Its unique position should make it one of the AI era's biggest winners, with Muse becoming its best asset in the long run. The equity raise's timing was unwelcome, but that is now behind it. x.comÂ
Meta's cash flow and reserves could fund an AI compute lead in 2027 without dilution. Projected $140-150B operating cash flow, a possible $10B Reality Labs cut and $60B cash could cover $220B capex, 50% above this year and more compute than any frontier lab. Another $25B in bonds could lift this to $245B. If it needs that much, Meta should cut Reality Labs and seek alternatives before issuing equity at nearly 10x forward operating cash flow. In late 2027, Muse's returns could justify equity. x.com x.com x.com x.comÂ
Meta's growth and earnings make its valuation appealing. It trades at 17x 2027 estimates with 17% EPS and 22% revenue growth. Its $140 billion EBITDA should make it worth more than Anthropic, which has none, though that comparison could be wrong. If distribution is king, Meta Muse could benefit from Meta's 3.64 billion daily active users, according to GuruFocus News. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Meta's strong core growth and low valuation make the reaction to possible Muse dilution look excessive. Revenue grew 26%; North America grew nearly 33% where Muse, Meta One and advanced ads rolled out, a playbook Meta will extend as compute grows. Shares trade at a low-to-mid-teens multiple of ex-Muse/FRL earnings, or ~19x EPS fully capitalizing those investments. A hypothetical $100B raise with zero return might cost 6% of equity value in the most punitive case; Muse's ROI is still a bet. x.com … Show more
Meta looks unattractive because its fines, capital raises and AI capex make the math ugly. The stock could trade back to the $500s, while hyperscalers probably have to make those raises with equity down 15-25%. Muse looks like a fad and average users may not need AI agents, matching LogicalThesis's view. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Meta's limited dilution and Muse's potential agent revenue make its valuation hit look excessive. Even if all cash is burned without return, a $625 strike and $28.75B forward sale including the greenshoe imply 69M shares, or 2.7% gross dilution; estimated net dilution is 0.25%. A future $60B net raise is expected to dilute by much less than 1%. Muse reached 5M downloads and 1,500 connectors in 22 days; its agents could need 25GW of internal compute depending on how many 100M users it adds. x.com … Show more
Meta's 26% growth and still-unmonetized Muse make the dip buyable. ZeroHedge estimates $250 billion of AI capex next year; Meta would not spend that much unless Muse continues to unlock a massive opportunity in personal AI agents. x.com x.comÂ
A small advertising beat may not sustain Meta's stock after earnings if Muse cannot show durable use and paying customers to justify rising AI spending. Muse could monetize Meta's existing merchant base through subscriptions and more ad spend, but service costs and whether users keep paying remain unproven. Strong fourth-quarter guidance or firmer Muse usage and payment data would make the outlook more positive; September's rally alone does not establish a sell-the-news outcome. x.comÂ
Meta's early AI monetization in its core business makes the long-term upside potentially far greater than the short-term pain from its planned $95B capital raise and possible dilution. Its fair value is $1,100, and the shares are worth holding for years despite short-term moves. If Meta monetizes the infrastructure, upside is massive; even if it does not, the assets still have value. x.comÂ
Meta's Muse could bring in more cash flow than any product it has launched before, making shares in the $600s a sweet bet. Muse should create immense margin expansion, synergies, new revenue streams and services. Scaling capex is shrinking net income even as revenue keeps growing. x.comÂ
Meta's spending to support Muse and its frontier models is likely to precede monetization, leaving the stock vulnerable to high initial 2027 expense and capex guidance. A beat-and-raise quarter is expected, but the stock could react poorly to that guidance after its recent strong performance. x.comÂ
Meta's earnings offer little near-term upside because Muse user growth is mostly priced in and monetization remains vague. The market wants AI compute to turn into profit. Retention or paid-share commentary could help, but Zuckerberg is unlikely to provide it; SpaceX says Grokbot has 800K paid users, a high bar. Meta remains attractive long term. Higher AI capex guidance would show confidence Muse can repay the spending and be bullish for the whole AI infrastructure stack. x.comÂ
