Meta Ordered to Pay Over $35 Billion in New Mexico Data Privacy Verdict
Key Facts
A jury in the US state of New Mexico has ordered Meta Platforms to pay more than $35 billion for deceiving users regarding data privacy on Facebook. The massive verdict follows the company's third-quarter results, which showed net income surging 264% to $9.86 billion and earnings per share reaching $3.83, according to reports from Reuters and Proactive Investors.
META closed at $708.13 on October 21, 2026, as Q3 revenue hit $64.6 billion prior to the jury's decision. The company had previously recorded a $9.9 billion legal charge and narrowed its annual investment forecast to between $135 billion and $145 billion, while peers AAPL and GOOGL closed at $343.99 and $334.32 respectively on the same day.
Latest Updates · 9
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Update: Meta Platforms announced on October 22, 2026, that its future spending commitments have increased to $825 billion. This massive financial commitment follows the company's previous narrowing of its annual investment forecast range.
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Update: Wells Fargo lowered its price target for Meta from $1,000 to $995 while maintaining an overweight rating. Separately, the company announced that its Muse AI agent has reached 10 million users in North America.
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Update: Meta shares rose 2.17% in after-hours trading on October 22, 2026, after the company reported adjusted earnings of $7.40 per share. This figure exceeded analyst expectations of $5.74 per share, providing a positive offset to the pressure from the massive legal verdict.
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Update: Meta raised its 2026 capital expenditure outlook to a range of $135 billion to $145 billion to support AI infrastructure. The company's revenue also surpassed FactSet estimates of $63.34 billion on October 22, 2026.
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Update: Meta announced a 2-for-1 stock split as part of its new capital structuring. The company expects the new class of non-voting common stock to begin trading in late January 2027.
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Update: Meta Platforms raised its capital expenditure outlook for 2026 to a range of $135 billion to $145 billion. The company intends to use the increased spending to boost its investments in artificial intelligence.
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Update: The company raised its 2026 capital expenditure outlook to a range of $135 billion to $145 billion. Additionally, Mark Zuckerberg announced that the Muse AI agent exceeded 10 million users as of October 21, 2026.
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Update: Meta plans an effective 2-for-1 stock split by issuing the new non-voting shares, with trading expected to commence in late January 2027. The company also projects Reality Labs losses to range between $18 billion and $19 billion this year, while guiding capital expenditures to a range of $135 billion to $145 billion.
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Update: Meta shares rose in after-hours trading on October 21, 2026, after the company narrowed its massive annual spending forecast. The company also unveiled the introduction of nonvoting shares, a move that coincided with positive investor reaction to the updated fiscal guidance.