2025-07-02 15:03:00
Meta Stock Gets Price-Target Hike From Analyst. Why AI Could Give WhatsApp A Boost.
Meta Platforms has announced new product updates aimed at expanding its messaging-based revenue through WhatsApp and Messenger. Analyst Colin Sebastian from Baird上调了对Meta股票的目标价格至740美元,认为这些举措是商业化消息服务的重要步骤,并预测到2030年WhatsApp和Messenger可能创造40-50亿美元的收入机会。Meta还推出了一项新的“元超级智能实验室”,专注于AI进步,并计划让企业通过WhatsApp聊天直接拨打客服电话。此外,Meta正探索一种能够为任何企业的网站提供个性化产品推荐并促进销售的商业AI系统。
New products announced by
Meta Platforms
(
META
) focused on WhatsApp and its Messenger app are an "important step" toward expanding its messaging-based revenue, according to a Baird analyst. Baird's Colin Sebastian raised his price target for Meta stock to 740 from 635 in a client note Wednesday.
At a conference in Miami on Tuesday, Meta announced several product updates aimed at helping businesses interact with customers using the WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Messenger apps the company owns. That includes a centralized advertising manager that will work across the three apps. Meta is also offering more options for customers to call businesses through a WhatsApp chat. A
blog post from Meta
said the company is also "exploring a Business AI that can make personalized product recommendations and facilitate sales on any business' website." The product will soon be available to businesses in Mexico.
â
X
NOW PLAYING
Inside Cathie Wood's 2025 Playbook: Disruption, Risk And A Massive Comeback For Speculative Growth Stocks
"We believe Meta is increasingly focused on commercializing messaging, and using AI as a cornerstone to drive engagement and monetization," Sebastian wrote. "Further down the line, we believe this product focus could help increase growth prospects for WhatsApp/Messenger, with a potential $40-50 billion revenue opportunity by 2030."
Sebastian reiterated an outperform call for Meta stock with the note. He cited positive takeaways from Tuesday's event, along with recovering earnings multiples for tech stocks and "largely constructive" checks with sources within the industry.
On the
stock market today
, Meta stock traded sideways, last up a fraction to 719.61.
Meta Stock: Business Messaging Key To AI Push
Meta stock climbed to a record 747.90 in trading Monday, its first new high since Feb. 14. Shares gained as the company announced a new "
Meta Superintelligence Lab
" focused on AI advances. The company recruited researchers from OpenAI and other competitors for the effort.
The stock pulled back with a 2.5% decline on Tuesday. But the stock is ahead 23% overall this year, the best gain among
Magnificent Seven stocks
. Easing tariff concerns and optimism on Wall Street about Meta's digital advertising business and
AI investments
have helped the stock rally back from a slump earlier this year.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has previously pointed to business messaging as a promising use for generative AI technology, as the Facebook parent company invests billions to build AI-related infrastructure and recruit top talent. He said during the company's
first-quarter earnings call
in late April that he sees business messaging as the "next pillar" of Meta's business.
"In the next few years, I expect that just like every business today has an email address, social media account and website, they'll also have an AI business agent that can do customer support and sales, " Zuckerberg said.
That could bring greater focus to WhatsApp, which Meta acquired in 2014 but has been slow to fully monetize. Last month,
Meta announced
it would incorporate advertising on WhatsApp for the first time.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Oracle Stock Jumps As CEO Touts New Cloud Deals, Analyst Upgrades To Buy
When To Sell Growth Stocks: This Could Be Your No. 1 Rule
Get Timely Buy & Sell Alerts With IBD Leaderboard
IBD Live: Learn And Analyze Growth Stocks With The Pros
Nvidia, Goldman Among Best Dow Stocks In June; Why July Could Be Golden