BUZZ - Brokerage Opinions: Meta’s expansion in artificial intelligence strengthens its long-term growth prospects

October 22 - ** Meta META.O forecasts fourth quarter revenue (link) will exceed Wall Street expectations and highlights strong growth in its consumer-grade AI assistant application, Muse; it also announced the launch of a new class of non-voting shares to support the expansion of its AI business

** As the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta's share price fell 1% in highly volatile pre-market trading

MUSE demonstrates many highlights

** Morgan Stanley (maintains "Overweight" rating, target price: $820) indicates that improved AI efficiency, increased Muse usage, and the monetization potential brought by AI assistants, subscription services, and enterprise tools provide multiple catalysts beyond the core advertising business

** TD Cowen ("Buy", target price: $850) states that Meta is expected to benefit from AI-driven growth in user engagement and ad revenue, and that Muse’s popularity and heavy investment in AI will support its long-term growth

** Jefferies ("Buy", target price: $875) believes that there is further upside in fourth quarter results, and the new Class C share structure offers Meta greater flexibility to support future AI investments

** MoffettNathanson ("Buy", target price: $895) notes that Meta’s early success with the Muse project has transformed it from an AI bystander to a potential AI winner, and says strong advertising growth along with AI-driven user engagement will sustain revenue growth through 2027

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