Why is Meta stock gaining in premarket today

Meta Platforms META stock rose 2.2% in premarket trading Monday after Goldman Sachs reiterated its bullish view on the social media company, citing the launch of its Muse AI agent and a recent legal settlement as catalysts for the shares.

The move came as broader US equity futures fell, with index futures under pressure after AI executives called for a slowdown in AI development.

Goldman maintained a Buy rating and a $725 price target for Meta.

The bank said it now holds its positive view “with increased conviction” and sees “a clearer catalyst path for the shares going forward” following the settlement and Muse launch.

Goldman said the consumer AI market is undergoing a shift from passive chatbots toward proactive, autonomous agents that can carry out real-world tasks, including travel bookings, shopping and bill negotiations.

Goldman highlights Muse AI monetization potential

The bank highlighted Muse as Meta’s full-scale personal AI agent, available through dedicated apps, the web and WhatsApp.

Powered by the Muse Spark 1.3 model, the agent can browse the web, fill out forms, make purchases and coordinate long-term goals.

Meta has launched Muse as a paid subscription, marking its first major move into paid consumer AI.

The offering ranges from a free tier to plans costing as much as $100 a month.

Goldman sees potential for Meta to expand monetization beyond subscriptions through commerce and advertising over time.

However, the bank expects Meta to prioritize user adoption rather than monetization during the early stages.

Goldman also pointed to Meta’s scale and distribution as a key advantage.

The company has billions of daily users across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, giving it a user-acquisition advantage that startups may find difficult to match.

The bank had previously described Meta as transitioning from a “wall of worry” stock toward a company capable of productizing and monetizing its computing investments.

It also identified Meta’s Sept. 23 Connect event and potential new model releases as additional catalysts.

Ark Invest buys Meta while cutting Alphabet

Meanwhile, Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest increased its exposure to biotechnology and AI during the past week, with Meta among its largest purchases.

Ark bought 43,000 Meta shares worth about $28 million, making the company the investment firm’s biggest purchase in the AI and technology segment.

Ark also purchased more than 32,000 shares of Cerebras Systems worth $6.5 million and made a smaller addition to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions.

In space and mobility, Ark bought about 576,000 shares of Archer Aviation worth roughly $3 million and made smaller additions to Rocket Lab.

The firm also purchased 27,000 shares of Robinhood Markets worth $3 million, alongside smaller additions to the 3iQ Solana Staking ETF.

On the sell side, Alphabet led Ark’s technology sales.

The firm sold 86,000 Alphabet shares worth $28.6 million. Ark also sold about 19,000 AMD shares worth $9.9 million, along with $6.5 million in Palantir Technologies and $4.25 million in Bullish stock.