Meta Platforms Inc.Meta's free cash flow plunged 91% and capex guidance raised, causing shares to fall 5%.
Meta Platforms reported a 91% drop in free cash flow to $784 million in the second quarter, down from $8.55 billion a year earlier, highlighting the financial strain of its AI buildout. The company now expects 2026 capital expenditure between $130 billion and $145 billion, up from a prior forecast of $125 billion to $145 billion, and raised the lower end of its full-year 2026 total expense outlook to a range of $165 billion to $169 billion, partly due to $2.4 billion in legal charges. Shares fell about 5% in extended trading, echoing a similar reaction to Alphabet's first-ever cash flow negative quarter after it spent $5.9 billion.
Meta Platforms Inc.Meta's free cash flow plunged 91% and capex guidance raised, causing shares to fall 5%.
Alphabet Inc Class CMentioned as comparison: Alphabet also had a cash flow negative quarter due to AI spending, echoing Meta's situation.