Billionaire Investor Increases Stake in Meta as Hedge Fund Reconsiders Previous Withdrawal
Dan Loeb's Investment in Meta: Activist investor Dan Loeb's Third Point LLC increased its stake in Meta Platforms by 47% in Q3 2025, raising its holdings from 150,000 to 220,000 shares after previously divesting completely in Q1 2025.
Meta's Financial Performance: Meta reported Q3 earnings with diluted EPS of $1.05 and revenue of $51.24 billion, surpassing estimates, while projecting Q4 revenue between $56 billion and $59 billion.
Strategic Investments and AI Focus: Meta plans to invest over $600 billion in the U.S. by 2028 for AI technology and data centers, alongside a $1 billion investment in a Wisconsin data center, and is testing generative AI features on Facebook.
Analyst Reactions and Stock Performance: Following Meta's earnings report, analysts adjusted price targets, with mixed sentiments on the stock's performance, as Meta has underperformed compared to competitors like Alphabet and Baidu this year.
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- AI Budget Surge: Meta plans to increase its capital expenditures to $135 billion in 2026, an 87% rise from last year, aimed at supporting its AI Superintelligence team, which is expected to drive future technological innovation and market competitiveness.
- Profitability Pressure: As capital expenditures rise, Meta's depreciation expenses increased by 20% in 2025 and are expected to rise further in 2026, leading to a decline in operating margin from 48% in Q4 2024 to 41%, although management still anticipates overall operating income growth.
- AI-Driven Revenue Growth: Meta achieved a 24% revenue growth in Q4, driven by increased user engagement and stable ad price hikes, demonstrating its effectiveness in AI applications and market potential.
- Generative AI Potential: Meta is planning to leverage generative AI to attract more advertisers, combining personalized content and shopping agent features, which is expected to generate substantial ad revenue and further solidify its market position.
- Big Tech Valuation Loss: According to FactSet, major tech companies collectively lost over $1 trillion in valuation over the past week, with Amazon alone shedding more than $300 billion, indicating a significant decline in market confidence that could impact future investment decisions.
- Sex Crime Scandal Exposure: Prominent Silicon Valley figures, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, have been linked to files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which may have long-term reputational consequences for their companies and exacerbate public trust issues in the tech industry.
- Japanese Election Outcome: Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a supermajority in the recent election, reinstating Sanae Takaichi as Prime Minister, which grants her broad authority to boost spending and suspend certain food taxes; this result has bolstered Japanese stocks and strengthened the yen to 156.88 against the dollar, reflecting renewed investor confidence.
- U.S. Market Rebound: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 50,000 for the first time, marking a strong market rebound, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose by 1.97% and 2.18%, respectively, a trend that could attract more investors back into the market and drive economic recovery.
- Employee Open Letter: A total of 1,002 full-time employees at Google have signed an open letter urging the company to sever ties with federal immigration enforcement agencies, reflecting strong dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency regarding the company's contracts and technology usage with the federal government.
- Transparency Demands: The letter highlights that Google has failed to provide internal transparency about its collaboration with federal agencies, prompting employees to call on leadership, particularly CEO Sundar Pichai, for greater disclosure to enhance internal trust and accountability.
- Request to Withdraw Technology: Employees are demanding that Google withdraw its technology from all work associated with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection, aiming to protect workers and communities from immigration enforcement actions and emphasizing social responsibility.
- Advocacy for Safety Measures: Additionally, employees are advocating for safety measures to protect workers and are calling for an all-hands meeting to address these concerns, indicating a heightened awareness of corporate policies and social responsibilities among the workforce.
- Election Impact: Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her ruling LDP secured a supermajority in the election, controlling over two-thirds of the Lower House, which allows her to freely pursue an agenda of increased spending and suspension of certain food taxes, likely stimulating economic growth further.
- Market Surge: Following the election results, Japanese stocks reached a record high, with the yen strengthening to 156.88 per dollar, reflecting renewed investor confidence and indicating positive market expectations regarding Takaichi's policies.
- U.S. Market Rebound: Major U.S. indexes rebounded post-election, with the S&P 500 rising 1.97% and the Nasdaq Composite climbing 2.18%, driven by strong performances from tech stocks like Nvidia and Oracle, which bolstered global investor confidence.
- Private Credit Concerns: The private credit market faces renewed uncertainty as AI pressures software companies, raising investor concerns about borrower business models and potentially increasing default risks, which could impact overall financial stability.
- Government Support: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis expressed support for restricting social media access for children under 15, citing expert warnings about the detrimental effects on mental health and development, highlighting the government's commitment to child protection.
- Legislative Proposal Potential: Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlicek indicated that the government is seriously considering legislative action, with a proposal potentially introduced this year if the cabinet agrees, signaling a significant policy shift regarding children's social media use in the Czech Republic.
- European Trend: The discussions in the Czech Republic align with trends in other European countries, as Spain, Greece, Britain, and France also explore stricter rules on teenage social media use, reflecting a reassessment of the impact of digital platforms on children's well-being.
- Tech Giants Push Back: Following Australia's precedent of banning social media access for users under 16, tech giants like Elon Musk's X complied swiftly, indicating strong industry pushback against youth social media bans and the challenges of implementing such regulations.
- Election Outcome: Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a supermajority in the recent elections, allowing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to return to power, which indicates strong voter support for her administration.
- Economic Policy Initiatives: Takaichi's agenda includes increasing defense spending and suspending certain food-related taxes, which is expected to stimulate economic growth and enhance consumer confidence, positively impacting Japan's economy.
- Market Reaction: Following the election results, Japanese stocks reached a record high, with the yen strengthening to 156.88 per dollar, reflecting renewed investor confidence in the government's future policies and economic direction.
- International Market Trends: U.S. markets also showed strong performance post-election, with major index futures rising, indicating global investor interest in tech stocks, particularly in the AI sector, further contributing to the overall market recovery.











