Mark Zuckerberg's 'Wartime CEO Mode' Could Drive Meta Stock 'Re-Rating': Gene Munster Says He Missed Muse Becoming Company 'Centerpiece'

Meta Platforms (META) released its AI agent Muse, which has gained millions of downloads and driven a 13% stock rally. Analysts highlight Muse's consumer focus and potential monetization through transaction fees. Meta's stock has 73 Buy ratings, with a consensus price target of $787, up from recent concerns over AI spending and other issues.

Institutional investors are increasing stock market activity, while retail traders step back. Vanda Research notes strong institutional options flows, with a focus on AI stocks like Meta Platforms (META), which saw a 13% surge post-AI device launch. Goldman Sachs reports retail trading volume down 3% from its peak. The S&P 500 gained over 1% last week, turning positive for the month despite rising Treasury yields.

Meta (META) partners with Shopify (SHOP) to expand Muse AI's commerce capabilities, enabling agentic checkout and product discovery. This follows Amazon's block on Muse, highlighting Meta's push for AI-driven transactions beyond advertising.

Meta's shares fell 4% on Friday, reducing Mark Zuckerberg's net worth by $8.9 billion to $257.5 billion. Despite this, shares are up 36% in September due to investor interest in its Muse AI assistant. Goldman Sachs warned about high AI spending by major tech firms, including Meta, requiring significant revenue to break even. Muse has seen 2.8 million downloads in its first two weeks, offering tasks beyond chatbot functions.

Microsoft (MSFT) rose 3.66% after launching its Copilot AI assistant, driving the S&P 500 (SPY) up 0.54%. Meta (META) fell 3.33% despite AI advancements due to high spending. Oracle (ORCL) dropped 1.75% after data center delays. Microsoft's Q2 sales grew 18%, with Azure up 43%. Stifel raised MSFT's target to $575. Investors favor proven AI monetization.

Meta's shares rose over 30% in September after the successful launch of Muse, an AI agent developed by Alexandr Wang. Muse gained 1.8m-2.8m downloads in its first two weeks, boosting Meta's market value by $200bn. Meanwhile, David Beckham's brand company, DRJB Holdings, reported a 20% revenue increase in 2025, with Beckham receiving $51m in dividends.