Compiled from reports by Reuters and The Irish Times. See the original articles linked below.
Meta Platforms plans to raise as much as $95 billion through sales of its shares, the largest equity fundraising in its history, to finance the build-out of its artificial intelligence infrastructure. The plan was announced on 26 October 2026, according to Reuters and the Financial Times.
How the raise is structured
Reuters reported that the plan has two parts. The first is about $35 billion of common and preferred stock offerings. The second is a separate at-the-market programme of up to $60 billion, which Meta said it will begin after its new non-voting Class C shares start trading, a step expected in the first quarter of 2027. The Financial Times, as republished by The Irish Times, described the opening stage as $35 billion in underwritten public equity offerings, followed by the further $60 billion sold at the market.
Chipmakers named as buyers
According to Reuters, Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom have expressed interest in buying up to $5 billion in total of Meta's Class A shares. The Irish Times, carrying the Financial Times report, said the three companies will act as cornerstone investors. The two outlets therefore describe the chipmakers' role differently: one speaks of expressed interest, the other of a committed role.
Spending and cash position
Reuters said Meta posted negative free cash flow of $2.12 billion in the third quarter, a cash burn it described as the company's first in more than a decade. The agency also reported that Meta has committed to roughly $825 billion of future spending, mostly on data centres, AI infrastructure and cloud computing, and that it raised the low end of its forecast for annual capital expenditure, which now stands at $135 billion to $145 billion.
The Financial Times reported that Meta's third-quarter sales rose 26%, ahead of analyst estimates, and that the company told investors it would need to raise "hundreds of billions of dollars" over several years to pursue its AI plans. It added that Meta says its AI investments are already paying off through greater user engagement, better advertising performance and increased monetisation.
Market reaction
The Financial Times said Meta's shares fell about 7% on Thursday after the company's results and spending outlook. Reuters reported that the stock was down about 1.4% in morning trading after Monday's announcement. Reuters also quoted analysts at William Blair as expecting investors to keep questioning how Meta finances its spending and whether further capital raises will follow.
Comparison with Alphabet
Reuters noted that Alphabet has also increased its equity offerings this year, to $84.75 billion.
Sources
- Meta eyes record $95 billion equity raise to fund AI expansion (Reuters, 2026-10-26)
- Meta plans $95bn stock offering to bankroll AI expansion (The Irish Times, 2026-10-26)
This article was compiled with AI assistance from the reports listed above and reviewed by GMA before publishing.