Meta Platforms (META) shares have just had their worst week since October as recent legal blows saw investors flee from the company based in Menlo Park, California. In fact, continued weakness in META even tanked its relative strength index (14-day) into the mid-20s, indicating this “Magnificent 7” name is now officially oversold.
Still, Senior Morgan Stanley Analyst Brian Nowak says META stock, which is currently down about 25% versus its year-to-date high, remains a top pick for the remainder of 2026.
Morgan Stanley Says Sentiment in Meta Stock has ‘Troughed’
In a research note dated March 30, Nowak recommended that long-term investors load up on META shares as sentiment has finally “troughed.”
According to Nowak, the forward multiple on Meta Platforms sits about one standard deviation below its 10-year average, which makes it unusually inexpensive to own in 2026.
Plus, the company has authorization to buy back at least $8 billion worth of its stock, which makes it even more attractive as a long-term holding.
The Morgan Stanley analyst currently has a $775 price target on META, indicating potential upside of about 45% from here.
What Else Could Drive META Shares Higher in 2026?
A key pillar of Nowak’s bullish call on the Instagram-parent is “MetaClaw,” a prospective agentic artificial intelligence (AI) offering following the firm’s recent acquisitions of Manus and Moltbook.
According to Brian Nowak, this could prove a multibillion-dollar opportunity for agentic shopping and the fast-growing personalized AI assistants market.
Meanwhile, Meta’s recently disclosed plans of layoffs (20% of the workforce) may save up to $10 billion annually, providing a significant cushion to its earnings per share (EPS).
Note that META stock has a history of closing April with a more than 4% gain — a seasonal pattern that makes it just as exciting for near-term upside as well.
Meta Remains Buy-Rated Among Wall Street Analysts
It's also worth mentioning that Morgan Stanley is actually among the more conservative Wall Street firms on Meta Platforms.
The consensus rating on META shares is currently “Strong Buy,” with a mean price target of an even higher $864, indicating potential upside of a whopping 60% from here.
On the date of publication, Wajeeh Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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