New York, Feb 21, 2026, 11:31 EST — The market has closed.
- Meta finished Friday at $655.66, gaining 1.7%.
- Ad-driven stocks face a new backdrop after a U.S. Supreme Court tariff decision and another round of trade policy shifts.
- Investors took stock of Meta’s cost-cutting push, even as the company pours more into AI spending.
Meta Platforms shares wrapped up the week with a jump, climbing alongside other megacap growth names after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs. The stock finished Friday at $655.66, up roughly 1.7%.
U.S. markets are closed until Monday, leaving traders waiting to see if the current sense of relief will stick or evaporate once the next round of tariff news rolls in. The outcome is crucial for Meta—advertising is its main revenue stream, and when business confidence shifts, so do ad budgets.
Meta’s investors also had another number to chew on: the company cut annual stock-option grants for most staff by roughly 5%, marking the second year running for such reductions as spending on AI and data centers stays heavy. Asked about the move, Meta wouldn’t comment.
U.S. stocks ended the day up on Friday, with communication services topping the sector leaderboard. Big tech names carried much of the weight yet again. “Today is a removal of some uncertainty, and we’re on to the next phase,” said Mike Dickson, head of research and quantitative strategies at Horizon Investments. Reuters
The trade saga kept moving after the court ruling. Trump rolled out a fresh 10% global tariff for 150 days, pulling from another legal angle. That’s put the spotlight right back on where these duties land—and left companies waiting for answers on pricing and whether customers will keep buying.
Macro factors didn’t move out of focus. Friday’s numbers indicated U.S. GDP missed forecasts for the fourth quarter, while fresh inflation figures for December ticked higher — a combination that tends to shake up rate bets and hit longer-duration tech names.
Meta’s capital spending is still up for debate. Back in January, the company projected 2026 capex somewhere between $115 billion and $135 billion, chasing AI ambitions while pulling back in other areas.
An SEC filing late in the week put a spotlight on executive pay and incentives. Meta president and vice chairman Dina Powell disclosed an award of 91,333 restricted stock units—RSUs, which generally vest over a set period as long as the executive remains with the company.
Powell started at Meta last month, landing a compensation deal heavy on equity, the company disclosed previously.
Still, next week could go either way. New tariffs, ongoing legal disputes over refunds, and persistent inflation threaten to tighten up corporate ad spending. Meta’s steep AI spending, meanwhile, leaves margins exposed—especially if ad revenue slips.
Nvidia steps up next, with its earnings on Wednesday likely to set the tone for AI supply chain sentiment and shine a light on how much its top clients are still spending. Traders are eyeing Meta, too, to see if shares hang onto Friday’s jump when the market opens Monday.
