Meta Platforms (META) shares are in the spotlight on July 17th following reports that the tech giant is in preliminary discussions to lease out its computing infrastructure to AI research lab Anthropic.
The blockbuster deal rumoured to be worth up to $10 billion arrives at a time when Meta sits firmly above its major moving averages (MAs) – with an RSI in the mid-50s indicating intense buying pressure.
That said, Meta stock is currently trading at roughly the same price at which it started 2026.
What we know about the potential Anthropic deal
According to anonymous sources that spoke with CNBC today, Anthropic is exploring buying raw computing capacity from Meta to scale its advanced AI models, including its flagship model Fable.
Amidst “industry-wide” shortages of Nvidia’s cutting-edge hardware, the AI research lab has been aggressively hunting for external compute power, having recently inked a similar deal with SpaceX and its Colossus 1 data center.
To prepare for an aggressive venture into cloud hosting, Meta Platforms has strategically fortified its internal operational leadership.
The company recently named former Amazon Web Services (AWS) senior executive Dave Brown as its new head of infrastructure, signaling deep commercial intent.
Significance of the Anthropic deal for Meta stock
This potential partnership represents a bullish structural catalyst for Meta shares because it directly addresses the investment community’s primary fear: unmitigated overspending.
The multinational stunned the market earlier this year by accelerating its full-year capex guidance to a staggering range of $125 billion to $145 billion, dedicated almost entirely to massive AI data center buildouts.
Transitioning from a pure consumer-facing platform into a premium wholesale compute provider will enable Meta to seamlessly transform its excess server capacity from a heavy financial liability into an immediate, high-margin enterprise cash flow machine, silencing critics.
Meta’s new business segment is particularly significant given the stock is currently trading at 23x forward earnings, which many believe is inexpensive for an established AI beneficiary.
How to play Meta Platforms at current levels?
Ultimately, opening Meta’s world-class AI infrastructure to third-party developers like Anthropic fundamentally re-engineers the long-term investment thesis for the stock.
Rather than forcing shareholders to wait for AI to subtly optimize core digital advertising yields – this development marks the birth of a tangible, recurring B2B enterprise cloud business.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously hinted at this massive opportunity, revealing that external tech firms regularly ask to purchase Meta’s compute at a premium.
As META successfully weaponizes its unprecedented capital outlays into a dominant cloud hosting powerhouse, its stock is primed for a powerful, growth-driven rebound.
Note that Wall Street analysts remain bullish as ever on META shares for the remainder of 2026.
The consensus rating on the titan sits at Strong Buy currently, with the mean price target of about $823 indicating more than 25% upside from here.
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