Meta Rents Out AI Muscle to Rival Anthropic in $10B Cloud Gambit Amid $145B Spend Push
Published on 07/18/2026 at 17:16 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Meta Platforms is exploring an unusual shift in strategy: leasing computing capacity to a direct competitor. The Facebook parent is in early-stage talks with AI startup Anthropic over a two-year deal worth up to $10 billion, according to reports from the New York Times and Reuters. The negotiations open a new front for Meta as it races to monetize its sprawling infrastructure buildout.
If completed, the arrangement would see Anthropic make monthly payments for access to Meta's data-center hardware, with both sides retaining the option to exit early. Anthropic first floated the proposal in June. The sum is roughly one-third of the $45 billion, three-year agreement the startup struck with SpaceX in May — a contract that involves monthly installments of $1.25 billion for capacity at the Colossus-1 facility. Meta's talks remain preliminary and could still collapse, sources caution, but the very prospect signals a marked departure from the company's traditional advertising-only revenue model.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged that "almost every week" companies ask to buy compute from Meta. To build out the capability, the firm hired former AWS executive Dave Brown to lead a nascent internal cloud unit dubbed "Meta Compute." The move would pit Meta directly against specialized infrastructure providers like CoreWeave and Nebius — firms with which Meta itself signed compute agreements earlier this year.
The Anthropic talks come as Meta's capital spending reaches uncharted territory. Management has raised its 2026 capex forecast to between $125 billion and $145 billion, nearly double the $72 billion spent the prior year. Much of that firepower targets AI hardware, including a custom chip called "Iris" that will enter production this September with partners Broadcom and TSMC. Meta aims to double its data-center capacity to 14 gigawatts by 2027 and is spending roughly $9.1 billion on a Canadian facility alone. The Hyperion project in Louisiana, already soaked up over $50 billion, is being upsized from 2 GW to 5 GW.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Meta?
Wall Street remains divided over whether Meta's spending spree will pay off. BMO Capital maintained a "Market Perform" rating with a $720 price target, describing Meta as having "the least visible ROI story" among the big AI investors. Goldman Sachs cautioned that the market consistently underestimates hyperscaler AI capex, forecasting industry-wide spending above $600 billion in 2026. On the bullish side, Wedbush analyst Ygal Arounian rates Meta "Outperform" against peers like Amazon, though he declined to issue a specific target. The broader analyst consensus sits at "Moderate Buy" with a price objective of $830.45.
Shares of Meta closed Friday at €565.10, down 2.67% for the session amid a broader technology rout. The stock had fallen as much as 6% intraday before recovering. Even with the weekly setback, it has gained 14.53% over the past 30 days. The current price remains 16.63% below the 52-week high of €677.80 set on July 31, 2025.
Adding a layer of distraction, Meta is navigating a sizable workforce reduction. The company cut roughly 8,000 positions — about 10% of its headcount — and a judge recently rejected an emergency injunction sought by 26 affected employees seeking to halt the layoffs. Those terminations are set to take effect July 22. The plaintiffs allege algorithmic discrimination in the selection process, a charge Meta denies, insisting that human decision-making was involved.
Meta at a turning point? This analysis reveals what investors need to know now.
Investors will get a clearer picture of how these threads connect on July 29, when Meta reports second-quarter 2026 earnings. The market will be watching closely whether the deep investments in chips, cloud infrastructure, and potential deals with rivals are beginning to generate tangible returns — or remain a heavy cost burden with no immediate payoff.
Ad
Meta Stock: New Analysis - 18 July
Fresh Meta information released. What's the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends.
Disclaimer regarding our articles: No investment advice, no buy or sell recommendation. Information on prices, companies, and markets is provided without guarantee; changes are possible at any time. Stock market transactions can lead to substantial losses. Our articles are created and reviewed in whole or in part automatically with the support of AI.
