We recently published a list of 10 AI Stocks to Watch Amid DeepSeek Impact. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) stands against other AI stocks to watch amid DeepSeek impact.
The launch of DeepSeek is drawing new battle lines in the AI competition and many analysts believe the technology investment landscape won’t be the same again after the Chinese breakthrough. Talking to CNBC, Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi said that DeepSeek would result in “distillation” where companies will make smaller, more efficient models based on the technology:
“So we’re going to just see distillation happening left and right. It’s already happening—like, there’s so many versions of DeepSeek that have been reproduced and redone just in the last week as we speak. So this distillation is going to just create so much competition at the LLM or the AI layer.”
In the coming days, it would be interesting to see how American AI companies tackle this challenge and come up with new products or breakthroughs to maintain their dominance.
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Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 235
Dan Niles, Niles Investment Management founder, said in a latest program on CNBC that the DeepSeek breakthrough would lower the costs of AI chips and ultimately benefit names like Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) who are using this hardware for performance improvement in software:
“You have to look at the stuff this benefits because when you lower hardware costs, it really helps with the software that’s sitting on top of it. And also, guys that use AI—so Meta uses AI to figure out, hey, this is the video that Courtney would like to watch, and oh, these are the ads she’s willing to engage with. They use AI to help with that, which is why their numbers went up so much last year. So, that’s one of the names that I think will benefit.”
Meta crushed expectations with the latest quarterly results but yet again pointed to higher expenses in the future. In 2025, it sees total operating expenses in a range of $114-$119 billion, with 19-25% y/y growth. Capex is expected to rise 61-74% y/y to $60-$65 billion, compared to just $37.3 billion in FY24. Advertising rose strongly but analysts believe it should be seen in the context of higher political ad spend and holiday quarter perspective. In 2025, the company might not be able to keep reporting double-digit growth in ad pricing amid weaker consumer spending and a cautious macroeconomic backdrop.
In the long term, Meta shares are expected to grow because of AI. How?
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) is driving usage and ads revenue by improving its algorithms and user experience thanks to AI. Meta Platforms’ (NASDAQ:META) advancements in Reels and WhatsApp are helping manage CapEx growth as the company strives to stay competitive in AI. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)’s substantial user base of 3.3 billion provides a data and distribution edge that could capture a significant share of the GenAI market.
Rowan Street Capital stated the following regarding Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META): Investment Initiated: April 2018: Internal Rate of Return (IRR*): 22% *IRR represents the annualized rate of return on an investment, accounting for the timing and magnitude of cash flows over the holding period.
For META, our 22% IRR aligns closely with the company’s compounded growth in earnings per share (EPS) and free cash flow per share during the 6 years holding period.
Looking ahead, Meta is expected to grow its revenues, earnings, and free cash flow per share at mid-teens rates over the next two years. There’s a good possibility that it could exceed these estimates, considering the breadth of growth initiatives currently in place, such as advancements in Al, monetization of Reels, expansion into business messaging, and the ongoing development of the metaverse…” (Click here to read the full text)
Overall, META ranks 1st on our list of AI stocks to watch amid DeepSeek impact. While we acknowledge the potential of META, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than META but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.