Meta shares stumble even as Jim Cramer argues the company’s heavy AI spending should be rewarded

Shares of Meta Platforms (META) have fallen sharply since CNBC host Jim Cramer argued they “should be up,” framing Meta’s large and continued spending as necessary to defend its social media advantage amid intensifying AI competition.

In the remarks highlighted by Yahoo Finance and later echoed by other market outlets, Cramer said Meta was “most punished” and that the spending was justified rather than a problem. He pointed to the idea that Meta’s investments would ultimately support the stock’s rebound, while also implying the company lacked “anyone to lean back on” for its approach to spending.

The same coverage also described an earlier market dip: one cited example was June 5, when Meta shares closed 5.5% lower. The commentary tied the drop to how investors interpret spending, particularly as Meta increases investment tied to AI capabilities.

Cramer’s broader argument is that capital expenditure (CapEx), meaning the money a company spends to build or expand long-term assets such as data centers and computing infrastructure, is not just cost but a strategic defense. In the remarks quoted in the coverage, he framed Meta’s aggressive investment posture as a response to competition, including AI-driven threats to its moat.

Separately, reporting referenced by Benzinga said Meta is developing an internal initiative called “Meta Compute,” designed to generate revenue from excess AI computing capacity. The reporting described two potential angles: using the initiative to sell compute services internally, and potentially selling raw computing capacity to outside businesses, putting Meta in the orbit of AI cloud providers.

That development matters because it links spending to a monetization plan. As Meta builds out AI infrastructure, demand for graphics processing units (GPUs) and other compute resources can outstrip supply, and the ability to monetize unused capacity could help offset the financial pressure that comes when the market focuses on near-term costs rather than future revenue.

The AI investment narrative has arrived alongside signs of tighter operating execution. CNBC reported that Meta was starting layoffs in mid-May 2026, describing expected cuts of 8,000 jobs, as employees braced for a new AI-centric phase of work.

Even with the bullish commentary, not everything is resolved in public disclosures referenced by the cited posts. The market discussion does not provide complete, primary detail on timing, pricing, customer commitments, or how quickly any “Meta Compute” revenue would translate into reported results, and the outlets largely report on commentary or summaries rather than company filings or earnings materials.