Key Stats for Meta Stock
- Price change for Meta stock in last 6 months: 27%
- $META Stock Price as of Oct. 2: $728
- 52-Week High: $780
- $META Stock Price Target: $795
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What Happened?
Hans Anders, one of the largest Dutch eyewear chains, has stopped selling Meta’s (META) Ray-Ban smart glasses.
The ban covers the Netherlands and Belgium. It was announced on Friday. It is one of the first moves of its kind by a retailer.
The chain cited the public and political debate over smart glasses. It said questions remain about when this technology can be used.
Privacy is the core issue. Dutch regulator AP warned last month that videos showing identifiable people generally can’t be shared without their permission.
That is hard to get in a public place. Consumer group Consumentenbond said it will take Meta to court unless it changes the glasses to comply with privacy law.
Offlimits, a group fighting online abuse, asked Meta and EssilorLuxottica to pull the glasses until they can stop secret recording.
The backlash goes beyond the Netherlands. UK pub chain Wetherspoon has limited use of the glasses because of fears of covert recording.
In the US, Meta and Luxottica face a lawsuit. It claims human annotators viewed videos from the glasses without the knowledge of the people filmed.
Meta says it will keep building the glasses.
A spokesperson said every camera model has a bright front light that blinks when recording. It can’t be turned off. The camera shuts down if someone covers it or tampers with it.
Nexeye owns Hans Anders, which KKR owns. Nexeye runs 776 stores in five countries. It does not sell glasses in Germany, Austria, or Sweden.
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What the Market Is Telling Us About Meta Stock
This is a small retail move. But it hits a product Meta has leaned on.
On the Q2 call, Mark Zuckerberg called the glasses one of the fastest-growing consumer electronics of all time. He said early sales of the new lineup beat expectations.
The numbers back that up. Reality Labs revenue was $431 million, up 16%. Meta said AI glasses drove that growth. Quest headset sales were lower.
Still, the glasses are a tiny part of the business. Family of Apps revenue was $60.4 billion, up 28%. Meta stock is driven mainly by ads and AI spending.
That spending is large. Meta expects 2026 capital expenditures of $130 billion to $145 billion. Free cash flow last quarter was just $784 million.
Legal costs are also a risk. Meta booked $2.4 billion in legal charges last quarter.
For investors, the key question is simple. Does the privacy pushback spread to more retailers and regulators?
If so, it could slow a growth story that Meta stockholders like. Meta will share more on its glasses lineup at Connect on September 23, according to the call.
Until the backlash proves bigger, Meta stock will likely follow ad growth and AI spending more than this one retailer’s decision.
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So what is Meta stock actually worth?
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Disclaimer:
Please note that the articles on TIKR are not intended to serve as investment or financial advice from TIKR or our content team, nor are they recommendations to buy or sell any stocks. We create our content based on TIKR Terminal’s investment data and analysts’ estimates. Our analysis might not include recent company news or important updates. TIKR has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading, and happy investing!
