Meta Stock Wobbles as China Divorce and EU Mandate Cloud AI Ambitions
12.06.2026 - 17:56:57 | boerse-global.de
Meta’s ambitious artificial intelligence push is running into a pincer movement from both Beijing and Brussels, leaving its stock trading near oversold levels and testing investor patience. The company was forced this week to sever ties with the Chinese AI startup Manus after the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) ordered an immediate halt to all data sharing. The separation, which triggered a potential $1 billion loss for Meta, comes as European regulators simultaneously demand the restoration of free access to WhatsApp’s business API for rival AI assistants.
The Manus saga marks a dramatic reversal of fortune. Meta originally paid $2 billion to acquire the startup, but new Chinese investment rules made the deal untenable. The founders are now exploring a buyback at roughly $1 billion — a steep write-down for the US giant. Shares slipped to €488.45 as the news broke, with the Relative Strength Index falling to 35, signalling the stock is approaching oversold territory. Year-to-date losses stand at 12 percent.
Across the Atlantic, the European Commission has handed Meta a separate ultimatum: restore free access to the WhatsApp Business API for competing AI assistants within five working days. The regulator views Meta as dominant in European consumer communications and considers the paid-access model introduced in March 2026 — after an initial ban in October 2025 — as equivalent to a shutdown. The interim measure will remain in force until the conclusion of the cartel investigation, potentially until June 2029.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Meta?
Brussels is not Meta’s only regulatory headache in Europe. A recent court ruling rejected the company’s challenge against its Messenger being designated a “gatekeeper” under the Digital Markets Act, locking in stricter compliance requirements. However, Meta notched a partial win when the same court overturned the gatekeeper label for Facebook Marketplace.
Despite the mounting pressure, Meta continues to pour resources into its AI infrastructure. The company is investing $115 million in a new training academy to address a shortage of nearly 350,000 construction workers in the US needed to build data centers. Internationally, it is partnering with Reliance Industries on a new AI data centre in India. On the product side, Meta plans to introduce AI-generated content and fully automated targeting in advertising by the end of 2026, and is rolling out a chatbot called Creator Assistant on Facebook and Instagram.
The stock has seesawed over the past week, briefly bouncing to €496.85 — a 1.21 percent daily gain — before retreating. Even at that level, it sits roughly 27 percent below its 52-week high of €677.80 and about 7 percent under its 50-day moving average. The RSI currently reads 39, still in weak territory. A near-term catalyst arrives on June 15, when the stock goes ex-dividend, with shareholders entitled to a quarterly payout of $0.525 per share, to be distributed on June 25. Whether Meta can regain traction hinges on how it navigates the regulatory minefields in both Europe and China while sustaining its capital-intensive AI buildout.
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