Meta falls as investors balance Muse growth with rising AI costs

Oct 22 (Reuters) Shares of Meta Platforms fell about 3% in premarket trading on Thursday, as investors weighed the benefits of the company s fast-growing AI ​agent business against the mounting costs of funding ‌its ambitious AI expansion. The stock has gained more than 5% this year and, if current losses hold, is set to erase about $50 billion from the company s market value. • The downbeat reaction comes despite ‌Meta ​reporting stronger-than-expected quarterly revenue, forecasting fourth-quarter ⁠sales above Wall Street ⁠estimates and highlighting rapid adoption of its new AI agent app, Muse • The earnings report came hours after a New Mexico judge ordered the company to pay ​a $25 billion penalty in a data-privacy case linked to Cambridge Analytica. Meta said it plans to appeal the ⁠ruling • The Instagram parent is spending ⁠heavily to support its AI plans, with ​an expected annual capital expenditure forecast between $135 billion and $145 billion. ​It also reported a free cash f