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Meta Maps Out Muse Monetization Strategy: Tap With ETFs or Stock?
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Key Takeaways
Muse could monetize holiday shopping through transaction fees and retail integrations.
Strong early adoption has fueled Meta shares, but monetization remains a longer-term opportunity.
META's valuation is elevated, making diversified ETF exposure worth considering.
Meta (META - Free Report) CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined the company’s plans to monetize its rapidly growing Muse AI agent during the Meta Connect conference on Sept. 23, 2026.
“We believe that Muse will make you money,” Zuckerberg told developers at the event. He said Meta plans to keep Muse free for a large number of tokens and eventually generate revenue by taking a small fee from transactions completed through the AI agent.
Unlike many existing AI agents, Muse is designed for mainstream consumers and does not require extensive technical expertise, as mentioned in Yahoo Finance.
Muse Steps Up Commerce Push Ahead of Q4
Muse now supports PayPal and has added integrations with major retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Wayfair and American Eagle. Muse is also expanding into travel and grocery shopping. The AI agent will connect with Expedia, while grocery purchases will be enabled through Instacart.
These integrations could allow Muse to facilitate transactions directly, creating a potential revenue stream beyond Meta’s traditional advertising business. The fourth quarter includes the holiday shopping season, when Meta’s Muse could help users discover products, compare options and complete purchases through its integrations with PayPal and various retailers.
Meta Expands Muse Across Devices
Meta is also broadening Muse’s capabilities and reach. Wang said the company is rolling out computer-control functionality for Mac, allowing the AI agent to perform tasks on a user’s behalf.
Muse will also be integrated into Meta’s VR Glasses, enabling users to interact with the AI agent while on the go. In addition, Meta plans to launch Muse Charm, a dedicated handheld device designed to let users access Muse without a smartphone or glasses. Zuckerberg said Muse Charm is expected to be available during the holiday season.
Muse Gains Early Consumer Traction
Muse debuted on Sept. 8 and quickly climbed to the top of both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. Its early traction helped propel Meta shares 9% higher over the past week, as of Sept. 23, 2026, as investors assessed the potential benefits of the new AI agent. META has jumped 33% over the past month.
Wall Street Watches Muse Growth
Wall Street analysts have responded positively to Muse’s early adoption. Wells Fargo and KeyBanc Capital Markets both raised their price targets for Meta following the initial uptake of the AI agent, as cited by Yahoo Finance.
Meta Price Target
Based on short-term price targets offered by 48 analysts, the average price target for Meta Platforms is $766.47. The forecasts range from a low of $580 to a high of $1,000. The average price target represents an increase of 4.06% from the closing price of $736.60 recorded on Sept. 22, 2026. Around 13 analysts offered price targets greater than or equal to $800.
Brokerage Recommendations
Just a week ago, 46 analysts gave Meta a Strong Buy rating, while two had a Buy rating. Seven analysts believe that Meta is currently a “Hold” stock. Meta stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) with good Growth score of B and a moderate Value Score of C.
Decent Meta Valuation: Neither Overly Rich Nor Cheap
Meta’s Price-to-Free-Cash-Flow (P/FCF) ratio stood at 46.6X as of Sept. 24, 2026, in line with the underlying Computer Software Services industry. The stock trades at a forward multiple of 23.7X versus 22.5X for the underlying industry. Meta trades at a trailing P/E of 25.1X versus the industry average of 23.3X.
However, Meta’s valuation looks pricey in terms of its price/sales ratio. The stock’s price/sales ratio stands at 8.4X, representing a 37.7% premium to the industry average of 6.1X.
Return on equity (ROE) stands at 33.2% versus the industry figure of 46.2%, which could partly reflect the impact of massive AI investments on the company’s capital base and profitability. Return on assets (ROA) stood at 20.1% versus the industry figure of 29.6%..
Meta acknowledges that AI and Reality Labs investments are reducing cash flow, operating margins and profitability and expects spending to continue increasing. Reality Labs reduced 2025 operating profit by approximately $19.19 billion, while 2026 Reality Labs operating losses are expected to remain similar to 2025 levels.
Success Seen Over Long Term: Less Near-Term Gains
Wedbush has described Muse monetization as a longer-term opportunity and said it is too early to estimate advertising and payments revenue with certainty, per MT Newswires, as reported by Yahoo Finance.
Against this backdrop, investors can gain exposure to Meta through a basket approach using ETFs, as hurdles remain and the stock’s valuation is not particularly cheap. The basket approach can help reduce company-specific concentration risk.
Meta-heavy ETFs include the likes of Fidelity MSCI Communication Services Index ETF (FCOM - Free Report) , Global X PureCap MSCI Communication Services ETF (GXPC - Free Report) , Meta AI Lab Ecosystem ETF (MTAW - Free Report) , State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC - Free Report) , Defiance AI Hyperscale Leaders ETF (AIHY - Free Report) and Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX - Free Report) . Each of these ETFs allocates at least one-fifth of its portfolio to Meta shares.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
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Meta Maps Out Muse Monetization Strategy: Tap With ETFs or Stock?
Key Takeaways
Meta (META - Free Report) CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined the company’s plans to monetize its rapidly growing Muse AI agent during the Meta Connect conference on Sept. 23, 2026.
“We believe that Muse will make you money,” Zuckerberg told developers at the event. He said Meta plans to keep Muse free for a large number of tokens and eventually generate revenue by taking a small fee from transactions completed through the AI agent.
Unlike many existing AI agents, Muse is designed for mainstream consumers and does not require extensive technical expertise, as mentioned in Yahoo Finance.
Muse Steps Up Commerce Push Ahead of Q4
Muse now supports PayPal and has added integrations with major retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Wayfair and American Eagle. Muse is also expanding into travel and grocery shopping. The AI agent will connect with Expedia, while grocery purchases will be enabled through Instacart.
These integrations could allow Muse to facilitate transactions directly, creating a potential revenue stream beyond Meta’s traditional advertising business. The fourth quarter includes the holiday shopping season, when Meta’s Muse could help users discover products, compare options and complete purchases through its integrations with PayPal and various retailers.
Meta Expands Muse Across Devices
Meta is also broadening Muse’s capabilities and reach. Wang said the company is rolling out computer-control functionality for Mac, allowing the AI agent to perform tasks on a user’s behalf.
Muse will also be integrated into Meta’s VR Glasses, enabling users to interact with the AI agent while on the go. In addition, Meta plans to launch Muse Charm, a dedicated handheld device designed to let users access Muse without a smartphone or glasses. Zuckerberg said Muse Charm is expected to be available during the holiday season.
Muse Gains Early Consumer Traction
Muse debuted on Sept. 8 and quickly climbed to the top of both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. Its early traction helped propel Meta shares 9% higher over the past week, as of Sept. 23, 2026, as investors assessed the potential benefits of the new AI agent. META has jumped 33% over the past month.
Wall Street Watches Muse Growth
Wall Street analysts have responded positively to Muse’s early adoption. Wells Fargo and KeyBanc Capital Markets both raised their price targets for Meta following the initial uptake of the AI agent, as cited by Yahoo Finance.
Meta Price Target
Based on short-term price targets offered by 48 analysts, the average price target for Meta Platforms is $766.47. The forecasts range from a low of $580 to a high of $1,000. The average price target represents an increase of 4.06% from the closing price of $736.60 recorded on Sept. 22, 2026. Around 13 analysts offered price targets greater than or equal to $800.
Brokerage Recommendations
Just a week ago, 46 analysts gave Meta a Strong Buy rating, while two had a Buy rating. Seven analysts believe that Meta is currently a “Hold” stock. Meta stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) with good Growth score of B and a moderate Value Score of C.
Decent Meta Valuation: Neither Overly Rich Nor Cheap
Meta’s Price-to-Free-Cash-Flow (P/FCF) ratio stood at 46.6X as of Sept. 24, 2026, in line with the underlying Computer Software Services industry. The stock trades at a forward multiple of 23.7X versus 22.5X for the underlying industry. Meta trades at a trailing P/E of 25.1X versus the industry average of 23.3X.
However, Meta’s valuation looks pricey in terms of its price/sales ratio. The stock’s price/sales ratio stands at 8.4X, representing a 37.7% premium to the industry average of 6.1X.
Return on equity (ROE) stands at 33.2% versus the industry figure of 46.2%, which could partly reflect the impact of massive AI investments on the company’s capital base and profitability. Return on assets (ROA) stood at 20.1% versus the industry figure of 29.6%..
Meta acknowledges that AI and Reality Labs investments are reducing cash flow, operating margins and profitability and expects spending to continue increasing. Reality Labs reduced 2025 operating profit by approximately $19.19 billion, while 2026 Reality Labs operating losses are expected to remain similar to 2025 levels.
Success Seen Over Long Term: Less Near-Term Gains
Wedbush has described Muse monetization as a longer-term opportunity and said it is too early to estimate advertising and payments revenue with certainty, per MT Newswires, as reported by Yahoo Finance.
Against this backdrop, investors can gain exposure to Meta through a basket approach using ETFs, as hurdles remain and the stock’s valuation is not particularly cheap. The basket approach can help reduce company-specific concentration risk.
Meta-heavy ETFs include the likes of Fidelity MSCI Communication Services Index ETF (FCOM - Free Report) , Global X PureCap MSCI Communication Services ETF (GXPC - Free Report) , Meta AI Lab Ecosystem ETF (MTAW - Free Report) , State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC - Free Report) , Defiance AI Hyperscale Leaders ETF (AIHY - Free Report) and Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX - Free Report) . Each of these ETFs allocates at least one-fifth of its portfolio to Meta shares.