Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Bet on These ETFs to Ride on META's 27% September Jump

Read MoreHide Full Article

Key Takeaways

  • Meta surged 27% in September after its Muse AI assistant launch, reaching a 52-week high of $779.82.
  • Muse's adoption could unlock new revenue streams through subscriptions.
  • ETFs including XLC and METV offer exposure to Meta and the communication services and metaverse sectors.

Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) delivered a stunning performance in September, with shares surging approximately 27% during the month. The social media giant started the month trading around $570 before catapulting to an intraday high of $779.82 on Sept. 24, setting a new 52-week record.

While the stock pulled back slightly in the final days to close September at $725.18, the month still marked Meta’s strongest monthly stock performance in nearly four years. This has put a spotlight on the Facebook owner and, by extension, the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that hold significant positions in this tech behemoth.

Investors eager to gain exposure to Meta can consider several ETFs that offer concentrated positions in the stock. But not all ETFs are created equal when it comes to high-growth potential — while some are designed for income, others spread their exposure across dozens of unrelated industries, and only a few stay focused on the themes actually driving Meta's momentum. 

Before identifying those funds, it is important to analyze what drove META’s rise, what could continue to support its rally, and how ETFs can provide exposure to the WhatsApp owner.

What Led to META's Rally in September?

The primary catalyst for Meta’s September surge was the Sept. 8 launch of Muse, the company’s personal AI agent. Muse quickly became the top free app in Apple's U.S. App Store, surpassing ChatGPT, with over 3.4 million downloads in its first few weeks. The AI assistant can handle tasks ranging from online purchases and travel bookings to managing subscriptions and providing personalized recommendations.

This product launch fundamentally changed the narrative around Meta's massive AI spending. Earlier in 2026, the company suffered a share price pullback over investors’ concerns about its huge capital expenditures worth $130-$145 billion, with very little return on investment. Muse provided tangible evidence that Meta's AI investments could generate consumer-facing products with monetization opportunities through subscriptions and transaction fees.

Analysts responded enthusiastically to this development, with JPMorgan raising its price target to $920 and Monness Crespi lifting its target to $830, both citing Muse's success.

What Might Continue to Boost META?

Meta's AI business represents the most significant near-term growth driver. Muse has already demonstrated strong consumer adoption, and Meta is actively expanding its monetization potential through subscription tiers priced at $20 and $100 per month. According to TD Cowen analysts, Muse could reach 1 billion daily active users by 2031 and generate potentially $27 billion in annual revenues.

In late September, the company launched its Meta Enterprise Platform, which would enable META to sell software, APIs and AI solutions directly to enterprise clients and developers, thereby opening substantial new revenue streams. 

In the communication services space, Meta’s core advertising business continues to show strong momentum, with revenues rising 27.5% year over year in the second quarter of 2026. The integration of AI capabilities across Meta's family of apps — Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger — has been enhancing user engagement and advertising effectiveness, creating a virtuous cycle of growth for the company.

As the broader communication services industry is experiencing a digital transformation wave, AI-powered content recommendation and personalized advertising are set to drive higher monetization rates across META’s social media platforms.

Meanwhile, Meta's metaverse investments, though more long-term in nature, complement its AI strategy through hardware like smart glasses and the recently announced palm-sized device for Muse. Meta's substantial investments in virtual and augmented reality position it as a foundational player in the emerging metaverse market. 

Why ETFs Are the Best Choice for Exposure

The communication services, AI ecosystem, and metaverse sectors each represent distinct growth trajectories with substantial long-term potential. 

The communication services sector benefits from secular trends, including digital advertising growth, streaming media expansion and 5G adoption. AI ecosystem companies are at the forefront of perhaps the most significant technological shift of this generation, with applications spanning enterprise software, consumer products and infrastructure. Metaverse-focused companies are building the foundational technologies for immersive digital experiences that could transform how people work, socialize and entertain themselves.

Investing in ETFs that track these industries offers investors diversified exposure to these themes while capturing Meta's growth story. ETFs provide access to these industries as a whole, reducing single-stock risk while maintaining exposure to Meta's growth. 

ETFs to Bet on 

Considering the factors discussed above, investors seeking to participate in Meta’s momentum while gaining broader exposure to the themes driving its growth may consider the following four ETFs:

State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC - Free Report)

This fund, having assets under management (AUM) worth $22.88 billion, offers focused exposure to the communication services sector, with META as its largest holding at a 22.19% weight. This ETF captures the broader media and telecom landscape benefiting from digital transformation.

XLC charges 8 basis points (bps) in fees and traded at a good volume of 6.66 million shares in the last trading session. 

Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS - Free Report)

This fund, having AUM worth $5.54 billion, provides concentrated exposure to the Magnificent Seven technology giants, with Meta Platforms holding 14.30% of this fund’s assets. This ETF is ideal for investors seeking exposure to the companies driving the AI revolution.

MAGS charges 30 bps in fees and traded at a good volume of 3.89 million shares in the last trading session. 

Global X Social Media ETF (SOCL - Free Report)

This fund, with net assets worth $85.2 million, provides exposure to the social media ecosystem, with Meta as its top holding at an approximately 11.85% weight.  This ETF offers concentrated exposure to the social commerce revolution. 

SOCL charges 65 bps in fees and traded at a volume of 0.001 million shares in the last trading session. 

Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (METV - Free Report)

This fund, having AUM worth $228.1 million, targets the metaverse ecosystem, holding companies building virtual reality, gaming and blockchain technologies that will define the future of digital interaction. META holds 6.14% of this fund’s assets.

METV charges 59 bps in fees and traded at a volume of 0.03 million shares in the last trading session.  


 

Published in