Meta Platforms has dramatically expanded the scope of its Richland Parish data center in Louisiana, pushing the projected cost past $50 billion — nearly double the $27 billion figure disclosed in October 2025.
META opened at $669.21 on Monday. The stock has a 52-week range of $520.26 to $796.25, and carries a market cap of $1.69 trillion.
The facility, originally planned as a 2GW campus, has now grown to a 5GW footprint. That makes it Meta’s largest data center anywhere in the world.
Meta’s total expected investment across the Louisiana site now surpasses $250 billion, according to Bloomberg News. That’s a number that’s hard to wrap your head around.
The project broke ground in December 2024. Since then, local Louisiana businesses have landed more than $1.6 billion in contracts tied to the buildout.
Meta and Blue Owl Capital (OWL) formed a joint venture in October 2025 to help manage the facility. The latest expansion commitment adds another $40 billion to that original arrangement.
To meet the energy demands of a 5GW campus, Meta has struck a deal with utility company Entergy (ETR). The agreement will fund seven new natural gas-fueled generating plants, three grid-scale batteries, nuclear uprates, and additional purchased power.
Meta pays the full costs of energy, water, and related infrastructure itself. Consumers in the region are not on the hook for those costs.
The Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce noted that Meta has also brought in experts to help local business owners grow, at no cost to them.
On the earnings front, Meta posted Q1 EPS of $10.44, well ahead of the $6.67 analyst estimate. Revenue came in at $56.31 billion, up 33.1% year over year, topping the $55.56 billion consensus.
The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, paid June 25th. Annualized, that’s $2.10 per share, representing a 0.3% yield.
Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive. Of the firms covering META, 35 have a Buy rating, three a Strong Buy, nine a Hold, and one a Sell. The average price target sits at $838.26, implying meaningful upside from current levels.
Guggenheim and TD Cowen both trimmed their targets to $800 while keeping Buy ratings. Rosenblatt is the most bullish, with a $1,015 price target.
On the risk side, the EU has flagged Facebook and Instagram over potentially addictive design features including infinite scroll and autoplay, which could expose Meta to fines under the Digital Services Act.
CFO Susan Li and CTO Andrew Bosworth each sold stock in May under pre-arranged 10b5-1 plans, primarily to cover tax obligations tied to equity vesting.
Erste Group Bank upgraded META from Hold to Buy on July 7th.
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