META stock rises as job cuts and AI restructuring dominate

Meta Platforms (META) shares rose 1.73% to $688.55 on 18 April 2026, even after a report said the company will start job cuts on 20 May. In the first wave, Meta could cut about 10% of its global workforce—near 8,000 employees—based on three sources cited by Reuters. Meta did not confirm the timing or size, and more job cuts may follow in the second half of the year. Investors appeared to focus less on the headline jobs news and more on fiscal impact and execution around artificial intelligence. Meta employed nearly 79,000 people as of 31 December, making a 10% reduction a major downsizing. The article notes this would be Meta’s largest workforce cut since its “year of efficiency” restructuring in late 2022/early 2023, when about 21,000 jobs were cut. The backdrop is stronger finances: Meta reported over $200 billion in revenue and about $60 billion in profit last year, while continuing to invest heavily in AI. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been directing spending toward AI, including reorganizing teams in Reality Labs and moving engineers into a new Applied AI group aimed at building AI agents that can write code and complete tasks. Reuters also said some employees could shift into Meta Small Business, a unit created last month. Broader tech layoffs remain elevated, and the report cites industry-wide reductions tied to AI-driven efficiency. Overall, the stock’s rise suggests traders are weighing margin improvement potential and AI strategy over short-term job cuts.