Nasdaq FB FaceBook

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that Germany's consumer protection association could bring a legal challenge against Facebook parent Meta over data privacy.

Nasdaq 100 futures jumped more than 2% on Thursday as Meta Platforms shares soared after a stronger-than-expected profit, taking some pressure off growth and technology stocks that have been battered recently.

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that Germany's consumer protection association could bring a legal challenge against Facebook parent Meta over data privacy.

European shares rallied in morning trade on Thursday, as forecast-beating results from companies including energy major TotalEnergies and automaker Volvo helped set aside worries about slowing global economic growth.

Amazon.com Inc has declined to describe its product-search system to an Australian competition regulator that has heard complaints of large marketplace platforms giving preference to in-house wares.

Share markets steadied on Thursday, taking comfort in technology earnings, though an energy crisis in Europe and China's lengthy lockdowns kept the mood cautious and have propelled the dollar close to 20-year highs as investors seek out safety and yield.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

It's been many months now since Mark Zuckerberg single-handedly turned the metaverse from an abstract sci-fi concept to one of the hottest trends in the tech space. As exciting as it is to want to invest in the next digital frontier that could include immerse virtual and augmented reality experiences, it can be tough to spot the biggest winners.

Though Meta's company name makes it an obvious choice, it may not even be a frontrunner once VR and AR are ready to go mainstream and begin the process of slowly phasing out smartphones.

In this piece, we'll have a sneak peek at three top metaverse stocks using Tipranks' Stock Comparison Tool. We'll also check in with Wall Street to gauge today's slate of valuations.

Meta Platforms (FB)

Meta Platforms may very well be viewed as a pioneer in the virtual worlds of tomorrow, with billions committed to building the metaverse as Zuckerberg sees it. Indeed, Zuckerberg's metaverse initiatives could pay massive dividends in as little as five years. Still, Meta remains primarily a social-media company.

Arguably, Meta may not have the best video-gaming foundation for the big metaverse transition. Indeed, video gaming and experiences are likely to be a main attraction for the metaverse. In that department, Meta falls short.

However, it's hard to deny Meta's positioning on the hardware front. The acquisition of Oculus gives Meta a nice edge as far as headsets are concerned. Zuckerberg and his "Metamates" have since improved the feature set and functionality of Oculus headsets with the latest budget-friendly Oculus Quest.

In time, I expect Meta to add gradual improvements to the Quest. Still, the company's premier headset in Project Cambria (Oculus Quest Pro) appears most exciting. Though expensive, such premium headsets likely hold the most potential over the long haul, given the greater degree of immersion. Further, VR sickness is a problem that may be soothed with higher-end hardware and innovations.

Indeed, pricier hardware may prove a worthy investment if the software experiences are there. In terms of hardware innovation, it's tough to stack up against Meta. It's been in the game for quite a while, and it could make a significant dent once the metaverse is finally ready for prime time.

After a rocky start to the year, FB stock finds itself down around 53% from its high. A great entry point for those looking for metaverse exposure.

Wall Street analysts remain incredibly bullish, with an average Meta Platforms price forecast of $309.08, implying ~77% upside from Wednesday's closing price.

Microsoft (MSFT)

Microsoft is a behemoth in the enterprise segment, but its video-gaming powerhouse over at Xbox should not go ignored. The recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard makes Microsoft's gaming empire one of the largest in the world. With such a powerful, growing presence in video gaming, Microsoft could enjoy smooth sailing into the era of the metaverse.

Undoubtedly, Microsoft is changing the game (pun intended) in the video-gaming world with services such as the Xbox Game Pass subscription service and Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly xCloud). With such services, the barriers to entry into gaming have effectively been reduced to zero.

With Xbox Game Pass and Cloud Gaming, one no longer needs to buy expensive games for $79.99 upfront, nor does one need to purchase a costly Xbox console. In essence, Microsoft may have singlehandedly opened up triple-A gaming to everybody.

As we move closer to the metaverse, I'd look for Microsoft to combine its VR talent with its incredible gaming division to create an immersive offering that may be difficult to stack up against.

If gaming holds the keys to the metaverse, Microsoft could evolve to become a leader. If anything, Microsoft may be a better bet than Meta, given how gaming will probably be the first stepping stone into virtual realms. Of course, work and other experiences will follow. Microsoft also stands out in the "metaverse for work" department with its Teams Mesh virtual office place offering.

Though the early days of the metaverse will be less of a needle-mover for Microsoft versus some of its peers, given its diversified revenue stream, I am enticed by the firm's foundation. It looks best-in-breed. If anything, Microsoft could be the one firm that leads us into the metaverse.

Wall Street analysts remain bullish, with an average Microsoft price target of $371.13, implying 37.4% upside from Wednesday's close.

Nvidia (NVDA)

Finally, we have graphics-hardware maker Nvidia, which refers to the metaverse as we know it as the "omniverse." Undeniably, it's hard not to get excited when CEO Jensen Huang steps on stage, delivering his views on the future of technology. Undoubtedly, many were incredibly excited over the potential for Nvidia to power the digital realms of tomorrow.

Nvidia's Omniverse platform genuinely looks next-generation. The company's Omniverse isn't just for video gaming, though. With the unveiling of Omniverse Computing Platform Nvidia OVX at the company's exciting GTC 2022 event, the industrial applications of Nvidia's Omniverse are also intriguing.

With so many exciting innovations from Omniverse to next-generation AI technologies, you can expect to pay a lofty premium for NVDA stock. It is the priciest stock on this list.

Despite the nearly 18-times sales multiple, Wall Street analysts remain as bullish as ever, with an average Nvidia price target of $336.57, implying ~83% upside from current levels.

Conclusion

The metaverse is a trend to keep tabs on over the next decade. Many winners will be crowned, with the market estimated to be worth around $947.1 billion by 2030, implying a CAGR of over 38%.

At today's valuations, Wall Street analysts see the highest upside potential in Nvidia. Indeed, many such analysts view the firm's innovative capabilities as more than worth the hefty price of admission.

Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.

Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure

Elon Musk's criticism of Twitter Inc sparked a barrage of abusive tweets against the company's top lawyer on Wednesday, raising questions about his compliance with a non-disparagement agreement and the tone that the social media platform's incoming owner will set for its users.

Investors have been caught up in a huge amount of volatility, and that was quite evident in Wednesday's trading session. The market was down at times during the day, soared substantially in the middle of the session, but finally had to settle for flattish performance as gains pet

Market indices closed within their session highs and lows today, which although volatile were completely encapsulated within yesterday’s volatile trading range. Perhaps we’re showing signs of cooling a bit, but it’s a long way from the tepid markets of yesteryear. The Dow

Meta Platforms (FB) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.72 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.54 per share. This compares to earnings of $3.30 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

WASHINGTON (Reuters Breakingviews) - Last year, Facebook had a TikTok problem. This year, it has several. The Chinese-owned video app is eating Mark Zuckerberg’s social network from the inside, first by luring its users and now by challeng

We’ve faced some adverse action in the market over the last few days, with the major indexes currently sitting in the red for the week. Nonetheless, the show rolls on. On deck to unveil quarterly results on Thursday after the bell rings is the big player Amazon AMZN.

The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is up 149.5 to 13,152.86. The total After hours volume is currently 99,390,792 shares traded.The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session: Meta Platforms, Inc. (FB) is +24.04 at $198.99, with 6,698,685 shares traded. S

The S&P 500 ended higher on Wednesday following a steep drop the day before, with strong revenue forecasts from Microsoft and Visa helping to alleviate worries about slowing global economic growth and rising interest rates.

Qualcomm Inc forecast third-quarter revenue above analyst expectations after beating second quarter revenue and profit estimates on Wednesday, largely due its move to focus on a growing non-handset business to cushion a likely hit from slowing smartphone demand.

Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc on Wednesday reported quarterly daily active users above Wall Street estimates, even as it recorded its slowest revenue growth in a decade.

(RTTNews) - Meta Platforms, Inc. (FB) announced a profit for first quarter that decreased from the same period last year but beat the Street estimates.

What happened Shares of Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: FB), the Facebook parent, were falling today on a number of concerns, including fears about the company's earnings report after hours today, a post-earnings sell-off in rival Alphabet, and an errant report from Bloomberg that showed