Meta (META) Nearly Doubles Louisiana Data Center Investment to Over $50B

Key Highlights

• Meta has increased its Richland Parish, Louisiana data center investment to more than $50B, nearly doubling the $27B initially announced in October 2025
• The campus has expanded from a planned 2GW capacity to 5GW, establishing it as Meta’s biggest data center worldwide
• Bloomberg reports total anticipated investment at the Louisiana location now tops $250B
• Louisiana-based businesses have secured contracts worth over $1.6B since construction kicked off in December 2024
• META began trading Monday at $669.21, with Wall Street analysts maintaining a “Moderate Buy” consensus and $838.26 average target price

Meta Platforms has substantially increased the budget for its Richland Parish, Louisiana data center complex, with costs now exceeding $50 billion — representing nearly a 100% jump from the $27 billion figure initially revealed in October 2025.

META shares opened Monday trading at $669.21. The stock’s 52-week trading range spans from $520.26 to $796.25, with the company commanding a market capitalization of $1.69 trillion.

Meta Platforms, Inc., META

The complex, initially designed as a 2GW operation, has been scaled up to a 5GW capacity. This expansion establishes the Louisiana site as Meta’s most substantial data center facility globally.

Bloomberg News reports that Meta’s aggregate investment commitment for the Louisiana location now exceeds $250 billion. The sheer magnitude of this figure is staggering by any measure.

Construction commenced in December 2024. In the months since, businesses based in Louisiana have been awarded contracts exceeding $1.6 billion connected to the development.

In October 2025, Meta partnered with Blue Owl Capital (OWL) through a joint venture structure to support facility operations. This most recent expansion adds approximately $40 billion to that initial partnership framework.

Energy Infrastructure Requirements

Meeting the substantial power requirements of a 5GW facility required Meta to negotiate an arrangement with regional utility provider Entergy (ETR). This partnership will finance the construction of seven natural gas generation facilities, three utility-scale battery storage systems, nuclear capacity upgrades, and supplementary power purchases.

Meta assumes complete financial responsibility for energy, water resources, and associated infrastructure development. Regional electricity consumers face no cost burden from this project.

According to the Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce, Meta has additionally provided business development specialists to support local entrepreneurs, offering these services without charge.

Financial Performance and Wall Street Outlook

Regarding quarterly results, Meta delivered Q1 earnings per share of $10.44, significantly surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $6.67. The company reported revenue of $56.31 billion, representing 33.1% year-over-year growth and exceeding the $55.56 billion Wall Street forecast.

Meta also announced a quarterly dividend distribution of $0.525 per share, disbursed June 25th. On an annualized basis, this equals $2.10 per share, yielding 0.3%.

Wall Street analyst sentiment leans positive overall. Among firms providing META coverage, 35 maintain Buy ratings, three assign Strong Buy recommendations, nine rate it Hold, and one has issued a Sell rating. The consensus price target stands at $838.26, suggesting substantial appreciation potential from present valuation levels.

Both Guggenheim and TD Cowen recently reduced their price objectives to $800 while maintaining Buy recommendations. Rosenblatt Securities holds the most optimistic outlook with a $1,015 target.

On the regulatory front, European Union authorities have raised concerns about Facebook and Instagram regarding potentially habit-forming design elements such as infinite scroll and autoplay functionality, potentially subjecting Meta to penalties under Digital Services Act provisions.

CFO Susan Li and CTO Andrew Bosworth both executed stock sales in May through pre-established 10b5-1 trading arrangements, mainly to satisfy tax liabilities associated with equity compensation vesting.

Erste Group Bank raised its META rating from Hold to Buy on July 7th.

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