Alphabet and Meta Platforms have been tough stocks to hold for most of 2026. However, both attracted new investor interest on Monday, even as other tech stocks continued to fall.
Alphabet shares rose 2.7% and Meta gained 2.9%, even as the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 fell. This came after leaders from Anthropic, OpenAI, and SpaceX called over the weekend for a slowdown in AI development.
If top AI developers slow down their work, Meta and Google could benefit. Both companies are still building their own AI systems. Google launched a new version of its Gemini chatbot earlier this month, and Meta’s AI assistant, Muse, recently reached the top of the App Store rankings. However, both products still trail behind models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and SpaceX, based on independent rankings. If those three labs slow their progress, Meta and Google might catch up.
According to New Street Research, worries about AI development risks could give Alphabet and Meta more space to adjust their strategies. Meta may focus more on renting out data centers, while Google could highlight its distribution and chip businesses.
For most of 2026, shares of both companies have not shown a clear trend, as investors have preferred chip and memory stocks. As of Friday’s close, Alphabet was still up for the year, while Meta was down slightly.
