Meta (NASDAQ:META) investors are eyeing September 17, when Meta Connect 2025 kicks off. The two-day conference will spotlight the company’s latest technology, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg opening the event with his keynote address.
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At last year’s happening, Meta marked a pivot from VR toward mixed-reality glasses. This year, Bank of America’s Justin Post, an analyst ranked in 14th spot amongst the thousands of Street stock experts, thinks the spotlight is likely to be on advances in glasses hardware and broader integration of AI across both the glasses and Meta’s apps.
Post expects an official unveiling of the Hypernova smart glasses, already widely covered in the press, and anticipated to feature a visual display in one lens. Priced at about $800, they could serve as a bridge between early adopters and the mass market by delivering a daily wearable that also incorporates elements of a VR headset. While Post thinks this price point remains too steep for mass adoption, he believes Hypernova could “significantly advance the category with glass display functionality.” The company might also unveil a gesture-control wristband that allows hands-free use of its glasses and apps.
Reports also indicate Meta could roll out a new smart glasses developer toolkit to expand use cases beyond photography, music, and messaging. New APIs could bring third-party apps for navigation, live translation, shopping, fitness, and creative tools. Another expected highlight, says post, could come in the shape of an update on Meta’s next-gen holographic glasses, Orion, first previewed last year. “While a mass-market release could likely be years away,” said the 5-star analyst, “showcasing technical progress could provide a sense of Meta’s long-term hardware roadmap.”
Post thinks it’s likely the company will showcase how Meta AI is increasingly integrated into daily user experiences across its platforms, boosting content creation and personalization. Agentic AI could be a major focus, with demos showing assistants providing “task-oriented support.” Updates might feature new multimodal tools like voice and vision-based interactions, along with business-focused AI chatbots for customer service and commerce.
At last year’s conference, Meta rolled out new Meta AI features, the multimodal Llama 3.2 model, expanded business chatbots for customer support, and a lightweight Llama model for edge and mobile devices. However, given heavy spending on AI talent, ongoing restructuring, and recent departures, the analyst thinks investor confidence in Meta’s AI strategy “has waned a bit.”
With this in mind, the conference will give Meta an opportunity to boost confidence in the AI gameplan. “While the Connect Conference is geared toward hardware and Metaverse innovation, we think the event offers Meta a chance to remind investors about its tangible progress on AI product integration, and to articulate a clearer roadmap for how AI investments will translate into sustainable long-term growth,” Post explained.
All told, Post assigns Meta a Buy rating and a $900 price objective, suggesting ~20% upside from current levels. (To watch Post’s track record, click here)
Most of Post’s colleagues are thinking along similar lines; based on a mix of 41 Buys vs. 6 Holds, the stock claims a Strong Buy consensus rating. The forecast calls for 12-month returns of 16%, considering the average price target stands at $872.30. (See Meta stock forecast)
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.