Meta Shares Jump in March 16 Premarket Trade on Plan for Massive AI-Driven Layoffs

Meta Platforms stock climbed 3.23% to $633.01 in premarket trading on March 16, 2026, after closing at $613.71 in the prior session. The move followed a report that Meta is weighing layoffs affecting 20% or more of its roughly 79,000 employees to offset a planned $600 billion AI data center investment through 2028, while the company's financial metrics and analyst outlook remain broadly positive.