July 1, 2026. The US stock market started the third quarter with mixed dynamics, but investors' attention was focused on Meta Platforms, whose shares showed a steady increase of more than 10%, according to CNBC.*

The main driver of optimism was news about Mark Zuckerberg's plans to create his own cloud division. Investors saw this as a strategic move to monetize their massive investments in data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

A new stage of monetization
Until today, Meta* was the only major technology giant (a “big tech”) that did not have its own cloud business. Unlike its main competitors — Amazon (AWS), Microsoft (Azure), and Alphabet (Google Cloud) — the company has so far benefited from AI technologies almost exclusively through advertising tools.

 Analysts have repeatedly pointed out that this model did not fully justify the high capital expenditures allocated to infrastructure development. The launch of the cloud service will allow Meta* to open up new sources of revenue by turning its accumulated computing power into a commercial product for third-party developers and businesses.

 Market Overview
Despite the corporate news, the rest of the US market remained mixed, but some companies saw significant growth:

Palo Alto Networks: The company's shares gained momentum after analysts raised their target price to $420, highlighting the company's potential in the cybersecurity sector.
Wells Fargo: the bank's shares gained 3% after Goldman Sachs included the financial institution in the list of priority investment ideas (Conviction List). Analysts predict a growth potential of quotations up to $93 per share.
The Meta* decision signals that competition in the field of generative AI is moving into the stage of competition for cloud infrastructure, which may significantly change the balance of power in the technology sector in the coming quarters.