Meta Platforms—the company behind Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads—saw its stock price rise more than 11% on Monday. Investors were excited by two things: a higher Wall Street price target and fast early downloads for Meta’s new AI app, called Muse, per CNBC.

Muse is a personal AI agent, which means it is designed to answer questions, help users get things done, and act more like a digital helper than a regular app. Think of it as a smart computer helper you can talk to—similar to ChatGPT, Claude, or Grok.

Why Meta Stock Rose

A stock is a small piece of ownership in a company. When investors think a company may grow or earn more money in the future, they may want to buy its stock. That extra buying can push the price higher.

In Meta’s case, investors saw fast interest in Muse and heard more positive comments from big banks and stock analysts.

Wells Fargo reportedly raised its Meta price target to $796. A price target is an analyst’s estimate of where a stock could trade in the future. It is not a promise, but it can influence how investors feel about a company.

Other analysts have also become more hopeful about Meta’s AI plans:

  • JPMorgan upgraded Meta’s stock to “Overweight,” a rating that generally means the bank believes the stock could perform better than the overall market. It set a price target of $820, per Yahoo Finance.
  • Evercore ISI kept an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $860, according to investor-focused reporting.
  • KeyBanc said investors may still “under-estimate Meta’s AI positioning and product cycle,” while maintaining a $780 price target.

In simple terms, Wall Street is starting to believe Meta may have a better chance of turning its huge spending on AI into products people actually use.

Muse AI Downloads Are Growing Fast

Muse launched on September 8 and quickly climbed Apple’s U.S. App Store chart. It became the No. 1 free iPhone app in the United States on September 18, about 10 days after launch, per Yahoo Tech.

Sensor Tower, a company that tracks app activity, reported that Muse had:

  • About 730,000 downloads in roughly its first five days.
  • More than 2.5 million downloads by Monday.
  • About 1.5 million iOS downloads and 1.1 million Android downloads.

Those figures are impressive for a brand-new app. Muse also reached more downloads than Claude and Grok in the same 13-day period after launch. Claude had about 400,000 downloads, while Grok had about 200,000, according to Sensor Tower data cited by CNBC.

However, ChatGPT still had a slightly larger early start over that same period: about 3.1 million downloads.

Another research company, Apptopia, estimated that Muse received 1.8 million downloads in the United States and Canada during its first 12 days, compared with 1.3 million for ChatGPT in its comparable first 12 days, as reported by TechCrunch. It estimated 2.8 million Muse installs worldwide in that period.

These numbers come from outside app-tracking firms, not from Meta itself. Meta has not publicly shared official download, user-retention, or revenue numbers for Muse.

What This Means for AI

The big question is not simply, “Did lots of people download Muse?” It is, “Will people keep using it?”

A new app can become popular very quickly because people are curious. But for Muse to matter over the long term, users will need to find it helpful enough to return again and again.

For example, a student might use Muse to organize a school project, write a first draft, or explain a hard science idea in simpler words. A parent might use it to plan meals, sort a schedule, or brainstorm birthday-party ideas. If the app saves people time and works well, they may keep it on their phones.

That matters because Meta has spent heavily on AI computers, data centers, and researchers. A popular consumer app could help show that those investments are leading to real products—not just expensive experiments.

Meta already uses AI in many places. Its recommendation systems help decide which posts, Reels, and ads people see on Facebook and Instagram. Muse is a more direct test: can Meta persuade people to choose its AI assistant on purpose?

The Important Catch

Fast downloads do not automatically mean a company will make more money.

Meta still needs to show that Muse can:

  • Keep people coming back after the first few days.
  • Give answers and help that users trust.
  • Compete with well-known AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok.
  • Find a sustainable way to earn money, whether through subscriptions, business tools, advertising, or other services.

There is also a reminder in the early data: Muse hit the top of Apple’s App Store with fewer downloads than ChatGPT needed in its own launch period. Muse averaged around 73,000 U.S. downloads per day during its first 10 days, while ChatGPT averaged roughly 87,000 daily downloads in its first eight days, according to figures reported by Yahoo Tech.

That does not mean Muse is failing. It simply shows that App Store rankings and total downloads are not exactly the same thing.

Bottom Line

Meta’s 11% stock jump shows that investors are excited about its new AI strategy, especially the quick rise of the Muse AI app. Muse has drawn millions of early downloads and reached the top of the U.S. iPhone app chart, giving Meta an important early win in the crowded AI assistant race.

Still, the next test is bigger than downloads. Meta must prove that users enjoy Muse, return to it often, and eventually help the company build a real AI business.

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