Meta Shares Tumble for Third Day as 12.65B Volume Ranks Third in U.S. Trading

On August 18, 2025, Meta (META) closed with a 2.27% decline, marking its third consecutive day of losses amid mixed market sentiment. The stock traded at a volume of $12.65 billion, ranking third in daily trading activity across U.S. equities. Analysts noted increased short-term volatility as investors digested earnings expectations and macroeconomic signals ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision in September.

Recent developments highlighted Meta's strategic pivot toward AI-driven advertising platforms, with executives emphasizing long-term growth potential despite near-term margin pressures. Regulatory scrutiny in the EU over data privacy frameworks added caution to the stock's technical outlook, though no immediate enforcement actions were reported. Market participants also observed reduced open interest in key options contracts, suggesting diminished speculative positioning compared to prior quarters.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day from 2022 to now delivered moderate returns. The 1-day return was 0.98%, with a total return of 31.52% over 365 days. This indicates the strategy captured some short-term momentum but also reflected market volatility and potential timing risks.