Earlier this month, Meta launched Muse, which it calls "the world's first personal AI agent." Unlike a typical chatbot, Muse is built to get things done. It can send emails, plan and book travel and make online purchases right out of the box, working with services like Expedia, Instacart, PayPal and Shopify. That also gives Meta a new way to make money: instead of relying on social network ads, Meta plans to take a small fee on every transaction Muse completes for users.

The response has been remarkable. Muse became the most downloaded free app on Apple's App Store and has seen the fastest adoption of any AI product since ChatGPT launched in 2022. It also reached nearly three times as many daily users as ChatGPT did at the same point.

Meta built on that momentum at Meta Connect 2026 on Wednesday. CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Muse the "centerpiece" of Meta's AI strategy and showed off devices built around it. They included slimmer Ray-Ban Meta glasses, camera-free audio glasses, ultra-light VR (1/5th of vision pro) glasses and the Muse Charm, a keychain-sized device that runs the assistant without a phone.

• Meta's stock gained +11% in a single day this week and is up roughly +22% since Muse launched.

• Muse was downloaded 1.8 million times on iPhones in the U.S. and Canada in its first 12 days, compared to 1.3 million for ChatGPT.

For years, investors have questioned whether Meta's heavy AI spending would pay off, and Muse may be the first real answer. It gives Meta a product that people are choosing to use and new ways to make money beyond advertising. Still, it's early. Downloads can fade once the novelty wears off, and privacy concerns remain. Rivals like Amazon and Alphabet have already blocked Muse from their shopping sites. The coming months will show whether Muse becomes a lasting habit or just a strong first impression.

INTC (+13.4%): Intel this week as the buzz around Meta's Muse sparked a broad rally in chip stocks.

NET (+7.7%): Cloudflare climbed this week after launching new tools that let websites block AI companies from scraping their content.

PLTR (+6.8%): Palantir hit a near one-year high after winning a $48.1 million U.S. Army contract, along with Chipotle testing Palantir's software to track food safety at its restaurants.

MGM (-13.9%): MGM Resorts tumbled this week after Barry Diller's People Inc. walked away from its $18 billion offer to buy the company.

FSLR (-9.3%): First Solar fell this week after dropping a trade complaint that could have quickly blocked rivals imported solar panels, while higher borrowing costs weighed on solar stocks broadly.

ORCL (-7.1%): Oracle slid this week on reports it is trying to shield itself from rising costs at a massive New Mexico data center it's building.

Americans are expected to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, up from $13.1 billion in 2025, according to the National Retail Federation. Costumes make up the largest share of that total at $4.4 billion, with decorations close behind at $4.3 billion, candy at $4.1 billion and greeting cards at $0.8 billion. Participation is also on the rise, with 74% of consumers planning to celebrate, up from 73% last year. Each shopper is expected to spend an average of $115, topping last year's record of $114 and marking a new high for per-person Halloween spending.

The long-term trend shows Halloween spending has nearly doubled over the past decade, rising from $6.9 billion in 2015, although growth has not always been steady. Spending dipped to $8.0 billion in 2020 during the pandemic and slipped again in 2024 before climbing back to new highs. Shoppers are also getting an earlier start, with 49% beginning in September or earlier. Many are looking for value, and discount stores remain the most popular place to shop. For retailers, Halloween has become an increasingly important part of the fall shopping season. Consumers will keep watching how prices affect what they spend on costumes, candy and decorations.