The U.S. Dollar Index edged lower on Oct. 21 before Meta Platforms, Inc. raised its 2026 capital spending forecast, with AI optimism helping draw foreign investment into U.S. assets.
Charles Schwab put the index at 101.67, down 0.03%, at 9:18 a.m. ET (13:18 UTC). In an article published at 7:47 a.m. ET (11:47 UTC), FXStreet said the index traded near 101.68. Neither reading captures trading after Meta’s results. Intercontinental Exchange calculates the index from the dollar’s exchange rates against six currencies. The latest reading follows the index’s earlier move below 102 ahead of the October Federal Reserve meeting.
After U.S. markets closed, Meta reported $64.601 billion in revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30, an increase of 26% from a year earlier. It put capital outlays at $34.91 billion for the quarter, including repayments of finance-lease principal.
The company now projects $135 billion to $145 billion in capital spending for 2026. Its previous forecast ranged from $130 billion to $145 billion, so the revision raised the minimum while leaving the maximum in place.
Meta said its artificial intelligence investments were contributing to advertising revenue, but gave no figure for that contribution in its outlook. It also reported negative free cash flow of $2.12 billion for the quarter.
MUFG Research said foreign inflows into U.S. assets, driven in part by AI optimism, had supported the dollar. The firm estimated that foreign investors purchased $942 billion in U.S. equities and $452 billion in U.S. corporate bonds in the 12 months through July 2026. It warned that weaker sentiment toward AI could leave the dollar more exposed to a reversal.
MUFG’s analysis does not establish what caused the dollar’s Oct. 21 decline. The available index readings also precede Meta’s announcement, so they do not show a currency response to it. S&P Global is scheduled to release its October flash purchasing managers’ index readings on Oct. 23.
