Feb 20 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms ( META ) has cut back

on its yearly distribution of stock options by about 10% for

tens of thousands of employees despite the social media giant

trading at record highs this month, the Financial Times reported

on Thursday.

Employees receive equity refreshers every year that make up

the majority of their remuneration, alongside base salaries and

annual bonuses, the FT reported. These stack and "vest" every

three months over four years.

Most employees have been told they would receive about 10%

less equity this year, the FT reported, citing several people

familiar with the matter.

The exact reduction will depend on where the employees are

based and their level within the organization, the report said.

Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

The social media giant's shares have been on a winning

streak beginning January 17, after the Supreme Court upheld the

law banning TikTok in the U.S., even though President Donald

Trump signed an executive order to delay its enforcement.

The gains were also helped by CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying in

January that Meta plans to spend as much as $65 billion this

year to expand its AI infrastructure.

Meta's shares closed down 1.3% at $694.8 on Thursday.

In January, the Facebook parent said it would trim about 5%

of its "lowest performers" and plans to hire for the impacted

roles this year.

Zuckerberg has also warned employees about more such job

cuts this year to "raise the bar" on performance management.

It beat Wall Street expectations for fourth-quarter revenue

in late January, but said sales in the current first quarter

might not meet estimates, sending mixed signals about how its

bets on pricey artificial intelligence-powered tools are paying

off.

(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Anil

D'Silva)