Jefferies Analyst Brent Thill says Meta Platforms Inc.'s capital spending will pay off on "Bloomberg The Close." Meta projected stronger-than-expected holiday quarter sales and touted AI improvements to its core advertising business.
Meta Platforms (META) reported third-quarter earnings that topped analysts' estimates with a boost from artificial intelligence (AI) demand, and lifted its estimates for how much money it plans to spend this year as it invests in the emerging tech.
Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, ETR:FB2A, SWX:FB) shares slipped as the Facebook and Instagram parent company guided weaker-than-expected revenue for the fourth quarter. For the December quarter, Meta expects revenue in the range of $45 billion to $48 billion, at the lower end missing Street estimates of $46.18 billion.
Company beats financial predictions but does not increase daily users as much as Wall Street thought it might
The Silicon Valley company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said it does not plan to slow down its investments anytime soon.
Meta Platforms handily beat Wall Street analysts' estimates in the third quarter, offering an upbeat view of the holiday quarter as its social networks combined to reach almost 3.3 billion daily users. Earnings per share jumped 37% from the year-earlier period to $6.03 on a diluted basis, with total revenue climbing 19% to $40.
Shares of Meta Platforms fell by more than 3% as the company reported earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations Wednesday.
The social media giant is spending billions on artificial intelligence and products for virtual and augmented reality.
Facebook-owner Meta Platforms forecast current-quarter revenue above market expectations on Wednesday, projecting robust holiday ad spending that should continue to cover the cost of its massive artificial intelligence investments.
Meta's Reality Labs unit, which develops augmented and virtual reality technologies, logged an operating loss of $4.4 billion in the third quarter. Reality Labs revenue rose 29% year-over-year to $270 million in the third quarter, below analysts' expectations $310.4 million.
Meta is slated to report third-quarter earnings on Wednesday after the close of regular trading. Analysts polled by LSEG expect the company to report second-quarter revenue of $40.27 billion.
Meta Platforms scheduled to report earnings after Wednesday's close. The stock recently hit a record high near $602/share and is currently trading near that level.