Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META ) had been trading near its 52-week low in early January 2026, as investors worried about its heavy reliance on advertising for 98% of revenues, making earnings volatile compared to its diversified peers. ...

Core Insights - The company reported a quarterly revenue of $59.89 billion, representing a 24% increase from the same period a year earlier, exceeding LSEG analyst expectations of $58.59 billion by approximately $1.3 billion [1][3] - Earnings per share (EPS) were reported at $8.88, surpassing the expected EPS of $8.23 by 60 cents [1][3] User Metrics - The company revealed additional metrics regarding its user base, indicating potential growth and engagement trends [2]

Core Insights - Meta Platforms (META) reported fourth-quarter 2025 non-GAAP earnings of $8.88 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.16% [1] - Revenues reached $59.89 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.22% and reflecting a year-over-year increase of 23.8% [1] - At constant currency, revenues increased by 23% year over year [1] Revenue Breakdown - Revenues from the Family of Apps, which constitutes 98.4% of total revenues, rose 24.6% year over year to $58.94 billion, driven by WhatsApp paid messaging and Meta Verified subscriptions [2] - Daily Active People (DAP) across Family of Apps reached 3.58 billion, marking a 7% year-over-year increase, with significant revenue growth across various regions: United States & Canada (21.5%), Asia-Pacific (21%), Europe (25.9%), and Rest of the World (32.5%) [3] Engagement and Content - Instagram Reels saw over 30% year-over-year growth in watch time in the United States, with a 10% increase in original content [4] - Facebook video time also grew in double digits year-over-year, with a 7% increase in views of organic Feed and video posts due to ranking and product improvements [5] Advertising Performance - Advertising revenues, which account for 98.6% of Family of Apps revenues, increased 24.3% year over year to $58.14 billion, representing 97.1% of total revenues [6] - Ad impressions across Family of Apps grew 18% year over year, with a 6% increase in average price per ad [7] Cost and Margin Analysis - Total costs and expenses rose 40.5% year over year to $35.15 billion, leading to an operating margin contraction to 41.3%, down 700 basis points year over year [11][12] - Operating income for the quarter was $24.75 billion, an 18.4% year-over-year increase [12] Financial Position - As of December 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents along with marketable securities totaled $81.59 billion, up from $44.45 billion as of September 30, 2025 [13] - Long-term debt remained stable at $58.74 billion, with capital expenditures of $22.14 billion and free cash flow of $14.08 billion [13] Future Guidance - For Q1 2026, Meta expects total revenues between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion, with a 4% tailwind from favorable foreign exchange [14] - Anticipated total expenses for 2026 are projected between $162 billion and $169 billion, driven by increased infrastructure costs and higher employee compensation [14][15]

Welcome back to Morning Trade Live. It's time now for the big picture. So, let's welcome in Lisanne Saunders, chief investment strategist, Sharp Center for Financial Research.Always lovely to see you, Lisanne. >> You too, sir. >> So, we cleared some hurdles yesterday.We got through the Fed, which as you describe is a bit of a snore um because obviously we did see the S&P 500 just teetering around the flatline. It didn't budge much from that. We got through three of the MAG 7.Very different reactions in the ...

[music] It's a day after a Fed meeting where Jerome Pal threw up the bird to rate cut seeking President Trump. We are now in the land of the PAL pause friends earnings out of Metrosoft. Meta, Microsoft, and Tesla [music] are dominating the business news cycle this morning.Precious metals are ripping higher again. I'm really locked in on copper. To all this, I say good Thursday morning.I'm Yao Finance executive editor Brian [music] Sazy and you better be locked in because earnest season is starting to rage. ...

ZINGER KEY POINTS:Social media and tech juggernaut Meta Platforms is embracing the brave new world in automation.Despite the relevance, execution uncertainties help fuel speculation in Direxion's METU and METD ETFs.The big day comes on Jan. 28 after the closing bell. Wall Street analysts will be looking for earnings per share of $8.18 on revenue of $58.41 billion. In the year-ago quarter, the social media giant posted EPS of $8.02 on sales of $48.38 billion, beating out the consensus expectations of $6.76 a ...

Welcome to Morning Brief. I'm Julie Hyman. It is a big big week for earnings.It's underway. Let's start off and dive right into it with a check in on what's going on in the futures this morning. We had Meta, Microsoft, and Tesla after the close yesterday.We have a number of big companies coming out this morning. And as you look at how it's playing out, Dow futures indicating a very, very slightly higher open. S&P futures looking to um come back with the gains here looking to gain about a quarter of a percen ...

Core Viewpoint - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) is maintaining a strong position in the digital advertising market, with Roth Capital reaffirming a "Buy" rating and raising the price target from $800 to $850 due to strong financial performance and growth potential [1][6]. Financial Performance - Meta exceeded earnings and revenue expectations in Q4, driven by robust holiday advertising demand, which has contributed to a positive outlook from Roth Capital [2][6]. - Despite significant capital expenditures for AI investments and strategic acquisitions, Meta maintains impressive free cash flow, supporting the raised price target [2]. Valuation Metrics - The stock is currently valued at 20.2 times projected earnings for fiscal year 2027, which is attractive compared to major tech competitors [3]. - A fair value target for Meta's stock is set at $826, based on an industry-standard price-to-earnings ratio of 25 times, indicating potential for growth [3]. Stock Performance - As of the latest trading session, META's stock is priced at $668.73, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.63% or $4.24, with fluctuations between a low of $667.45 and a high of $677.68 during the day [4]. - Over the past year, META's stock has ranged from a low of $479.80 to a high of $796.25, indicating significant volatility [4]. Market Capitalization and Trading Activity - Meta's market capitalization is approximately $1.69 trillion, highlighting its substantial presence in the tech industry [5]. - Today's trading volume on NASDAQ is 16,982,940 shares, reflecting active investor interest, which, combined with strong financial performance, supports the positive sentiment from Roth Capital [5].

MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Facebook employees gather in front of a sign displaying a new logo and the name 'Meta' in front of Facebook headquarters on October 28, 2021 in Menlo Park, California. A new name and logo were unveiled at Facebook headquarters after a much anticipated name change for the social media platform. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesMeta stock has declined 1% in the last year, according to CNBC, with a 10% pop in pre-market trading after a fourth quarter earni ...

Core Insights - Tech giants Meta Platforms Inc and Microsoft Corp reported strong earnings results, but their stock movements diverged sharply in the market [1] Group 1: Meta Platforms Inc (META) - META's stock rose by 7.7% to $719.96, reaching its highest level since October and on track for its largest single-day percentage gain since July [2] - The company announced better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and revenue, along with an increase in current-quarter sales guidance [2] - META plans to nearly double its AI spending by 2026, indicating a strong commitment to technology investment [2] Group 2: Microsoft Corp (MSFT) - MSFT's stock fell by 11.3% to $427.01, marking its lowest level since May 2025 and potentially its worst single-day percentage loss since the Covid-19 crash [3] - Despite reporting better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results, the stock is negatively impacted by higher capital spending and slower growth in cloud computing [3] - A soft operating margin outlook is also contributing to the downward pressure on MSFT shares [3] Group 3: Options Activity - Both META and MSFT are experiencing significantly higher trading volumes in the options market [4] - The most popular options for META are the weekly 1/30 750-strike call, while for MSFT, it is the March 435 call, with new positions being opened for both [4]