Meta Platforms: AI Continues to Drive Revenue, but Is the Stock a Buy?

Core Viewpoint - Concerns regarding reduced spending from China-based e-commerce exporters have been largely justified, impacting Meta Platforms' revenue, but the company has shown resilience and growth driven by artificial intelligence (AI) investments [1][2][14]. Financial Performance - Meta's Q1 revenue increased by 16% year over year to $42.31 billion, with earnings per share (EPS) rising 37% to $6.43, surpassing analyst expectations [5]. - Advertising revenue also grew by 16% to $41.4 billion, while Reality Labs revenue fell by 6% to $412 million [6]. Advertising Dynamics - The growth in advertising was supported by a 5% increase in ad impressions and a 10% rise in average price per ad, attributed to AI investments [7]. - AI has enhanced user engagement, leading to a 7% increase in time spent on Facebook and a 6% increase on Instagram [8]. User Base Growth - The family daily active people (DAP) metric rose by 6% year over year to 3.43 billion, exceeding analyst expectations [10]. - The new app, Threads, has grown to over 350 million monthly active users, with plans to gradually introduce ads [11]. Future Outlook - Meta forecasts Q2 revenue between $42.5 billion and $45.5 billion, reflecting growth of 9% to 16% year over year [12]. - The company has increased its full-year capital expenditures to a range of $64 billion to $72 billion, focusing on data center investments for AI [13]. Investment Perspective - Despite challenges from the U.S.-China trade war, Meta's reliance on AI for advertising revenue growth positions it favorably for long-term investment [14]. - The stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 23 times based on 2025 estimates, indicating an attractive valuation [15].