Meta stock surges after Q2 results blow past expectations despite heavy AI spending

Core Insights - Meta's significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI) are yielding positive results, as evidenced by a substantial increase in stock price following a strong quarterly earnings report [3][10] Financial Performance - For the second quarter, Meta reported earnings of $18.34 billion, or $7.14 per share, marking a 36% increase from $13.47 billion, or $5.16 per share, in the same period last year [6] - Revenue rose 22% to $47.52 billion from $39.07 billion, surpassing analysts' expectations of $44.81 billion [6] - Daily active users across Meta's platforms reached 3.48 billion, reflecting a 6% year-over-year growth [6] AI Investments and Strategy - Meta is heavily investing in AI development, with expectations of increased costs, forecasting expenses to rise to between $114 billion and $118 billion by 2025, a 20% to 24% increase year-over-year [7] - CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed a vision for "personal superintelligence," aiming to empower individuals rather than centralizing control over AI [9] - Recent investments include $14.3 billion in AI company Scale and securing a 20-year nuclear power deal to support AI and computing demands [9] User Growth and Market Position - Meta's workforce grew to 75,945 employees, a 7% increase from the previous year [10] - Following the earnings report, Meta's shares surged by 11.8%, reaching $777.08 in after-hours trading, positioning the stock for a potential record high [10]