CNBC·2025-08-08 16:37Core Insights - Artificial intelligence has significantly boosted digital advertising, with both Meta and Alphabet reporting sales and earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations, particularly in digital ad spending [1][2]. Meta Platforms Inc. - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted that AI has enhanced efficiency in their ad system, contributing to a 22% year-over-year increase in second-quarter sales, reaching $47.52 billion [2]. - Meta's finance chief Susan Li noted an improvement in the online ad market since April, particularly with Asian-based ecommerce firms increasing their digital ad spending [3][4]. - Meta raised its capital expenditure forecast for the year to between $66 billion and $72 billion, up from a previous range of $64 billion to $72 billion, reflecting confidence in ongoing sales growth [6]. Alphabet Inc. - Alphabet increased its 2025 capital expenditure forecast by $10 billion to $85 billion, indicating strong investment in AI and digital advertising [6]. Reddit - Reddit reported strong second-quarter sales of $500 million, marking a 78% year-over-year increase, which positively impacted its share price [7]. - This performance stands in contrast to peers like Snap and Pinterest, which reported weaker earnings [9]. Snap Inc. - Snap's second-quarter sales grew only 9% year-over-year, missing Wall Street estimates, partly due to issues with its advertising platform [9][10]. - Snap's CEO acknowledged that the platform's update negatively affected topline growth, and the company has identified Reddit as a competitor [10]. Pinterest - Pinterest's shares fell over 10% after reporting second-quarter earnings that missed expectations, with the finance chief citing tariff-related concerns and broader market uncertainty [11][12].