Industry Comparison: Evaluating Meta Platforms Against Competitors In Interactive Media & Services Industry - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)

Core Insights - The article provides a comprehensive comparison of Meta Platforms against its key competitors in the Interactive Media & Services industry, focusing on financial indicators, market position, and growth potential [1] Company Overview - Meta Platforms is the largest social media company globally, with nearly 4 billion monthly active users [2] - The core business, "Family of Apps," includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, which are used for various purposes, including social interaction and digital business [2] - Meta generates revenue primarily through advertising by leveraging customer data from its applications [2] Financial Performance - Meta's Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio is 27.17, which is below the industry average by 0.42x, indicating potential undervaluation [5] - The Price to Book (P/B) ratio stands at 9.64, suggesting the company may be overvalued based on its book value, as it is 2.13x higher than the industry average [5] - The Price to Sales (P/S) ratio is 10.87, which is 0.14x the industry average, indicating possible undervaluation based on sales performance [5] - Meta's Return on Equity (ROE) is 9.65%, which is 6.64% above the industry average, reflecting efficient use of equity to generate profits [5] - The Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) is $25.12 billion, which is 7.18x above the industry average, showcasing strong profitability [5] - Gross profit amounts to $39.02 billion, indicating 7.03x above the industry average, demonstrating robust earnings from core operations [5] - Revenue growth is at 21.61%, significantly higher than the industry average of 11.8%, indicating strong demand for its products or services [5] Debt Management - Meta's debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is 0.25, indicating a favorable balance between debt and equity compared to its top 4 peers, which is a positive aspect for investors [10] - The D/E ratio is a critical measure for evaluating financial health and risk profile within the industry [8]