Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta report results

Group 1: Alphabet (Google) - Q3 revenue exceeded estimates at $102.35 billion, surpassing the expected $100 billion [1] - YouTube ad revenue and overall Google ad revenue performed better than expected, contributing to strong top-line growth [1][2] - Operating income fell short of expectations, reflecting challenges such as the EU antitrust fine [2] - The cloud business showed significant growth, with revenue increasing by 15.16%, beating the street estimate of 14.75% [6] - Analysts remain bullish on Alphabet, with price targets reaching up to $300 per share, driven by optimism around AI and cloud services [4][40] Group 2: Meta - Meta's Q4 revenue forecast is between $56 billion to $59 billion, aligning closely with expectations [15] - The company reported a significant non-cash tax charge of nearly $16 billion, impacting EPS [21] - Despite a strong ad revenue performance of $50.08 billion, which beat expectations, the stock saw a decline due to concerns over expenses and tax impacts [17][25] - Meta's capex guidance for the full year increased to between $70 billion to $72 billion, raising investor concerns about spending efficiency [26][28] - Analysts expect continued strong revenue growth, with a forecast of 20% ad growth for Q4 [32] Group 3: Microsoft - Microsoft reported strong earnings, beating both top and bottom line expectations, with cloud revenue also exceeding estimates [20][22] - Despite positive results, shares fell approximately 4% in after-hours trading, attributed to a perceived disconnect between performance and market expectations [21][14] - The company is heavily invested in AI infrastructure, which is expected to drive future growth [11][12] Group 4: Digital Advertising Market - The digital ad market remains robust, with major platforms like Google and Meta expected to continue gaining momentum [46] - Smaller players in the advertising space are struggling, indicating a potential consolidation trend [46] - Analysts anticipate strong results from Amazon's advertising segment, reflecting overall positive sentiment in the digital ad market [46]