Meta Platforms(US:META) 智通财经网·2025-10-29 23:17Core Insights - Meta Platforms reported a significant decline in profits for Q3 2025 due to a one-time non-cash income tax expense of nearly $16 billion [1][4] - The company plans to substantially increase total expenditures in 2026 and maintain high levels of investment in data centers and infrastructure to support its AI development goals [1][5] Financial Performance - Meta's Q3 revenue grew by 26% year-over-year to $51.24 billion, exceeding market expectations of $49.6 billion [4] - Advertising revenue was $50.08 billion, also up 26% year-over-year, while other business revenue increased by 59% to $690 million [4] - The Reality Labs division, responsible for the metaverse, saw a 74% year-over-year revenue increase to $470 million, but reported an operating loss of $4.43 billion, roughly unchanged from the previous year [4] Tax Impact - The implementation of the "Big and Beautiful Act" led to a one-time non-cash income tax expense of $15.93 billion, resulting in a net profit drop of 83% year-over-year to $2.709 billion [4] - Adjusted for this tax impact, the net profit for the quarter would have been $18.64 billion, translating to an earnings per share (EPS) of $7.25, significantly higher than the reported EPS of $1.05 [4] Capital Expenditure Plans - Meta raised its capital expenditure forecast for the year to $70-72 billion, up from a previous estimate of $66-72 billion [5] - The company has already spent $50 billion on capital expenditures this year and anticipates that 2026's capital expenditures will be "significantly higher" than those in 2025 [5] - The CFO indicated that total expenditures will grow at a "significantly faster percentage rate" next year, driven by increased demand for computing resources [5] AI Investment and Market Sentiment - Meta's investments in AI are beginning to yield results, enhancing the precision of advertising and content recommendations [5] - CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the need for continued investment in infrastructure to maintain industry-leading computing power in AI [6] - Despite the positive outlook, Wall Street analysts express caution regarding potential over-expenditure, highlighting a growing tension between large AI infrastructure investments and investor expectations for short-term returns [6]