5 of the biggest takeaways from Meta's Q3 earnings call

Core Insights - Meta's third-quarter earnings report led to a nearly 9% drop in share price despite beating revenue expectations with $51.24 billion, primarily due to a $15.9 billion tax charge and concerns over AI investments [1][2]. Group 1: Capital Expenditure and AI Investments - Meta plans to spend between $70 billion and $72 billion on infrastructure in 2023, with expectations of significantly larger expenditure growth in 2026 as AI workloads increase [3][4]. - The company is focusing on building novel capabilities and plans to invest aggressively in data centers and third-party cloud capacity, which will exert upward pressure on capital expenditures [4][5]. - Employee compensation is projected to be the second-largest contributor to expense growth in 2026, reflecting the hiring of AI specialists and new technical recruits [5][9]. Group 2: Reality Labs Performance - Meta's Reality Labs reported $470 million in revenue but incurred an operating loss of $4.43 billion, slightly improved from a $4.53 billion loss in the previous quarter [9][10]. - Revenue for Reality Labs received a temporary boost from retailers stocking Quest headsets ahead of the holiday season, but challenges remain due to the lack of new model releases [10][11]. Group 3: Tax Charge Implications - The company faced a one-time $15.9 billion tax charge due to changes in tax legislation, which allowed for a valuation allowance against federal deferred tax assets [11][12]. - Without this charge, Meta's effective tax rate would have dropped from 87% to 14%, positioning the company favorably for future cash tax payments [12][13]. Group 4: AI Impact on Engagement - AI-powered recommendation systems have increased user engagement, with time spent on Facebook rising by 5%, Threads by 10%, and video viewing on Instagram by over 30% [14][15]. - Meta's generative AI features for advertisers are expected to enhance performance and potentially offset losses from Reality Labs [15][16]. Group 5: AI Glasses Market Potential - Meta's AI-powered glasses are anticipated to become a profitable investment, with strong sales reported and collaborations with Ray-Ban and Oakley progressing well [17][18]. - The new Ray-Ban Displays sold out quickly, indicating strong consumer interest, and the AI capabilities are expected to be a primary usage driver for the glasses [18].