Meta Just Made a No-Brainer Move. Here's Why It Could Lead To More Profits.

Core Insights - Meta Platforms is making significant budget cuts to its metaverse division, acknowledging that its previous focus on the metaverse was misguided and costly [1][5][11] - The company plans to reduce its metaverse budget by up to 30%, which is expected to save billions annually [6][11] - Meta's Reality Labs division has incurred substantial losses, with a reported loss of $13.2 billion in 2023 and $17.7 billion for the full year [3][11] Financial Performance - Meta's Reality Labs generated only $1.3 billion in revenue while incurring losses of $13.2 billion in 2023 [3] - The company's stock saw a positive reaction, increasing by several points following the announcement of budget cuts [6] - Since the layoffs in November 2022, which affected 11,000 employees, Meta's stock has increased over 500%, indicating a successful shift in strategy towards profitability [10] Strategic Shift - The cuts will affect products like Horizon Worlds and the Quest virtual reality unit, with layoffs expected as early as January [7] - This strategic pivot reflects a realization that technology must be useful to succeed, moving away from Zuckerberg's previous vision of the metaverse [7][12] - The company aims to redirect resources towards more practical applications, particularly in AI and other startup projects [12]