Meta and Microsoft showing they can make money in the age of AI, says Jefferies Brent Thill

Market Performance & Expectations - Meta's user growth and ad revenue drive excitement, particularly regarding Instagram, social networks, digital ad monetization, and AR/VR potential in the next 12 months [2] - Microsoft's Azure is experiencing accelerated growth, moving from mid-30s to high-30s [7] - Amazon is expected to show acceleration with street estimates at 17% growth, supported by a 20% backlog [14] Capital Expenditure (CapEx) & Investment - Meta's CapEx guide is narrowing, but overall spending is expected to increase, signaling a green light for hyperscalers and mega-caps to continue investing in AI [4] - Google raised CapEx by 10%, and Meta increased its high point by another 2 billion [6] - Microsoft is expected to maintain high spending due to capacity constraints, with investors unconcerned due to strong revenue growth and margins [6][7] AI Development & Strategy - Meta is positioned on the "decentralized abundance" side of AI development, aiming to bring superintelligence to everyone, contrasting with a "centralized scarcity" approach [11] - Meta is considered the most efficient company in the Valley from an automation perspective, leading to significant revenue and profit per employee [2][13] - The enterprise adoption of AI is still in its infancy, indicating significant growth potential in the coming years [5] Competitive Landscape - Microsoft is gaining share on Amazon in the public cloud [17] - Meta is reportedly taking advertiser budget share from Google and Amazon [17]