Meta Platforms(US:META) 美股IPO·2025-10-29 22:58Core Viewpoint - Meta's third-quarter net profit plummeted by 83% year-on-year, primarily due to a one-time non-cash tax expense of $15.93 billion resulting from the U.S. tax reform, which raised the effective tax rate to 87% from 12% in the same period last year [1][3][5] Financial Performance - Revenue for the third quarter reached $51.24 billion, a 26% year-on-year increase, while net profit fell from $15.69 billion to $2.71 billion [3][5] - Earnings per share (EPS) was reported at $1.05, significantly below market expectations of $6.68, but adjusted EPS, excluding the tax impact, was $7.25, exceeding expectations [5] - Operating profit margin decreased from 43% to 40%, with total costs rising by 32% year-on-year [5][13] - Free cash flow stood at $10.6 billion, with cash reserves of $44.5 billion [5][15] Business Progress - Daily active users reached 3.54 billion, an 8% year-on-year growth, with ad impressions increasing by 14% and average ad prices rising by 10% [4][10] - Q4 revenue guidance is set between $56 billion and $59 billion, aligning with market expectations [6][14] Strategic Adjustments - Significant capital expenditures are anticipated, with projections for 2026 potentially exceeding $80-85 billion, driven by infrastructure investments and AI talent costs [12][13] - The CFO indicated that the growth in capital expenditures for 2026 will significantly surpass that of 2025, which was already projected at $70-72 billion [13] Future Outlook - Concerns arise regarding the Reality Labs division, which is expected to see a decline in hardware revenue in Q4 due to last year's product launches and preemptive stocking by retailers [14] - Despite a solid financial position, the key issue lies in whether investors are willing to support an unclear return cycle for AI investments, as indicated by the post-earnings drop of over 8% [15]