Earnings Overview - The Q4 2025 earnings season shows solid earnings and sales growth for the S&P 500, but the percentage of companies beating expectations is lower compared to previous periods [1] - Post-earnings reactions have varied, with Meta Platforms (META) experiencing a share price increase while Microsoft (MSFT) faced significant declines [2] Microsoft (MSFT) Performance - Microsoft reported a double-beat with adjusted EPS of $4.14, a 24% year-over-year increase, and sales of $81.3 billion, up 17% from the previous year [3] - Despite impressive headline growth, investor concerns arose due to high capital expenditures of $37.5 billion, primarily for cloud and AI investments, and a slowdown in Azure growth [4][6] - Azure's revenue growth decelerated to 31% year-over-year, down from previous growth rates of 35% and 39% [8] Meta Platforms (META) Performance - Meta also achieved a double-beat with adjusted EPS of $8.88, an 11% year-over-year increase, and a 24% rise in sales [9] - The company saw a 7% year-over-year increase in average Family Daily Active People, reaching approximately 3.6 billion, and ad impressions grew by 18% [10] - Meta's full-year 2026 expense guidance is between $162 billion and $169 billion, with significant allocations for infrastructure and talent compensation [12] Comparative Analysis - The contrasting post-earnings reactions highlight the market's differing perceptions of capital expenditures and growth rates between META and MSFT [13]

Core Insights - Meta Platforms reported strong earnings, exceeding estimates with a revenue increase of 24% to $59.9 billion for the quarter and over $200 billion for the full year, marking a 22% year-over-year growth [2][4] - The company forecasted capital expenditures (capex) for 2026 to reach between $115 billion and $135 billion, indicating a significant investment in AI and its core business [3][4] - This capex forecast represents a 73% increase from the previous year, with infrastructure spending expected to triple over two years, signaling a robust acceleration in AI investments [4] Industry Implications - Meta's substantial capex forecast is expected to benefit various sectors within the AI industry, particularly companies involved in data center operations [6] - CoreWeave, a key player in the AI sector, is likely to gain significantly from Meta's spending, having established a $14 billion agreement with Meta for cloud computing capacity through 2031 [7][8] - The partnership with CoreWeave positions it to capitalize on Meta's investments in AI infrastructure, potentially enhancing its market performance [6][7]