Meta Platforms Reports Third-Quarter Revenue Surge to $64.60 Billion
Meta Platforms reported third-quarter revenue of 64,60 miliardy dolarů, marking a 26 percent increase from the same period last year and exceeding analyst expectations of approximately 63,4 miliardy, according to financial figures detailed by List of News. Driven by its core advertising business across Facebook and Instagram alongside expanding artificial intelligence products, the company posted strong top-line growth while managing substantial capital expenditures and a major legal settlement.
Advertising drives income as Muse assistant launches
Advertising revenue on Facebook and Instagram remains the primary driver of income for Meta Platforms. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the rollout of artificial intelligence assistants, including the Muse assistant launched in September, which quickly climbed download charts on the US App Store. reported that Muse reached approximately 10,9 milionu downloads and an estimated 2,5 milionu daily active users by mid-October.
To monetize these tools, Meta offers advanced features of Muse for $20 or $100 per month, while developers can access more powerful models through Muse Code for $50 or $200 monthly. Basic models are offered for free to encourage adoption before users transition to paid tiers.
Legal settlement reduces quarterly net income
Net income reached 9,86 miliardy dolarů for the quarter, constrained by an extraordinary charge of 9,89 miliardy dolarů stemming from an August settlement with U.S. state attorneys general regarding teenage mental health litigation, Patria.cz reported. Without this extraordinary charge, adjusted earnings per share would have reached $7.40 instead of the reported $3.83, which fell short of Wall Street estimates. Total daily active users across the company’s applications reached 3,64 miliardy.
Meta increases spending on AI infrastructure
Meta raised the lower boundary of its expected capital expenditures for the year from 130 billion to a range of 135 až 145 miliard dolarů, with the upper boundary remaining at 145 miliardách, surpassing analyst expectations of roughly 138,3 miliardy. These infrastructure investments fund data centers and computing power needed to support advanced AI models and agents.
Fourth-Quarter Outlook and New Class C Share Distribution
For the final quarter of the year, Meta projects revenue between 73 až 76 miliard dolarů, exceeding the analyst consensus of 73,73 miliardy reported by List of News. Following the earnings announcement, Meta shares rose three to six percent in after-hours trading on Nasdaq.
Meta announced that it will distribute new Class C shares without voting rights to existing shareholders in January through a stock dividend. Operating as a two-for-one stock split, the move is designed to fund future growth while preserving founder Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control.
What caused earnings differences and AI spending?
How much is Meta spending on capital expenditures for AI infrastructure this year?
Meta raised its capital expenditure forecast to a range of 135 až 145 miliard dolarů for the year, primarily to build out data centers and computing capacity for artificial intelligence systems, as reported by Patria.cz.
What is the function of the new Class C shares announced by Meta?
Meta announced a distribution of new non-voting Class C shares to existing shareholders in January, functioning as a two-for-one stock split to help finance future growth and acquisitions while maintaining Mark Zuckerberg’s governance control.