Meta Platforms, Inc. operates with a mission to build community and bring the world closer together through its diverse range of products and services. The company reports its financial results in two segments: Family of Apps and Reality Labs. The Family of Apps segment includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and other services, generating substantially all of Meta's revenue through advertising placements . Reality Labs focuses on the development and sale of consumer hardware products, software, and content related to virtual, augmented, and mixed reality . Meta's strategic investments are directed towards artificial intelligence, the metaverse, its discovery engine, monetization of products and services, regulatory readiness, and enhancing developer efficiency .
- Family of Apps - Encompasses Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and other services, generating revenue primarily through advertising placements that allow marketers to reach users across various objectives.
- Facebook - A social networking platform connecting users worldwide.
- Instagram - A photo and video sharing social networking service.
- Messenger - A messaging app and platform.
- WhatsApp - A messaging and voice over IP service.
- Reality Labs - Develops and sells consumer hardware products, software, and content related to virtual, augmented, and mixed reality.
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| Name | Position | External Roles | Short Bio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mark Zuckerberg ExecutiveBoard | Founder, Chairman, and CEO | None | Founder of Meta, leading the company since 2004, overseeing its transformation into a global tech leader. | View Report → |
Andrew Bosworth Executive | Chief Technology Officer | None | Heads technology development, focusing on virtual and augmented reality innovations. | |
Christopher K. Cox Executive | Chief Product Officer | None | Leads product development, enhancing engagement across Meta's apps. | |
Javier Olivan Executive | Chief Operating Officer | None | Oversees global operations, pivotal in Meta's international growth strategies. | |
Nick Clegg Executive | President of Global Affairs | None | Manages global affairs, previously served as Deputy Prime Minister of the UK. | |
Susan Li Executive | Chief Financial Officer | None | CFO of Meta, responsible for financial strategy and operations. | |
Andrew W. Houston Board | Independent Director | CEO & Chairman of Dropbox, Inc. | Brings leadership experience from Dropbox, focusing on collaboration technologies. | |
Charlie Songhurst Board | Independent Director | Technology Investor | Provides expertise in enterprise SaaS, AI, and deep tech, with a background in corporate strategy. | |
Dana White Board | Independent Director | President & CEO of UFC | Offers brand building and global business strategy expertise, leading UFC's global expansion. | |
Hock E. Tan Board | Independent Director | President & CEO of Broadcom Inc. | Provides technology and business development insights, with a focus on innovation. | |
John Arnold Board | Independent Director | Co-founder & Co-chair of Arnold Ventures, Co-founder & Chairman of Grid United | Brings investment and philanthropic expertise, focusing on systemic societal issues. | |
John Elkann Board | Independent Director | CEO of Exor, Executive Chair of Ferrari and Stellantis, Founder of Lingotto | Brings leadership and investment experience from his roles in major global companies. | |
Marc L. Andreessen Board | Independent Director | Co-founder & General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, Board Member at Coinbase and Samsara Inc. | Offers insights from his venture capital and technology background, supporting Meta's strategic initiatives. | |
Nancy Killefer Board | Independent Director | Director at Cardinal Health, Inc. and Certara, Inc. | Offers expertise in finance and compliance, with a background in public and private sectors. | |
Peggy Alford Board | Independent Director | Board Member at The Macerich Company | Contributes financial and operational expertise from her roles at PayPal and other companies. | |
Robert M. Kimmitt Board | Lead Independent Director | Senior International Counsel at WilmerHale | Provides oversight on legal and regulatory issues, with extensive government and legal experience. | |
Tony Xu Board | Independent Director | CEO & Chairman of DoorDash, Inc. | Provides strategic insights from his experience leading DoorDash. | |
Tracey T. Travis Board | Independent Director | Independent Director at Accenture plc | Offers financial and operational expertise, with extensive experience in global business. |
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With Reality Labs' operating losses expected to increase meaningfully year-over-year and no clear timeline provided for profitability, can you elaborate on when you anticipate reaching peak losses and what specific products or initiatives will drive returns in the next few years?
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You indicated significant capital expenditure growth in 2025 due to investments in AI infrastructure; how do you plan to balance these increased expenses with shareholder value, and what assurances can you provide that these investments will yield the expected returns?
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Despite Threads reaching 275 million monthly active users, you mentioned it won't be a meaningful driver of 2025 revenue; what is the long-term monetization strategy for Threads, and how do you justify continued investment without near-term revenue contributions?
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With the increase in average price per ad partly due to lower impression growth in Q3, are you concerned about stagnating impression growth, and what strategies are in place to drive both impression growth and advertiser value moving forward?
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Given your ongoing headcount investments in strategic areas like Generative AI and Reality Labs, how flexible is your overall headcount strategy in light of cost growth, and how are you ensuring that these investments provide measurable ROI rather than becoming cost centers?
Research analysts who have asked questions during Meta Platforms earnings calls.
Brian Nowak
Morgan Stanley
8 questions for META
Eric Sheridan
Goldman Sachs
8 questions for META
Justin Post
Bank of America Corporation
8 questions for META
Douglas Anmuth
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
6 questions for META
Mark Shmulik
Bernstein
6 questions for META
Youssef Squali
Truist Securities
6 questions for META
Ross Sandler
Barclays
5 questions for META
Mark Mahaney
Evercore ISI
4 questions for META
Ronald Josey
Citigroup Inc.
4 questions for META
Kenneth Gawrelski
Wells Fargo & Company
3 questions for META
Ron Josey
Citigroup Inc.
3 questions for META
Doug Anmuth
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
2 questions for META
Ken Gawrelski
Wells Fargo & Company
2 questions for META
Mark Shmulick
Bernstein
1 question for META
Yousef Squali
Truist Securities
1 question for META
Notable M&A activity and strategic investments in the past 3 years.
| Company | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
Business Acquisitions (Q3 2023) | 2023 | Total cash consideration was $467 million, with $88 million allocated to intangible assets and $366 million to goodwill driven by expected synergies and potential monetization opportunities; acquisition costs were immaterial and expensed as incurred. |
Business Acquisitions (Q2 2023) | 2023 | Total cash consideration of $467 million was used for the acquisitions, allocating $99 million to intangible assets and $357 million to goodwill reflecting anticipated synergies and monetization opportunities, with immaterial acquisition-related costs expensed as incurred. |
Business Acquisitions (Q1 2023) | 2023 | Completed for $430 million in cash, with $88 million in intangible assets and $343 million in goodwill arising from expected synergies and monetization opportunities; financial results were consolidated from the acquisition dates and related costs were immaterial. |
Business Acquisitions (Q3 2022) | 2022 | Total cash consideration of $1.18 billion was allocated to $302 million in intangible assets, $1.10 billion in goodwill, and $223 million in net liabilities assumed, with goodwill reflecting expectations of synergies and monetization and acquisition costs expensed as incurred. |
Business Acquisitions (Q2 2022) | 2022 | Total cash consideration stood at $1.15 billion, with allocations of $291 million to intangible assets, $1.07 billion to goodwill, and $211 million to net liabilities assumed; expected synergies and monetization opportunities underpinned the goodwill, and acquisition costs were immaterial. |
Business Acquisitions (Q1 2022) | 2022 | Completed with a total cash consideration of $774 million, allocating $182 million to intangible assets, $759 million to goodwill, and assuming $167 million in net liabilities, with the goodwill justified by synergies from future growth and monetization opportunities, and acquisition costs being immaterial. |
Recent press releases and 8-K filings for META.
- Meta estimated scam and banned-goods ads could account for 10% of 2024 revenue (approx. $16 billion)
- Internal guidelines capped enforcement actions if they would impact more than 0.15% of total revenue, influencing ad removals
- Separate estimates show Meta’s apps display roughly 15 billion higher-risk scam ads daily
- Meta reported $164.5 billion in 2024 sales, Q3 revenue of $51.24 billion (+26% YoY), and raised full-year expense guidance by $2 billion to fund AI investments
- On November 3, 2025, Meta Platforms completed an offering of $30 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes: $4 billion 4.200% due 2030, $4 billion 4.600% due 2032, $6.5 billion 4.875% due 2035, $4.5 billion 5.500% due 2045, $6.5 billion 5.625% due 2055 and $4.5 billion 5.750% due 2065.
- The notes were issued under the Base Indenture dated August 9, 2022, as supplemented by a Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated November 3, 2025.
- The offering was underwritten by a syndicate led by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC.
- Q3 revenue was $51.2 billion, up 26% YoY, driven by Family of Apps revenue of $50.8 billion (+26% YoY) and Reality Labs revenue of $470 million (+74% YoY); operating income was $20.5 billion (40% margin) and net income was $2.7 billion ($1.05 EPS), or $18.6 billion ($7.25 EPS) excluding a one-time tax charge.
- CapEx in Q3 totaled $19.4 billion; free cash flow was $10.6 billion. The company repurchased $3.2 billion of Class A shares, paid $1.3 billion in dividends, and ended the quarter with $44.4 billion in cash and marketable securities versus $28.8 billion in debt.
- Outlook for Q4 2025 revenue is $56–59 billion; full-year 2025 expenses are expected to be $116–118 billion and CapEx $70–72 billion. For 2026, Meta anticipates faster growth in CapEx and operating expenses driven by AI infrastructure and talent investments.
- AI and product initiatives: annual run rate of AI-powered ad tools exceeds $60 billion; over 1 billion monthly users of Meta AI; launch of Vibes and next-gen AI glasses sold out within 48 hours, underpinning plans to unify AI systems and expand compute capacity for superintelligence efforts.
- Meta’s Q3 2025 total revenue was $51.242 billion, comprising $50.082 billion in advertising and $0.690 billion in other revenue, up from $40.589 billion a year ago.
- Operating income reached $20.535 billion, with a 40% operating margin.
- Net income was $2.709 billion, reflecting an 87% effective tax rate due to a one-time $15.93 billion non-cash tax charge; pro forma net income excluding the charge was $18.64 billion.
- Daily Active People grew to 3.54 billion, and average revenue per person rose to $14.46.
- Free cash flow totaled $10.625 billion in the quarter.
- Meta delivered $51.2 billion in total Q3 revenue, up 26% YoY; family-of-apps revenue was $50.8 billion (+26%), with 3.5 billion daily actives, and Reality Labs revenue reached $470 million (+74%).
- Operating income was $20.5 billion (40% margin), as total expenses rose 32% due to legal charges, higher employee compensation, and increased infrastructure costs.
- Net income was $2.7 billion ($1.05 per share), reflecting an 87% tax rate; excluding a one-time tax adjustment, net income and EPS would have been $18.6 billion and $7.25, respectively.
- Capital expenditures totaled $19.4 billion, free cash flow was $10.6 billion, and the quarter closed with $44.4 billion in cash and marketable securities against $28.8 billion in debt.
- For 2026, Meta foresees notably higher CapEx and expense growth to support AI compute and infrastructure investments, while EU and U.S. regulatory actions pose potential revenue headwinds.
- Strong growth in engagement with 3.5 billion daily active users and Q3 total revenue of $51.2 billion (+26% y/y).
- Family of apps ad revenue reached $50.1 billion (+26% y/y) and Reality Labs revenue was $470 million (+74% y/y).
- Q3 operating income was $20.5 billion (40% margin); reported net income was $2.7 billion (EPS of $1.05), or $18.6 billion (EPS of $7.25) excluding a one-time tax charge.
- Capital expenditures of $19.4 billion, free cash flow of $10.6 billion, ending cash and marketable securities of $44.4 billion versus $28.8 billion in debt.
- Q4 2025 revenue guidance of $56–59 billion; full-year 2025 expense outlook $116–118 billion and CapEx $70–72 billion.
- Revenue of $51.24 billion, up 26% year-over-year; costs and expenses of $30.71 billion (+32%), yielding a 40% operating margin (vs. 43% in Q3 2024).
- Net income of $2.71 billion and diluted EPS of $1.05 fell 83%, driven by a $15.93 billion one-time non-cash tax charge.
- Q4 2025 guidance: revenue of $56–59 billion; full-year expenses of $116–118 billion; capex of $70–72 billion; tax rate of 12–15%.
- User and ad metrics: Family daily active people of 3.54 billion (+8% YoY); ad impressions up 14%; average price per ad +10%.
- Capital return and cash: $3.16 billion in share repurchases, $1.33 billion in dividends, cash and marketable securities of $44.45 billion; free cash flow of $10.62 billion.
- Meta Platforms reported Q3 2025 revenue of $51.24 billion (+26% YoY) and net income of $2.71 billion (EPS $1.05), driven by a one-time, non-cash tax charge of $15.93 billion (effective tax rate 87%).
- Excluding the one-time tax charge, net income would have been $18.64 billion and EPS $7.25.
- Q4 2025 guidance: revenue $56–59 billion, full-year expenses $116–118 billion, capital expenditures $70–72 billion, and Q4 tax rate 12–15%.
- Operational highlights: 3.54 billion daily active people (+8% YoY), ad impressions +14%, and average price per ad +10%.
- Meta is cutting around 600 jobs within its AI division to streamline operations and reduce organizational bloat across FAIR, AI infrastructure, and product teams.
- The newly formed superintelligence team, TBD Lab, led by Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, is exempt from layoffs and continues to expand.
- Affected employees are encouraged to apply for other roles within Meta, with the company expecting many to be retained internally.
- This restructuring follows Meta’s major AI investments, including a $14.3 billion commitment to Scale AI and a $27 billion deal to fund the Hyperion data center in Louisiana.
- Meta Platforms formed a joint venture with funds managed by Blue Owl Capital to develop and own the Hyperion data center campus in Richland Parish, Louisiana; Meta will manage construction and property and hold 20% interest, while Blue Owl holds 80%.
- The partners committed to fund their pro rata share of $27 billion in total development costs; Blue Owl contributed $7 billion cash, and Meta contributed land and construction-in-progress assets, receiving a one-time distribution of $3 billion.
- Meta entered into four-year operating leases (with extension options) for all campus facilities and provided a 16-year residual value guarantee to the joint venture.
- A portion of Blue Owl’s capital will be financed via debt issued to PIMCO and other bond investors through a private securities offering.