Connect with us

Published

on

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta Platforms, in July 2021.

Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Meta will report first-quarter results after the bell Wednesday.

Here’s what analysts are expecting.

  • Earnings per share: $4.32, according to LSEG.
  • Revenue: $36.16 billion, according to LSEG.
  • Daily active users (DAUs): 2.12 billion, according to StreetAccount
  • Monthly active users (MAUs): 3.09 billion, according to StreetAccount
  • Average revenue per user (ARPU): $11.75 according to StreetAccount

Meta has been a favorite on Wall Street since early 2023, when CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors it would be the “year of efficiency.” The stock almost tripled last year, trailing only Nvidia among members of the S&P 500, and is up another 40% in 2024.

The Facebook parent has been clawing back digital ad market share after a dismal 2022. At that time, the company was reeling from Apple’s iOS privacy update and macroeconomic concerns that led many brands to rein in spending.

Zuckerberg spearheaded an initiative to rebuild the ad business with a focus on artificial intelligence. On the company’s last earnings call in February, finance chief Susan Li said Meta has been investing in AI models that can accurately predict relevant ads for users, as well as tools that automate the ads-creation process. 

Analysts expect Meta to report a 26% increase in revenue from $28.65 billion a year earlier. That would mark the fastest rate of growth since the third quarter of 2021, which was before Apple’s privacy change started to show up on other companies’ balance sheets.

Meta is benefiting from a stabilizing economy and surge in spending from Chinese discount retailers like Temu and Shein, which have been pumping money into Facebook and company-owned Instagram in an effort to reach a wider swath of users. Analysts at Baird said in a Monday note that slower spending from China-based advertisers could be a source of concern in the first-quarter results. 

Temu still has 'a long way to go' in taking market share from larger incumbent e-commerce players

Still, the Baird analysts see continuing momentum for Meta, and said they have “reasonably high” expectations for the company because of its improving advertiser tools and success in short-form video monetization. 

Investors will remain focused on Meta’s costs, which have been central to the stock rally. Early last year, Zuckerberg said the company would be better at eliminating unnecessary projects and cracking down on bloat, which would help Meta become a “stronger and more nimble organization.” 

The company cut about 21,000 jobs in the first half of 2023, and Zuckerberg said in February of this year that hiring will be “relatively minimal compared to what we would have done historically.”

As of Dec. 31, Meta had a global workforce of 67,317, down from a peak of more than 87,000 employees in 2022, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Jefferies analysts wrote in a report last week that it’s “hard to argue with excellence.” The analysts expect Meta to beat on its first-quarter results and provide better-than-expected guidance for the second quarter. As of now, the average analyst estimate calls for revenue growth of 20% in the second quarter to $38.29 billion, according to LSEG.

“We continue to be encouraged by META’s ability to sustain double-digit rev growth, given the combination of higher engagement from AI investments, and increasing advertiser ROI & efficiency,” the Jefferies analysts wrote.

Meta’s Reality Labs unit, which houses the company’s hardware and software for development of the nascent metaverse, continues to bleed cash. Analysts expect the division to show an operating loss of $4.31 billion for the quarter, on top of the $42 billion it’s lost since the end of 2020. Revenue in the unit is projected to reach $512.5 million, a 51% increase from $339 million a year earlier.

Executives will discuss the company’s results on a call with analysts at 5 p.m. ET.

Don’t miss these exclusives from CNBC PRO

Meta will generate more ad dollars than its competition, says Jefferies Brent Thill

Continue Reading

Technology

Amazon pledges a massive $35 billion worth of investments in India’s AI space through 2030

Published

on

By

Amazon pledges a massive  billion worth of investments in India’s AI space through 2030

Employees stand near an The Amazon Inc. logo is displayed above the reception counter at the company’s campus in Hyderabad, India, on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Amazon on Wednesday committed to investing over $35 billion in India’s cloud and artificial intelligence space by 2030, as hyperscalers race to get a foothold in the market. 

The commitment, unveiled at the Amazon Smbhav Summit in New Delhi, builds on nearly $40 billion already invested in the country. 

In a press release, Amazon said the new funds will target AI-driven digitization, export growth and job creation, aligning with India’s national priorities to build up its local AI environment.

By 2030, Amazon said the plan is expected to generate an additional 1 million direct, indirect, induced and seasonal jobs in India, quadruple exports to $80 billion and deliver AI benefits to 15 million small businesses.

The investment highlights Amazon’s bet on India’s booming digital economy, where it has been building fulfillment centers, data centers and payments infrastructure. 

It also comes soon after Microsoft announced plans to invest $17.5 billion in India’s AI infrastructure as Big Tech players accelerate their push into the market. 

“We are humbled to have been a part of India’s digital transformation journey over the past 15 years,” said Amit Agarwal, senior vice president for emerging markets at Amazon. 

“Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue being a catalyst for India’s growth, as we democratize access to AI for millions of Indians.”

Continue Reading

Technology

Microsoft to invest $17.5 billion in India’s AI infra as Big Tech queues up for the Asian market

Published

on

By

Microsoft to invest .5 billion in India's AI infra as Big Tech queues up for the Asian market

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appears at an event with tech CEOs and senior officials, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the East Room of the White House in Washington on June 22, 2023.

Chris Kleponis | CNP | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Microsoft on Tuesday announced it would invest $17.5 billion in India’s cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure, making it the U.S. tech giant’s largest investment in Asia. 

The company said that the investments, aimed at expanding hyperscale infrastructure, embedding AI into national platforms, and advancing workforce readiness, will be spread over 4 years, building on its $3 billion pledge made in January. 

The announcement follows a meeting between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which the two discussed India’s AI ambitions. Modi met with other tech CEOs on Tuesday too including Intel‘s Lip-Bu Tan.

In a post on social media, Nadella thanked Modi and said that Microsoft’s investments would “help build the infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities needed for India’s AI first future.” 

The move comes as India attempts to catch up on AI, with Modi emphasizing building a comprehensive tech ecosystem and AI sovereignty. The country has also recently attracted data center investment pledges of $15 billion from Google and $8 billion from Amazon Web Services. 

“The youth of India will harness this opportunity to innovate and leverage the power of AI for a better planet,” Modi said in a post on X, referring to Microsoft’s investment.

Microsoft plans to use the funds to scale up its existing cloud and AI infrastructure to serve customers across regions in India. It now provides “Sovereign Public Cloud” and “Sovereign Private Cloud” services in several regions.

The company added that it was doubling its January commitment to train 20 million Indians in AI by 2030, with hopes to grow and skill its more than 22,000 employees in the country. 

Microsoft also announced on Tuesday that it would be integrating its Azure AI capabilities into two key digital public platforms of India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment and the National Career Service. 

India’s Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw called the investment a signal of India’s rise as a reliable global technology partner, accelerating the shift from digital to AI public infrastructure.

While India lags far behind global leaders in advanced technologies like chips and AI, the country’s massive consumer market and public funding have attracted major tech players. 

Under its “India Semiconductor Mission,” the country has approved 10 chip projects with total investments of over $18 billion.

On Monday, American chip designer Intel signed a deal with Mumbai-based Tata Electronics aimed at collaborating on chip offerings in the country, including on products for AI applications.

Continue Reading

Technology

CNBC Daily Open: A ‘hawkish cut’ by the Fed could dull festivities

Published

on

By

CNBC Daily Open: A 'hawkish cut' by the Fed could dull festivities

An eagle is seen framed though construction fence on the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building, the main offices of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on September 16, 2025 in Washington, DC, U.S.

Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images News | Getty Images

On Wednesday stateside, the U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to lower its benchmark interest rates by a quarter percentage point to a range of 3.5%-3.75%.

However, given that traders are all but certain that the cut will happen — an 88.6% chance, to be exact, according to the CME FedWatch tool — the news is likely already priced into stocks by the market.

That means any whiff of restraint could weigh on equities. In fact, the talk in the markets is that the Fed might deliver a “hawkish cut”: lower rates while suggesting it could be a while before it cuts again.

The “dot plot,” or a projection of where Fed officials think interest rates will end up over the next few years, will be the clearest signal of any hawkishness. Investors will also parse Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference and central bankers’ estimates for U.S. economic growth and inflation to gauge the Fed’s future rate path.

In other words, the Fed could rein in market sentiment even if it cuts rates. Perhaps end-of-year festivities might be muted this year.

What you need to know today

And finally…

Dado Ruvic | Reuters

Continue Reading

Trending