Meta Jumps on Q2 Earnings Beat and Raised Q3 Outlook

Meta Platforms’ second-quarter results delivered a strong beat on both revenue and earnings, propelling the stock more than 10% higher. The performance underscored not only the resilience of its core advertising business but also the market’s growing conviction in the company’s artificial intelligence strategy.

Strong Earnings and Revenue Exceeds Estimates

Earnings per share came in at $7.14, well ahead of the $5.92 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $47.52 billion versus expectations of $44.80 billion. This represented a 22% increase from the same quarter a year earlier, matching the growth rate seen in 2024. Advertising remained the dominant revenue driver, generating $46.56 billion and exceeding market forecasts. The company’s family of apps reached 3.48 billion daily active users, surpassing projections, while net income climbed 36% year over year to $18.34 billion. Operating costs and expenses grew by 12% to $27.08 billion, reflecting the scale of Meta’s infrastructure buildout and headcount expansion. 1

Q3 Guidance Points to Continued Momentum

For the third quarter, management guided revenue between $47.5 billion and $50.5 billion, significantly above Wall Street’s $46.14 billion projection. The company cautioned, however, that fourth-quarter growth is expected to moderate as it laps a period of strong performance in late 2024. Capital expenditure guidance for the year now stands at between $66 billion and $72 billion, with total 2025 expenses projected in the range of $114 billion to $118 billion. Chief Financial Officer Susan Li highlighted that infrastructure investments, particularly in AI data centres will be the primary driver of cost growth, followed by increased employee compensation as Meta accelerates technical hiring. 1

AI Investments Drive Long-Term Growth Strategy

Artificial intelligence remains central to Meta’s long-term growth thesis. In recent months, the company has undertaken a high-profile talent acquisition campaign, hiring prominent AI figures including former OpenAI researcher Shengjia Zhao, Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang, former GitHub chief executive Nat Friedman, Safe Superintelligence chief executive Daniel Gross, and Apple’s former head of AI foundation models Ruoming Pang. These hires have been accompanied by substantial capital deployment, including a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI and plans to build multi-gigawatt data centres such as the flagship Hyperion facility, which will ultimately support five gigawatts of capacity. Li noted that Meta is exploring external financing structures to co-develop such large-scale infrastructure.

Reality Labs Loss Narrows, Hardware Push Continues

In its Reality Labs division, which is responsible for virtual and augmented reality initiatives, the company recorded an operating loss of $4.53 billion on $370 million in revenue. Although the loss was narrower than analysts expected, revenue came in slightly below forecasts. Nevertheless, Meta continues to advance its AI-enabled hardware strategy with products such as the Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses, as well as plans for standalone AI glasses. 1

Zuckerberg’s Vision for Personal Superintelligence

Mark Zuckerberg’s latest shareholder letter offered insight into Meta’s AI philosophy, emphasizing the concept of “personal superintelligence” as a means of enhancing individual creativity, connection, and personal development, rather than pursuing centralized automation of economic activity. He argued that the most profound benefits of AI will come from empowering individuals to achieve their goals and shape their own experiences, positioning Meta’s vision in contrast to competitors who focus on productivity and efficiency gains. 2

Source: TradingView

Market Reaction and Outlook

Investor sentiment following the results was upbeat and Meta remains one of the most compelling AI investment opportunities in the market, given its unparalleled audience reach and its revenue upside potential from embedding AI capabilities into its advertising infrastructure. With a strong quarter, confident guidance, and an expansive AI investment program, Meta is positioning itself to lead in a convergence of social platforms, artificial intelligence, and advanced hardware, shaping what could be the next transformative chapter in its growth trajectory.

Meta shares staged a strong rebound following the release of Q2 earnings, climbing more than 30% year-to-date. After an uninterrupted rally from its April lows, the stock may see short-term consolidation; however, over the longer-term, we believe there is a strong likelihood of the price advancing toward the $850–$860 range.

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Footnotes:

• Meta Investor Relations: https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2025/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2025-Results/default.aspx
• Meta: https://www.meta.com/superintelligence/