Earnings more than halve at Facebook even as revenue beats forecasts

Shares drop as Meta Platforms becomes the latest tech giant to report a weakened performance

Facebook parent Meta Platforms beat estimates for reduced quarterly revenue on Wednesday as its earnings more than halved. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
Facebook parent Meta Platforms beat estimates for reduced quarterly revenue on Wednesday as its earnings more than halved. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Facebook parent Meta Platforms beat estimates for reduced quarterly revenue on Wednesday as its dominance of the online ad market helped it attract a steady stream of business from recession-wary companies looking to reach a wider audience.

Revenue in the third quarter fell for a second straight time to $27.71 billion (€27.5 billion) from $29.01 billion, but above the $27.38 billion expected, on average, by analysts.

The company forecast fourth-quarter revenue between $30 billion and $32.50 billion, compared with estimates of $32.20 billion, according to Refinitiv data.

Net income fell to $4.40 billion, or $1.64 per share, from $9.19 billion, or $3.22 per share, a year earlier.

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Shares, which had slid 5.59 per cent ahead of the figures, dropped further in after-hours trade. It is the latest of the big tech firms to report a weakened performance.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, who has invested heavily in hopes for a metaverse, said: “While we face near-term challenges on revenue, the fundamentals are there for a return to stronger revenue growth.”

But chief financial officer Susan Li said the company was making “significant changes across the board” to operate more efficiently. — Reuters