Meta
Meta Platforms Inc. is Wall Street’s #1 comeback child.
Just two years ago, Facebook’s owner suffered the biggest stock-market value destruction. On Thursday, the social media giant stunned shareholders with another strong quarterly earnings report as it cuts expenses and boosts profits by billions.
The stock closed Friday at an all-time high of US$474.99, up 20%. Its market capitalization rose $197 billion, the largest single-session rise, surpassing Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.’s $190 billion advances in 2022.
“Solid execution, faster growth, and increased capital structure efficiency improve the outlook from here,” Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak wrote Friday.
He said, “Meta’s AI pipeline for users and advertisers is robust, with more tools set to launch and scale throughout ‘24.
Meta, which cut headcount by 22% in 2023, launched a $50 billion stock buyback and its first quarterly dividend on Thursday, showing investors it has money and encouraging them to stay.
Despite cost reduction, the company continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, including generative AI and background technology to power its social media products and ad targeting.
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