Meta Q3 revenue rises 26%, aims for up to $76 billion in Q4

Meta Platforms reported third-quarter revenue above Wall Street expectations on Wednesday, October 21, and issued a strong revenue outlook for the current quarter, sending its shares up about 2.5% in extended trade.

The Facebook and Instagram parent reported revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter ended September 30, up 26% from $51.24 billion a year earlier. Revenue beat the LSEG consensus estimate of $63.37 billion.

Earnings per share stood at $3.83, compared with $1.05 a year earlier.

Meta's net income rose to $9.86 billion from $2.71 billion a year earlier.

A notable expense in the quarter was a $9.89 billion charge related to an agreement with 52 US state attorneys general to resolve litigation over teen mental health and social media.

“We hit major milestones this quarter toward delivering personal superintelligence for everyone - including launching Muse and Muse Wonder, our first frontier model,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in the earnings release.

“Our investments are paying off, the core business is strong, and we're seeing velocity across the board.”

Strong Q4 outlook

Meta expects fourth-quarter revenue of $73 billion to $76 billion, putting the midpoint at $74.5 billion, above analysts' expectations of $73.73 billion, according to LSEG.

The company expects full-year 2026 expenses of $175 billion to $179 billion, incorporating the legal charge recognised in the third quarter. Capital expenditure, including principal payments on finance leases, is projected at $135 billion to $145 billion, compared with its previous range of $130 billion to $145 billion.

Meta said it expects 2026 operating income to exceed 2025 levels, excluding the third-quarter legal charge. It also expects losses at its Reality Labs division to narrow to around $15 billion in 2027, from the projected $18 billion to $19 billion range for 2026.

AI investments support advertising business

Advertising remained the main driver of growth, with revenue from ads rising 26% year-on-year to $63.06 billion. Ad impressions across Meta's family of apps increased 10%, while the average price per ad rose 14%.

The company said its artificial intelligence investments were already generating additional advertising revenue through stronger user engagement, improved recommendations, and more efficient monetisation.

Meta's AI push has included the launch of its Muse personal assistant in September and the subsequent release of Muse Wonder. The company's Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms have also helped bring AI-powered tools to a broad user base.

Average daily active people across its family of apps to 3.64 billion in September, up 3% from a year earlier.

Operating cash flow stood at $32.79 billion, while free cash flow was negative $2.12 billion, reflecting heavy investment in infrastructure. Capital expenditure during the quarter was $34.91 billion.

Meta also announced plans to establish a publicly listed, non-voting Class C common stock, effective January 2027. The company said the new share class would support raising capital, employee compensation, and potential acquisitions.