Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Meta 1Q24 Earnings, About Meta’s “AI-Recommendation” System, Meta’s HW Sales

Hello everyone. Today's update will be dedicated to discussing Meta's earnings. Let's jump right in.
 


Meta 1Q24 Earnings

Meta’s 1Q24 earnings release was a tale of the conference call. Actual results found in the release were what we have come to expect from the company. Meta’s advertising machine found its feet in 2023 after a shaky period involving macro headwinds and renewed competitive pressure. Revenue was up 27% with operating income up 91%.

While we can take issue with some of the inner workings of that advertising machine when it comes to AI - which we will discuss shortly – there is no debate that Meta's monetization struggles of 2022 and early 2023 have dissipated.

Management's 2Q24 guidance is pointing

An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full update here. (Members: Daily Updates are accessible via the archive. If you haven’t logged into the archive before, fill out this form to receive an invite.)


Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions. 

Contact me directly if you would like to purchase multiple subscriptions (five or more) for your team or company.

An audio version of the newsletter is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership. More information about the podcast add-on is found here. Special Inside Orchard bundle pricing is available for Above Avalon members. Additional membership customization is available via the Financial Models add-ons.

Read More
Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Meta 3Q23 Earnings, Meta Hints at Sluggish Quest 3 Sales

Hello everyone. Meta reported earnings back on October 25th, a few weeks after the company’s Connect conference (discussed in greater detail here). When looking at the competitive landscape, Meta has become one of Apple’s top competitors. Accordingly, we continue to fully cover the company’s business performance and strategy. Let’s jump right in.


Meta 3Q23 Earnings

Meta’s reported 3Q23 numbers were strong.

  • 23% revenue growth

  • 143% operating income growth

  • 168% EPS growth

Much of this strength was expected. Revenue exceeded the midpoint of management’s guidance by just 3%, boosted by a FX tailwind.

Meta continues to see stabilization in its core business of monetizing user attention via advertising. This is the third consecutive quarter that showed such stabilization. A very easy year-over-year compare is certainly helping Meta. The company had a tough 2022. The stronger dollar is helping as well. However, there is legitimate improvement found within Meta’s core business, such as better Reels monetization.

In what is still difficult to get one’s mind around, Meta’s employee count at quarter end was down 24% year-over-year. This is obviously helping to cut expense growth and boost operating margins.

An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full update here. An audio version of this update is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership. More information about the podcast add-on is found here.

(Members: Daily Updates are always accessible by logging into Slack. If you haven’t logged into Slack before, fill out this form to receive an invite.)


Above Avalon Membership

Payment is processed and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. Special Inside Orchard bundle pricing is available for Above Avalon members.

More information about Above Avalon membership, including the full list of benefits and privileges, is available here.

Read More