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[BUSINESS] · United States · 100 sources

Meta posts 28% revenue growth, profit drop and soaring AI costs FAST-MOVING

Meta Platforms reported second‑quarter 2026 revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28 % year‑on‑year and ahead of the $60.24 billion consensus. Net income fell 14 % to $15.8 billion, or $6.18 earnings per share, missing the $7.17 forecast. Total expenses rose 55 % to $42 billion, driven by higher AI‑related spending, $2.4 billion in legal costs and $1.2 billion in severance. Capital expenditures reached about $31 billion, mainly for data‑center expansion, prompting Meta to raise its 2026 capex outlook to $130‑$145 billion. Free cash flow shrank to $784 million. Daily active users across Meta’s apps totaled 3.6 billion in June. The earnings release sent Meta’s shares down 6‑11 % in after‑hours trading, and the company forecast third‑quarter revenue of $61‑$64 billion, below analyst expectations. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the results “already show themselves and I am optimistic about the potential,” while investors expressed concern over the pace of AI investment. A comparative report noted Microsoft’s own AI‑related capex rise but highlighted Microsoft’s stock gained 2.4 % as its earnings beat expectations.

Entities: Alphabet · Alphabet Inc. · Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure · Artificial intelligence · Capital expenditures · Facebook · Instagram · Mark Zuckerberg · Meta Platforms · Meta Platforms, Inc. · Meta's advertising business · Microsoft

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

  • [● 3 SOURCES] Meta's total expenses rose 55% year‑over‑year to $42.03 billion in Q2 2026. (financial results)
  • [● 3 SOURCES] Meta Platforms reported Q2 2026 net income of $15.85 billion, down 14% year‑over‑year. (financial results)
  • [● 11 SOURCES] Meta incurred $2.4 billion in legal charges related to youth‑safety litigation in Q2 2026. (neutral)
  • [● 2 SOURCES] Meta's shares fell about 4% in after‑hours trading after the earnings release. (market reaction)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Meta's operating margin fell to 31% from 43% a year earlier. (financial results)
  • [● 3 SOURCES] Meta incurred $1.18 billion in severance expenses for about 8,000 layoffs in Q2 2026. (financial results)
  • [● 3 SOURCES] Meta's earnings per share for Q2 2026 were $6.18, missing the consensus forecast of $7.19. (financial results)
  • [● 17 SOURCES] Meta Platforms reported Q2 2026 revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28 % year‑over‑year. (self)
  • [● 4 SOURCES] Legal charges of $2.4 billion were recognized in Q2 2026 for court‑related liabilities. (87ce9818-4d77-4200-a754-0b9e9793920b, a4b37ef9-cb1c-4d91-ad61-254e19565ec8, e5111987-c3dd-40ba-bc9e-d9a31b611c26)
  • [● 23 SOURCES] Meta reported Q2 2026 revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28 % year‑over‑year. (e679e5f6-c1c3-4499-803a-7a8587f8e948, fc66cffb-bcaa-42e8-81ef-0fba772a8447, 8febbbdb-a94a-4d37-a315-50af53e8d66e, 64f5b0)
  • [● 2 SOURCES] Diluted earnings per share in Q2 2026 were $6.18, below the analyst forecast of $7.14. (2fbbb3d1-be18-4eb1-8667-cd8a8c6c467f, 49d269dd-9e1a-4dfd-a988-937434b5f0ad)
  • [● 5 SOURCES] Free cash flow in Q2 2026 fell 91 % to $784 million, down from $8.55 billion a year earlier. (87ce9818-4d77-4200-a754-0b9e9793920b, a4b37ef9-cb1c-4d91-ad61-254e19565ec8, e5111987-c3dd-40ba-bc9e-d9a31b611c26, 49d269)

Sources

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Meta-Gewinn sackt ab [www.quotenmeter.de]
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