Technology and social media company Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) could provide updates on spending, growth, and AI products when it reports third-quarter financial results on Wednesday after market close.
Here are the earnings estimates, what experts are saying and key items to watch.
Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Meta to report third-quarter revenue of $49.37 billion, up from $40.59 billion in last year's third quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
The company has beaten analyst estimates for revenue in more than 10 straight quarters.
Analysts expect Meta to report third-quarter earnings per share of $6.68, up from $6.03 in last year's third quarter.
The company has beaten analyst earnings-per-share estimates for 10 straight quarters.
Guidance from the company calls for third-quarter revenue to be in the range of $47.50 billion to $50.5 billion.
Read Also: Retail Investors’ Top Stocks With Earnings This Week: SoFi, Apple, Meta And More
What Experts Are Saying: Meta Platforms gets a bullish rating from Bank of America Securities analyst Justin Post ahead of quarterly results thanks to the company's expanding AI infrastructure and expected double-digit revenue growth.
The analyst maintained a Buy rating and a $900 price target, expecting a strong third quarter, boosted by AI-driven advertising gains.
Post said AI-driven ad demand across Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp will likely be strong in the quarter. The analyst expects advertising revenue to grow 23% year over year in the third quarter.
Post's fourth-quarter revenue and earnings per share estimates come in ahead of consensus, suggesting the analyst expects a potential beat-and-raise quarter from the social media company.
Going further out, Post highlights ad platform growth, custom silicon and data center investments as long-term growth drivers.
Freedom Capital Markets Chief Market Strategist Jay Woods said Meta Platforms’ stock has settled down since posting solid second-quarter earnings.
"Shares have declined from the post-earnings pop and are only up 3.3% over the last three months," Woods said in a weekly newsletter.
The market expert said Meta's spending and hiring could be two key items to watch, as they both impact the bottom-line earnings.
"Traders will be watching how the future CapEx spend looks like and has the current AI spend started to see a return on its investment. Also watch how ad growth may be adding to their bottom line."
Here are recent analyst ratings for Meta Platforms and their price targets:
- Oppenheimer: Maintained Outperform rating, lowered price target from $870 to $825
- Cantor Fitzgerald: Reiterated Overweight rating with price target of $920
- UBS: Maintained Buy rating, raised price target from $897 to $900
- Wells Fargo: Maintained Overweight rating, raised price target from $811 to $837
Key Items to Watch: Meta's report comes after the company recently announced it would eliminate around 600 roles from its artificial intelligence division.
The job cuts may be a surprise as Meta has invested heavily in AI-related growth, but come as the company has cut many jobs in recent years to help control increased spending.
The company will provide 16 weeks of severance pay, plus additional pay for each year of service, to impacted employees. Investors and analysts could be looking to see if the company's 2025 expected expenses rise on the news. Meta's previous range was $114 billion to $118 billion after second-quarter results.
In the second quarter, Meta reported ad impressions were up 11% year-over-year with the average price per ad up 9% year-over-year. These will be key figures for investors and analysts to watch on Wednesday.
Meta is one of five Magnificent Seven stocks reporting this week and one of the largest-weighted stocks in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY), with a 2.76% stake, ranking sixth in the ETF.
The company's report and other reports from Magnificent 7 stocks could have a ripple impact on several companies that operate in sectors like technology, social media, advertising and AI.
Other items to watch could include commentary on recent regulatory hurdles, such as those in Europe, and new safety guardrails as efforts are made to push social media platforms to tighten controls for younger users.
META Price Action: Meta Platforms stock is up 1.7% to $750.86 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $479.80 to $796.25. Meta stock is up 25.3% year-to-date in 2025.
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