London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

Facebook owner Meta’s profits exceed expectations

Facebook owner Meta’s profits exceed expectations

Meta, Facebook and Instagram's parent firm, has reported a profit of $5.7bn (£4.6bn) for the first quarter of this year, surpassing expectations for a period in which many jobs were cut.

It said artificial intelligence (AI) was "driving good results" across its business.

Total revenue was $28.6bn, while the number of people on Facebook every month rose to just under three billion.

"Our community continues to grow," said chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.

"We're also becoming more efficient so we can build better products faster, and put ourselves in a stronger position to deliver our long-term vision," he said.


'No longer behind in building AI'


Meta sees "an opportunity to introduce AI agents to billions of people in ways that will be useful and meaningful," Mr Zuckerberg told investors.

While offering few details, he said that Meta was "exploring chat experiences in WhatsApp and Messenger, visual creation tools for posts in Facebook and Instagram and ads, and over time video and multimodal experiences as well."

The company intends to commercialise its privately-run generative AI, joining Google in finding practical applications for the tech - because the industry is awash with hype around its capabilities.

Meta established Facebook's AI Research laboratory in 2013, but has not made big inroads in this area yet, as some other big tech firms - such as Microsoft - have done.

But Mr Zuckerberg insisted Meta was "no longer behind in building our AI infrastructure" and said generative AI Meta products, which can instantly create sentences and graphics, would be released in the coming months.

He added the move would not be at the cost of the metaverse, Meta's virtual reality project.

Meta's Reality Labs division reported a net loss of $4bn last quarter, and the company said it expected "operating losses to increase year over year in 2023".

However, Mr Zuckerberg said the "narrative that has developed that Meta is moving away from the metaverse" was "not accurate", adding it still planned to reveal the next Quest VR headset later this year.


Cost-cutting pays off


The positive financial figures coincide with a period where Meta has slashed jobs and projects. The aim was to turn 2023 into "a year of efficiency," said Mr Zuckerberg.

Meta has been the most aggressive US big tech firm when it comes to downsizing, shedding almost a quarter of its global workforce, more than 20,000 jobs, in just a few months.

"The year of efficiency is off to a stronger than expected start for Meta," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst, Debra Aho Williamson.

"In this economic environment - and after the disaster that was 2022 - 3% year over year revenue growth is an accomplishment," she added.

Mr Zuckerberg has called 2022 "a humbling wake-up call" and said it would be wise to "prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years".

Ben Barringer, from investment management firm Quilter Cheviot, said: "You have to take your hat off to Mark Zuckerberg and Meta given the transformation of the business over the last six months.

"The 'year of efficiency' Zuckerberg likes to talk about is bearing fruit. These results are a strong beat on the expectations and, given the improving macro backdrop, Meta should continue to recover well."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
×