Meta Platforms (META) Q3 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

For the quarter ended September 2024, Meta Platforms (META) reported revenue of $40.59 billion, up 18.9% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $6.03, compared to $4.39 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $40.21 billion, representing a surprise of +0.95%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +16.18%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $5.19.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.Here is how Meta Platforms performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Family daily active people (DAP): $3.29 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $3.32 billion. Headcount: 72,404 versus 71,026 estimated by four analysts on average. Average Revenue Per Person (ARPP): $12.29 compared to the $12.06 average estimate based on three analysts. Advertising Revenue- US & Canada: $17.39 billion compared to the $17.72 billion average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +16.3% year over year. Advertising Revenue- Europe: $9.36 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $9.16 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +21.2%. Geographical Revenue by User- Asia-Pacific: $8.22 billion compared to the $8.24 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +18.7% year over year. Advertising Revenue- Rest of the World: $5.09 billion versus $4.95 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +23% change. Geographical Revenue by User- US & Canada: $17.61 billion compared to the $17.67 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +15.9% year over year. Revenue- Reality Labs: $270 million compared to the $340.18 million average estimate based on 11 analysts. The reported number represents a change of +28.6% year over year. Revenue- Family of Apps (FoA): $40.32 billion versus $39.79 billion estimated by 11 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +18.8% change. Revenue- Advertising: $39.89 billion versus $39.48 billion estimated by 10 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +18.6% change. Revenue- Other: $434 million compared to the $386.81 million average estimate based on nine analysts. The reported number represents a change of +48.1% year over year. View all Key Company Metrics for Meta Platforms here>>>Shares of Meta Platforms have returned +2.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.8% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockIt's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks