Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Meta Platforms

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – October 29, 2025 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Meta Platforms META.Meta Q3 Earnings: Can Meta Justify Its Massive AI Bets?Meta Q3 EPS PreviewZacks Rank #2 (Buy) Meta Platforms will report third-quarter 2025 earnings results after the US equity market close on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.META Stock Performance and Expected MoveYear-to-date META shares are performing broadly in line with the Nasdaq 100 Index, gaining ~26% thus far in 2025. However, META shares are up nearly 200% over the past five years.Meanwhile, the options market is implying a post-earnings move of +/- 7.1%. Over the past four quarters, the average post-earnings move for META has been 5.28%.META Analyst Expectations & EPS Surprise HistoryZacks Consensus Analyst Expectations anticipate that Meta will earn revenue of $49.45B in Q3 and EPS of 6.61, resulting in year-over-year EPS growth of 9.62%.Ahead of earnings, Wall Street analysts are very bullish on the stock. META earns a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), and several analysts have revised their earnings expectations higher over the past two months.Meanwhile, META has a tremendous track record of outperforming Wall Street expectations, beating estimates in eleven consecutive quarters.Over the past four quarters, META has beaten analyst expectations by a healthy 20.47%.Meta Platforms: Will the Massive AI Investments Pay off?Meta Platforms is the world’s largest social media platform. The company has evolved from its initial Facebook platform into a diversified social media juggernaut through its bold acquisitions of leading social platforms, including the Instagram photo and video app and the WhatsApp messaging app.At the direction of its iconic CEO and founder, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Platforms is making its boldest bet yet – AI. Meta is expected to spend ~$70 billion of capital expenditure (CAPEX) this year. By next year, that number is expected to balloon to $100 billion as META continues its aggressive investment spree on AI infrastructure, data centers, and compute. The biggest question ahead of Q3 earnings is whether these AI investments will pay off.Below are three key drivers to watch:· META Advertising Revenue: Advertising revenue comprises the lion’s share of Meta’s earnings. For that reason, this is the most critical number for investors to watch.· CAPEX Spend: Meta is likely to continue its CAPEX spending spree. However, investors will want to see that Zuckerberg and his team can communicate that these investments are bearing fruit and are not negatively impacting free cash flow and margins.· AI Impact on User Engagement: In recent quarters, Meta’s AI integration efforts have improved engagement and revenue across its platforms and particularly with its short-term video offering, ‘Instagram Reels’. Investors will want to see those trends continue.Bottom LineMeta Platforms’ earnings report is a critical event to watch not just for investors but for the market in general. Wednesday’s earnings report should provide clues about how much AI can drive growth.Free: Instant Access to Zacks' Market-Crushing StrategiesSince 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.Today you can tap into those powerful strategies – and the high-potential stocks they uncover – free. No strings attached.Get all the details here >>Media ContactZacks Investment Research800-767-3771 ext. 9339support@zacks.comhttps://www.zacks.comPast performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.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 ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks