Meta Anticipates Continued Growth Despite Tariff Challenges

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<div data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Meta <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meta-reports-first-quarter-2025-results-302443250.html" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> on Wednesday that it anticipates significant revenue growth in its advertising sector in the upcoming months, despite the challenges posed by President Trump's tariffs on the global economy.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The Silicon Valley giant, owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, also reported an uptick in both revenue and profits for the first quarter, bolstered by advertising on Instagram and Facebook. However, it noted that it is keeping an eye on a "dynamic regulatory environment" that includes legal issues in both the European Union and the United States.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Data from market analytics firm Factset revealed that revenues for the first quarter reached $42.3 billion, marking a 16% increase from the previous year, outpacing Wall Street's estimate of $41.3 billion. Profits were reported at $16.6 billion, a 35% boost from last year's $12.4 billion, also exceeding the forecast of $13.6 billion.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">For the current quarter, Meta anticipates revenues to range between $42.5 billion and $45.5 billion, with the expected figure of $43.8 billion surpassing Wall Street's projections. The company's stock increased by over 5% in after-hours trading.</p></div><aside class="css-ew4tgv" aria-label="companion column"/></div><div data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">"We’re off to a strong start in a critical year. Our community is expanding, and our business is performing exceptionally well," stated Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Meta's business has shown consistent growth in recent years as it invests in artificial intelligence to provide a diverse array of posts, videos, and advertisements for its users. Zuckerberg indicated that these investments have led to increased engagement with Meta's app and a rise in clicks on relevant ads.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Nonetheless, the company faces new hurdles in the Trump era. President Trump's tariffs pose a potential threat to Meta’s significant initiatives, including a multi-billion dollar investment in infrastructure projects such as data centers, which depend on raw materials affected by these tariffs.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Meta plans to amplify its spending on infrastructure investments. On Wednesday, it adjusted its capital expenditure forecast for the year upwards from $640 billion to $72 billion, reflecting an increase from $6 billion to $65 billion.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Meta confronts critical revenue challenges, as it sells digital advertising to a variety of brands and retailers, both large and small. The more tariffs impact small businesses, the less they may invest in Facebook and Instagram ads.</p></div><aside class="css-ew4tgv" aria-label="companion column"/></div><div data-testid="companionColumn-2"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Trump has imposed the highest tariffs on imports from China, heavily impacting Chinese e-commerce giants like Shein and Tem, which are crucial for Meta's revenue streams. In 2023, Chinese companies constituted 10% of Meta's total revenue.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Additionally, Meta is embroiled in an antitrust trial in Washington regarding whether it unlawfully stifled competition in the social networking space by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp when it was still a startup. The outcome of this multi-week trial, the first significant tech case initiated by the current Trump administration, could reshape the US antitrust landscape and the broader Silicon Valley ecosystem.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Last week, the European Union imposed a 200 million euro ($230 million) fine on Meta for violating the Digital Markets Act, a 2022 legislation aimed at fostering competition in the digital economy.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Wednesday's revenue figures indicate no immediate fallout from advertising related to the tariffs announced in April, which expire in March. The company’s financial outlook implies that brands may keep investing in Facebook and Instagram advertising.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">In contrast, advertisers might cut back on ad spending on smaller platforms such as Reddit, Snapchat, and Pinterest, noted Minda Smiley, a senior social media analyst at eMarketer. She expressed uncertainty about future revenue trajectories.</p></div><aside class="css-ew4tgv" aria-label="companion column"/></div><div data-testid="companionColumn-3"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">"Current business operations are stable," Smiley remarked. "However, there remains uncertainty about the potential impacts in the upcoming quarter."</p></div><aside class="css-ew4tgv" aria-label="companion column"/></div>

Source: www.nytimes.com