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On Thursday, Barclays (LON:BARC) analyst Ross Sandler adjusted the price target on Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) to $640 from the previous $705. Despite the reduction, the firm continues to hold an Overweight rating on the company’s shares, which currently trade at $549 with a market capitalization of $1.39 trillion. Sandler highlighted that Meta’s first-quarter revenue and earnings per share were ahead of consensus by 2% and 23% ($1.19) respectively, and the company’s guidance for the second quarter was also above expectations. According to InvestingPro, Meta’s impressive 81.68% gross profit margins and strong financial health score reflect its operational excellence.
Sandler noted that while the digital advertising market may experience some nervousness in the coming months, Meta’s focus on performance and substantial investments in AI for advertising should enable it to continue gaining market share. He pointed out that Meta’s dense and competitive ad auctions provide the company with opportunities to capture any available upside, as evidenced by its current performance and robust 21.94% year-over-year revenue growth. InvestingPro analysis shows Meta trading near its Fair Value, with 12 additional exclusive insights available to subscribers.
The analyst also mentioned the potential impact of a system-wide consumer pullback, which is expected to some extent, but commended Meta for its strong results so far in 2025. Furthermore, Sandler discussed the company’s increased capital expenditure guidance following a successful LlamaCon event and the acceleration of Azure, which could boost the AI narrative among investors.
Despite the positive outlook, Barclays has trimmed its estimates for Meta, anticipating trends that have not yet materialized but are expected to in the second half of the year. This forecast aligns with Barclays’ projections for Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), although Meta is expected to grow at roughly twice the rate of Google.
In other recent news, Meta Platforms Inc. reported strong financial results for the first quarter of 2025, significantly surpassing market expectations. The company achieved an earnings per share (EPS) of $6.43, exceeding the forecasted $5.24, and posted a revenue of $42.31 billion, which was above the anticipated $41.48 billion. These results highlight Meta’s operational efficiency and the strong market demand for its offerings. Additionally, the company has provided guidance for the second quarter, projecting revenue between $42.5 billion and $45.5 billion.
Meta continues to focus on AI infrastructure and product improvements, with a full-year 2025 expense guidance of $113 billion to $118 billion. The company has also been actively advancing its AI initiatives, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasizing the strategic importance of AI in improving advertising and creating more engaging experiences. Furthermore, Meta has been testing business AI tools with small businesses, aiming to support various stages of the customer funnel.
In terms of analyst activity, Meta has not seen any recent upgrades or downgrades, but firms such as Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) and Goldman Sachs have shown interest in the company’s AI developments and infrastructure investments. These recent developments underscore Meta’s strategic focus on AI and its potential impact on the company’s future growth and innovation strategy.
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