The numbers

$58.1 billion: Meta’s This autumn 2024 advert income, up 24% year-over-year. General income was $59.89 billion, additionally up 24% year-over-year.

18%: The year-over-year improve in advert impressions delivered throughout Meta’s apps.

6%: The common improve in value per advert year-over-year.

3.5 billion: Variety of folks utilizing a minimum of considered one of Meta’s apps day by day. 

$955 million: Actuality Labs income, down 12% year-over-year.

30%: The year-over-year improve in Instagram reels watch time within the U.S.

$115 to $135 billion: Funding in capital expenditures in 2026.

Watercooler discuss

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg seems to leverage extra AI brokers, saying “there’s a giant delta” between individuals who use, and don’t use brokers. Zuckerberg stated an agent’s capability to see “distinctive context” makes Meta’s tech “useful.”

Meta stated it’s working to extra tightly join massive language fashions with the advice techniques that energy Fb, Instagram, Threads in addition to its promoting enterprise. These efforts lengthen to “agentic buying” surfacing throughout feeds and apps like WhatsApp.

This, alongside new media codecs Zuckerberg described as “immersive and interactive,” are made doable by advances in AI. He pointed to good glasses because the clearest expression of that imaginative and prescient, saying Meta is directing the majority of its Actuality Labs funding towards glasses and wearables. Losses on the unit are anticipated to be much like final 12 months and sure at their peak, Zuckerberg stated, with losses set to slender progressively as the corporate continues to execute on its long-term technique.

Meta stated capital expenditures totaled $22.1 billion within the fourth quarter and warned of a pointy improve in 2026, guiding to $115–$135 billion because it ramps up investments in AI and information facilities.

Nonetheless, advertisements are nonetheless going to be how Meta primarily makes cash, Zuckerberg stated. Meta is constant to roll out its AI enterprise assistant, increasing entry to extra advertisers within the coming months, stated Susan Li, Meta’s CFO. 

The push comes as Meta expands its advert footprint. This month, Meta started rolling out advertisements on Threads globally, and the corporate is operating two Tremendous Bowl spots to advertise its Meta Oakley AI glasses.

Behind the scenes, Meta has been ramping up AI infrastructure, together with a significant information heart build-out to maintain tempo with rivals resembling OpenAI and Google. In 2025, Meta additionally overhauled its AI group, investing $14.3 billion in Scale AI to rent founder Alexandr Wang and a number of other senior engineers. Extra just lately, the corporate named Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chair and purchased Manus, a Singapore-based developer of general-purpose AI brokers.