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Meta Platforms, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 6 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue up 24% in quarter: Fourth quarter revenue was $59.89 billion, up 24%; full year revenue was $200.97 billion, up 22%. Source
  • Ad impressions and pricing both rose: Ad impressions rose 18% in the fourth quarter and 12% for the year; average price per ad rose 6% in the quarter and 9% for the year. Source
  • Costs up 40%, margin down: Total costs and expenses were $35.15 billion in the fourth quarter, up 40%, led by research and development of $17.14 billion. Operating margin was 41%, against 48%. Source
  • Full year tax rate rose to 30%: The full year 2025 provision includes One Big Beautiful Bill Act effects. Without the valuation allowance charge at enactment, the rate would have been 13%. Source
  • Free cash flow of $43.59 billion: Operating cash flow was $36.21 billion in the fourth quarter and $115.80 billion for the year. Free cash flow was $14.08 billion and $43.59 billion. Source
  • Capital expenditures reached $72.22 billion: Capital expenditures, including finance lease principal, were $22.14 billion in the fourth quarter and $72.22 billion for full year 2025. Source
  • Infrastructure costs lead 2026 expense growth: Management said infrastructure costs, including third-party cloud spend and higher depreciation, drive most of 2026 expense growth. Employee pay is the second-largest driver. Source

“I'm looking forward to advancing personal superintelligence for people around the world in 2026.”

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenue Sourcefirst quarter 2026$53.5-56.5 billionNew
Foreign exchange effect on revenue growth Sourcefirst quarter 2026approximately 4% tailwindNew
Total expenses Sourcefull year 2026$162-169 billionNew
Capital expenditures, including finance lease principal Sourcefull year 2026$115-135 billionNew
Effective tax rate Sourcefull year 202613-16%New
Reality Labs operating losses Sourcefull year 2026similar to 2025 levelsNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Forward ranges given for 2026 total expenses, capital expenditures and tax rate, and for first quarter 2026 revenue. The prior release gave no 2026 ranges. Source
  • New: Company aligned with the European Commission on further Less Personalized Ads changes, rolling out from this quarter. The prior release said the Commission could impose such changes. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue up 24% in quarter: Fourth quarter revenue was $59.89 billion, up 24%; full year revenue was $200.97 billion, up 22%. Source
  • Fourth quarter revenue above prior range: The prior release gave a fourth quarter 2025 revenue range of $56-59 billion; reported revenue was $59.89 billion.
  • Ad impressions and pricing both rose: Ad impressions rose 18% in the fourth quarter and 12% for the year; average price per ad rose 6% in the quarter and 9% for the year. Source
  • Operating income up 6% in quarter: Income from operations was $24.75 billion in the fourth quarter, up 6%; full year income rose 20% to $83.28 billion. Quarterly net income rose 9% to $22.77 billion. Source
  • Diluted EPS up 11% in quarter: Diluted EPS was $8.88 in the fourth quarter, up from $8.02. Full year diluted EPS was $23.49, down 2% from $23.86. Source

Segments and revenue sources

  • Family of Apps drove nearly all revenue: Family of Apps revenue was $58.94 billion in the fourth quarter, against $47.30 billion. Its income from operations was $30.77 billion, against $28.33 billion. Source
  • Reality Labs revenue and operating loss: Reality Labs revenue was $955 million in the fourth quarter, against $1,083 million. Its operating loss was $6.02 billion, against $4.97 billion. Source
  • Currency added about one point: Excluding exchange effects, fourth quarter revenue would have grown 23% and full year revenue 22%. Source
  • Advertising revenue grew 24%: Advertising revenue was $58.14 billion in the fourth quarter, against $46.78 billion, and $196.18 billion for the full year, against $160.63 billion. Source

“Despite the meaningful step up in infrastructure investment, in 2026 we expect to deliver operating income that is above 2025 operating income.”

Meta Platforms, Inc., press release

Users, impressions and other revenue

  • Family daily active people at 3.58 billion: Family daily active people averaged 3.58 billion in December 2025, up 7% year-over-year, against 3.54 billion averaged for September 2025 in the prior release. Source
  • Impression growth compared with third quarter: The prior release reported ad impression growth of 14% for the third quarter of 2025, below the fourth quarter rate reported here.
  • Other revenue rose in quarter: Other revenue was $801 million in the fourth quarter, against $519 million. Full year other revenue was $2.58 billion, against $1.72 billion. Source

Costs, margins and tax

  • Costs up 40%, margin down: Total costs and expenses were $35.15 billion in the fourth quarter, up 40%, led by research and development of $17.14 billion. Operating margin was 41%, against 48%. Source
  • Full year costs within prior range: Full year 2025 total costs were $117.69 billion, up 24%, against the $116-118 billion range given in the prior release.
  • Full year tax rate rose to 30%: The full year 2025 provision includes One Big Beautiful Bill Act effects. Without the valuation allowance charge at enactment, the rate would have been 13%. Source
  • Quarterly tax rate 10%: Fourth quarter provision for income taxes was $2.59 billion, a 10% effective tax rate, against $2.72 billion and 12% a year earlier. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow of $43.59 billion: Operating cash flow was $36.21 billion in the fourth quarter and $115.80 billion for the year. Free cash flow was $14.08 billion and $43.59 billion. Source
  • Capital expenditures reached $72.22 billion: Capital expenditures, including finance lease principal, were $22.14 billion in the fourth quarter and $72.22 billion for full year 2025. Source
  • No buybacks in fourth quarter: No Class A shares were repurchased in the fourth quarter. Full year repurchases were $26.26 billion; full year dividends were $5.32 billion. Source
  • Cash held, long-term debt higher: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $81.59 billion at December 31, 2025. Long-term debt was $58.74 billion, against $28.83 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Cash taxes paid fell: Cash paid for income taxes, net, was $7.58 billion for the full year, against $10.55 billion in 2024. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Infrastructure costs lead 2026 expense growth: Management said infrastructure costs, including third-party cloud spend and higher depreciation, drive most of 2026 expense growth. Employee pay is the second-largest driver. Source
  • Equity investments and acquisitions: Full year purchases of non-marketable equity investments were $18.33 billion. Non-marketable equity investments on the balance sheet rose to $27.52 billion from $6.07 billion. Source
  • Venture distribution cash received: The company reported $2.55 billion of proceeds from a Venture distribution in the fourth quarter. Source

People and headcount

  • Headcount up 6% to 78,865: Headcount was 78,865 at December 31, 2025, up 6% year-over-year. The prior release gave 78,450 at September 30, 2025. Source
  • Employee pay second-largest expense driver: Employee compensation is the second-largest contributor to 2026 expense growth, driven by technical talent investment and a full year of 2025 hires. Source
  • Share-based compensation rose: Share-based compensation was $5.89 billion in the fourth quarter, against $4.26 billion, and $20.43 billion for the full year, against $16.69 billion. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 January 2026

  • Annual report on Form 10-K: Management said further information will be set out in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Management monitors EU and US legal and regulatory headwinds that it says could significantly affect business and financial results. Source
  • Regulatory: Youth-related trials scheduled in the U.S. this year may ultimately result in a material loss, according to management. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.