Meta beat investor expectations for third-quarter revenue as it pushes harder into AI, but profit of $9.86 billion came in almost 50% below expectations, dragged by a $9.9 billion charge tied to an $18 billion settlement with nearly all US states. Hours earlier, a judge ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion over a case linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. CFO Susan Li said the company still faces a number of youth-related trials in the US in the coming months. CEO Mark Zuckerberg expects Reality Labs losses to improve and trend toward profitability, and said 10 million people in the US and Canada already use its Muse AI model.
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Related tickers and likely impact
META
▲ Likely positiveMeta Platforms
Relevance: high
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Communication Services |
| Industry | Interactive Media & Services |
| Market cap | $1.9T |
| Close on 10/21/2026 | 698.43 |
| Change that session | +0.60% |
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