TLDR Meta will release its third-quarter earnings on October 21 after the US market closes. Trump’s August financial disclosure showed a Meta stock purchase valued between $5 million and $25
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) will report third-quarter earnings on October 21, placing META stock under scrutiny after President Donald Trump disclosed a large August purchase. Investors are weighing advertising growth against mounting artificial intelligence costs. The report follows a selloff in technology shares linked partly to AI spending concerns.
An October 8 financial disclosure showed an August 21 purchase of Meta shares worth between $5 million and $25 million. The transaction was the largest individual trade listed in the filing. The range does not reveal the exact amount paid.
The disclosure also detailed transactions involving other technology companies, including Nvidia. White House officials said independent financial managers oversee Trump’s investments. Nvidia expanded its Nemotron AI models last week.
Meta reported second-quarter revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% from the previous year. Advertising impressions climbed 14%, while the average price per advertisement increased 12%. Both measures supported higher advertising revenue.
The company uses AI to recommend content and improve advertising performance across Facebook and Instagram. Meta reported 3.6 billion daily users across its apps in June, representing 3% annual growth. The figure covers several of its services.
Meta released Muse Spark Open on October 15, extending its AI tools for developers working on software tasks. However, the company has not established how much revenue newer AI products will produce. Investors also await updates on business-focused AI services.
Meta expects 2026 capital spending between $130 billion and $145 billion, including finance lease payments. Second-quarter spending reached $31.08 billion, while free cash flow fell to $784 million. Legal charges and severance payments also increased quarterly expenses.
Analysts expect roughly $63.34 billion in third-quarter revenue, representing growth near 24%. They forecast earnings of around $6.60 per share, compared with adjusted earnings of $7.25 a year earlier. Last year’s reported figure included a tax charge.
Other technology companies face questions about AI investment returns. Morgan Stanley recently raised its Amazon price target, pointing to cloud demand and automated services as growth drivers. Amazon also plans further spending on computing capacity. META stock approaches earnings after weakness across technology shares.
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