DailyIQ
METAMeta Platforms, Inc.

Earnings Release

Meta Platforms, Inc.'s latest earnings press release, filed Jul 29, 2026, scored line by line for tone, guidance and what changed since the prior release.

Guidance mixed31 lines scoredFiled Jul 29, 2026SEC 8-K · Exhibit 99
Release Tone
61
UPBEAT
GuidanceGuidance mixedWhat this release does to the company's outlook
Tone change▼ 5.6pointsvs the prior release (Apr 29, 2026)
Hedging language1.66per 100 words▲ 0.70 vs prior
New this quarter11of 31 linesWording that was not in the prior release

The lines that matter most

Ranked by how material, how strongly worded and how new each sentence is.

  1. 1

    We are raising the lower-end of our expense outlook to incorporate the $2.4 billion charges related to legal proceedings recognized in the second quarter.

    Guidance raisedNew this quarter
  2. 2

    We anticipate 2026 capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, to be in the range of $130-145 billion, narrowed from our prior outlook of $125-145 billion.

    Guidance lowered
  3. 3

    Absent any changes to our tax landscape, we expect our tax rate for the remaining quarters of 2026 to be between 15-17%, an increase from our prior outlook of 13-16%.

    Guidance raised
  4. 4

    Family daily active people (DAP) – DAP was 3.60 billion on average for June 2026, an increase of 3% year-over-year.

  5. 5

    Headcount – Headcount was 75,472 as of June 30, 2026, a decrease of 1% year-over-year.

    New this quarterNegative tone
  6. 6

    Our guidance assumes foreign currency is an approximately 1% headwind to year-over-year total revenue growth, based on current exchange rates.

    Negative tone
  7. 7

    Revenue – Revenue was $60.80 billion, an increase of 28% year-over-year.

  8. 8

    Revenue on a constant currency basis would have increased by 27% year-over-year.

Release by release

Tone and guidance for the last 2 earnings releases.

  1. Jul 29, 2026Guidance mixed60.8-5.6
  2. Apr 29, 2026New outlook issued66.4

Bar length: tone on a 50–72 scale.

The release, annotated

1Highlight rankPositive toneNeutralNegative toneDimmed text: low materiality
Meta Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
MENLO PARK, Calif. – July 29, 2026 – Meta Platforms, Inc. (Nasdaq: META) today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.
"AI is accelerating our core business today, powering our next generation of products, and opening the door to entirely new enterprise opportunities," said Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO.
"The results are already showing, and I'm optimistic about the potential ahead."
Second Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights
Second Quarter 2026 Operational and Other Financial Highlights
4Family daily active people (DAP) – DAP was 3.60 billion on average for June 2026, an increase of 3% year-over-year.
Ad impressions – Ad impressions delivered across our Family of Apps increased by 14% year-over-year.
Average price per ad – Average price per ad increased by 12% year-over-year.
7Revenue – Revenue was $60.80 billion, an increase of 28% year-over-year.
8Revenue on a constant currency basis would have increased by 27% year-over-year.
Costs and expenses – Total costs and expenses were $42.03 billion, an increase of 55% year-over-year.
This includes $2.40 billion of charges related to legal proceedings and $1.18 billion of severance expenses in connection with the May 2026 headcount reduction.
Capital expenditures – Capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, were $31.08 billion.
Capital return program – Dividend and dividend equivalent payments were $1.35 billion.
Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities – Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $90.26 billion as of June 30, 2026.
Long-term debt – Long-term debt was $83.66 billion as of June 30, 2026.
Cash flow – Cash flow from operating activities was $31.86 billion, and free cash flow was $784 million.
5Headcount – Headcount was 75,472 as of June 30, 2026, a decrease of 1% year-over-year.
Our reported headcount includes approximately 8,000 employees impacted by the May 2026 headcount reduction, the majority of whom will no longer be reflected in our headcount by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
CFO Outlook Commentary
We expect third quarter 2026 total revenue to be in the range of $61-64 billion.
6Our guidance assumes foreign currency is an approximately 1% headwind to year-over-year total revenue growth, based on current exchange rates.
1We are raising the lower-end of our expense outlook to incorporate the $2.4 billion charges related to legal proceedings recognized in the second quarter.Guidance raised
We now expect full year 2026 total expenses to be in the range of $165-169 billion.
We continue to expect to deliver operating income this year that is above 2025 operating income.Guidance reaffirmed
2We anticipate 2026 capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, to be in the range of $130-145 billion, narrowed from our prior outlook of $125-145 billion.Guidance lowered
3Absent any changes to our tax landscape, we expect our tax rate for the remaining quarters of 2026 to be between 15-17%, an increase from our prior outlook of 13-16%.Guidance raised
Finally, we continue to monitor active legal and regulatory matters that could significantly impact our business and financial results.
For example, we continue to see scrutiny on youth-related issues in several markets and have a number of youth-related trials scheduled for this year in the U.S., which may ultimately result in a material loss.
(1) The second quarter 2026 general and administrative expenses include $2.40 billion of charges related to legal proceedings.
48 boilerplate lines (safe-harbor disclaimer, contacts, call details) are set aside.

How this is scored

  • Source: the press release Meta Platforms, Inc. filed with the SEC as Exhibit 99 to Form 8-K (Item 2.02). Financial statements and boilerplate are set aside.
  • Tone: a financial sentiment model scores each sentence 0 to 100; the release score weights sentences by how material they are.
  • Materiality and guidance: a classifier judges whether each sentence is specific information, and what the release does to the outlook.
  • New this quarter: wording that does not appear in the prior release.
  • Hedging: uncertainty words (may, could, approximately, headwinds and similar) per 100 words of narrative.

These scores describe the release's language. They are not a forecast or a recommendation. Read the original filing

Back to META overview