Meta Platforms, Inc. Just Beat Earnings Expectations: Here’s What Analysts Think Will Happ
May 4, 2025
As you might know, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) just kicked off its latest first-quarter results with some very strong numbers. The company beat forecasts, with revenue of US$42b, some 2.3% above estimates, and statutory earnings per share (EPS) coming in at US$6.43, 23% ahead of expectations. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company’s performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.
Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Meta Platforms’ 64 analysts is for revenues of US$187.0b in 2025. This would reflect a notable 9.7% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to reduce 3.4% to US$25.60 in the same period. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$186.0b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$24.63 in 2025. The analysts seems to have become more bullish on the business, judging by their new earnings per share estimates.
See our latest analysis for Meta Platforms
The consensus price target was unchanged at US$706, implying that the improved earnings outlook is not expected to have a long term impact on value creation for shareholders. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. There are some variant perceptions on Meta Platforms, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$935 and the most bearish at US$466 per share. This is a fairly broad spread of estimates, suggesting that analysts are forecasting a wide range of possible outcomes for the business.
Of course, another way to look at these forecasts is to place them into context against the industry itself. The period to the end of 2025 brings more of the same, according to the analysts, with revenue forecast to display 13% growth on an annualised basis. That is in line with its 15% annual growth over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to see their revenues grow 10% per year. So although Meta Platforms is expected to maintain its revenue growth rate, it’s definitely expected to grow faster than the wider industry.
The most important thing here is that the analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, suggesting that there has been a clear increase in optimism towards Meta Platforms following these results. Happily, there were no major changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow faster than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.
Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have forecasts for Meta Platforms going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.
That said, it’s still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We’ve identified 1 warning sign with Meta Platforms , and understanding this should be part of your investment process.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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