Meta and Microsoft Announce Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and software giant Microsoft have shared their balance sheets for the second quarter of the year (the fourth quarter of the 2026 fiscal year for Microsoft) with the public. While significant revenue growth was recorded for both companies, the impact of artificial intelligence investments on the balance sheets drew attention.

META'S REVENUE INCREASED, NET PROFIT DECLINED

Meta's revenue for the second quarter of the year reached 60.8 billion dollars, an increase of 28 percent compared to the same period last year. The company had generated 47.52 billion dollars in revenue during the same period in 2025. Despite this increase in revenue, the company's net profit decreased by 14 percent year-on-year to 15.85 billion dollars. Earnings per share, which were 7.14 dollars in the second quarter of last year, were calculated at 6.18 dollars for the same period this year.

Sharing its future outlook, Meta projects revenue between 61 billion dollars and 64 billion dollars for the third quarter of the year. The company also announced its total expense expectation for the full year 2026 as 165 billion dollars to 169 billion dollars, while revising its capital expenditure forecast to the 130-145 billion dollar range.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence technologies in his assessment of the financial results. Stating that artificial intelligence is accelerating core business processes and powering the company's next-generation products, Zuckerberg said, "The results are already showing, and I am optimistic about the potential ahead."

MICROSOFT'S NET PROFIT ROSE BY 31 PERCENT

Microsoft, which considers the three-month period ending June 30 as the fourth quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, saw its revenue reach 90 billion dollars in that period, an 18 percent increase year-on-year. The company had reported 76.44 billion dollars in revenue for the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Microsoft's net profit increased by 31 percent in the same period to 35.8 billion dollars, while earnings per share rose from 3.65 dollars to 4.81 dollars. Cloud services were particularly effective in the company's growth; revenue from Azure and other cloud services increased by 43 percent during this period.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reported that Azure revenue surpassed the 100 billion dollar mark for the first time this year. Noting that Microsoft 365 Copilot has reached over 30 million paid users, Nadella stated that this is a reflection of the trust customers place in the company to realize their artificial intelligence transformations.

News Source: 12punto