Meta’s 2022 was a challenging year, marked by its first revenue decline. However, the company’s stock rose over 30% in after-hours trading following the release of its Q4 2022 earnings report. Despite this boost, the report showed no growth in either overall revenue or on a quarter-to-quarter basis. Meta’s total revenue for the year was $116.6 billion, a decrease of 1% compared to the previous year. The quarter’s revenue was $32.2 billion, a 4% decrease YoY. Ad revenue for the fourth quarter also saw a 4% decrease from the previous year, coming in at $31.3 billion.
Meta’s stock had a rough year in 2022, with its first-ever revenue decline. But it jumped by over 30% after-hours following the Q4 2022 earnings report that beat expectations. Despite the decrease in revenue, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, declares 2023 as the “year of efficiency.” The company focuses on streamlining operations, cutting non-performing projects, and using AI to boost productivity. Meta also plans to improve its short-form video product, Reels, to increase monetization and become profitable. The number of ad impressions across Meta’s apps rose by 23% YoY in Q4, but the average price-per-ad decreased by 22% YoY due to increased engagement with new surfaces like Reels.
Despite these challenges, Meta remains optimistic about its future growth. The company’s Q4 earnings report exceeded market expectations, leading to a surge in stock prices. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to make 2023 a “year of efficiency” with a focus on streamlining the company, cutting non-performing projects, and using AI to improve productivity. The company also plans to increase monetization for its short-form video product Reels and make it profitable shortly. However, Meta is still grappling with the effects of Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency framework and the recent ruling by European regulators that its terms of service for tracking and targeted advertising are illegal under GDPR. Meta is appealing the ruling, but the outcome is yet to be determined.
