logo
Meta stock surges after Q2 results beat expectations despite heavy AI spending

Meta stock surges after Q2 results beat expectations despite heavy AI spending

Leader Live3 days ago
Shares in the Facebook owner surged more than 9% after-hours as a result.
The California-based company earned 18.34 billion dollars in the April-June period. That is up 36% from 13.47 billion dollars in the same period a year earlier.
Revenue jumped 22% to 47.52 billion dollars from 39.07 billion dollars.
Meta said it expects costs to increase as it spends billions on infrastructure and luring highly compensated employees as it works on its artificial intelligence ambitions.
It is forecasting 2025 expenses to be in the range of 114 billion dollars to 118 billion dollars, up 20% to 24% year-over-year.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cavendish acquires Keystone lettings in Connah's Quay
Cavendish acquires Keystone lettings in Connah's Quay

Leader Live

timean hour ago

  • Leader Live

Cavendish acquires Keystone lettings in Connah's Quay

Cavendish, which has offices in Chester, Ruthin and Mold, has purchased the lettings arm of Connah's Quay-based Keystone Property and Mortgage Centre. The deal enables Cavendish to continue the expansion of the property management side of the company and allows Keystone to focus on their fast-growing estate agency and mortgage broking service across North Wales, Chester and Wirral. David Adams, Managing Director of Cavendish, said: 'From our early discussions, it was clear that the values and ethos of our two businesses were very closely aligned. 'We look forward to welcoming Keystone's landlord clients into the Cavendish family and building on the high level of customer service they have come to expect from the Keystone team. 'The acquisition is an important next step in our own strategic growth plans and we look forward to adding further appropriate acquisitions to our business.' Ben Roberts, managing director of Keystone Property & Mortgage Centre, said: 'This has been a carefully considered decision, one that has been six months in the making. During that time, we received interest and offers from a number of companies — some even offering more than we ultimately accepted. 'However, our focus was never solely financial. Our priority has always been our landlord clients and ensuring continuity of care, service, and trust. 'After a series of highly productive meetings and discussions, we were delighted to agree a deal with Cavendish, a company that shares our values and approach to customer service. MORE PROPERTY NEWS Their team brings a wealth of experience and a strong reputation for professionalism and integrity. 'This sale will now allow us to focus and channel all our energy into the estate agency and mortgage sides of the business — enabling us to elevate the customer experience even further, both for sellers and buyers alike.' The sale also allows Ben's mum, Glenys Roberts, who has successfully overseen the lettings agency for many years, to enjoy a well-earned retirement.

iOS 18.7 Release Date and Rumored Features
iOS 18.7 Release Date and Rumored Features

Geeky Gadgets

time2 hours ago

  • Geeky Gadgets

iOS 18.7 Release Date and Rumored Features

Apple recently released iOS 18.6, marking another step in its ongoing effort to refine and enhance its mobile operating system and now we have details on iOS 18.7. This update focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements, continuing Apple's tradition of delivering incremental updates that prioritize stability and usability. While iOS 18.6 does not introduce major new features, it lays the groundwork for future updates, including the much-anticipated iOS 18.7. Below, we take a closer look at what iOS 18.6 offers, Apple's update strategy, and what lies ahead for users. Watch this video on YouTube. iOS 18.6 introduces a series of behind-the-scenes adjustments aimed at improving the overall performance and reliability of Apple devices. Although this update does not include headline-grabbing features, it delivers meaningful enhancements that contribute to a smoother user experience. Key improvements include: Faster app loading times , reducing delays when opening or switching between applications. , reducing delays when opening or switching between applications. Improved multitasking stability , minimizing app crashes during heavy usage. , minimizing app crashes during heavy usage. General system stability enhancements, making sure a more reliable and consistent performance across devices. These refinements reflect Apple's focus on making sure that its devices operate seamlessly, even during mid-cycle updates. By addressing minor bugs and optimizing system functionality, iOS 18.6 reinforces Apple's commitment to delivering a polished user experience. What to Expect from iOS 18.7 With iOS 18.6 now available, attention naturally shifts to the next update, iOS 18.7. Based on Apple's established release patterns, iOS 18.7 is expected to continue the trend of incremental improvements. Likely areas of focus include: Additional bug fixes to resolve any remaining issues from earlier versions. to resolve any remaining issues from earlier versions. Performance optimizations, potentially enhancing battery life and improving app compatibility. While iOS 18.7 is unlikely to introduce new features, these updates are essential for fine-tuning the system. By addressing user feedback and refining the software, Apple ensures that each update contributes to a more stable and efficient operating system. Will There Be an iOS 18.8? Speculation is growing around the possibility of an iOS 18.8 release before Apple unveils iOS 26, which is expected in September. If iOS 18.8 does materialize, it would likely serve as a final refinement for the iOS 18 series, focusing on maximum stability and performance optimization. This would align with Apple's strategy of delivering a seamless transition between software generations, making sure that users experience minimal disruption when upgrading to the next major version. Understanding Apple's Update Strategy Apple's approach to software updates reflects a deliberate balance between innovation and reliability. The company's versioning system is designed to ensure that each update serves a specific purpose: Major updates , such as iOS 18, introduce new features, design changes, and significant functionality enhancements. , such as iOS 18, introduce new features, design changes, and significant functionality enhancements. Minor updates, like iOS 18.6 and 18.7, focus on bug fixes, performance improvements, and system stability. For instance, earlier updates in the iOS 18 series demonstrated this strategy in action. iOS 18.3.1 targeted specific bugs, while iOS 18.4 introduced broader performance enhancements. This structured approach ensures that users benefit from both innovation and reliability, with each update building on the strengths of its predecessor. Looking Ahead: iOS 26 While incremental updates like iOS 18.7 and 18.8 are crucial for maintaining system stability, the tech community is already looking ahead to iOS 26, which is slated for release in September. This major update is expected to deliver significant new features and design changes, marking a milestone in Apple's software evolution. Until then, Apple remains focused on perfecting the current operating system through a series of carefully planned updates. By continuing to refine and optimize its software, Apple ensures that users enjoy a reliable and seamless experience, even as the company prepares for the next major leap forward. Gain further expertise in iOS 18.6 by checking out these recommendations. Source & Image Credit: Simple Alpaca Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.

Big tech has spent $155bn on AI this year. It's about to spend hundreds of billions more
Big tech has spent $155bn on AI this year. It's about to spend hundreds of billions more

The Guardian

time12 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Big tech has spent $155bn on AI this year. It's about to spend hundreds of billions more

The US's largest companies have spent 2025 locked in a competition to spend more money than one another, lavishing $155bn on the development of artificial intelligence, more than the US government has spent on education, training, employment and social services in the 2025 fiscal year so far. Based on the most recent financial disclosures of Silicon Valley's biggest players, the race is about to accelerate to hundreds of billions in a single year. Over the past two weeks, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet, Google's parent, have shared their quarterly public financial reports. Each disclosed that their year-to-date capital expenditure, a figure that refers to the money companies spend to acquire or upgrade tangible assets, already totals tens of billions. Capex, as the term is abbreviated, is a proxy for technology companies' spending on AI because the technology requires gargantuan investments in physical infrastructure, namely data centers, which require large amounts of power, water and expensive semiconductor chips. Google said during its most recent earnings call that its capital expenditure 'primarily reflects investments in servers and data centers to support AI'. Meta's year-to-date capital expenditure amounted to $30.7bn, doubling the $15.2bn figure from the same time last year, per its earnings report. For the most recent quarter alone, the company spent $17bn on capital expenditures, also double the same period in 2024, $8.5bn. Alphabet reported nearly $40bn in capex to date for the first two quarters of the current fiscal year, and Amazon reported $55.7bn. Microsoft said it would spend more than $30bn in the current quarter to build out the data centers powering its AI services. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood said the current quarter's capex would be at least 50% more than the outlay during the same period a year earlier and greater than the company's record capital expenditures of $24.2bn in the quarter to June. 'We will continue to invest against the expansive opportunity ahead,' Hood said. For the coming fiscal year, big tech's total capital expenditure is slated to balloon enormously, surpassing the already eye-popping sums of the previous year. Microsoft plans to unload about $100bn on AI in the next fiscal year, CEO Satya Nadella said Wednesday. Meta plans to spend between $66bn and $72bn. Alphabet plans to spend $85bn, significantly higher than its previous estimation of $75bn. Amazon estimated that its 2025 expenditure would come to $100bn as it plows money into Amazon Web Services, which analysts now expect to amount to $118bn. In total, the four tech companies will spend more than $400bn on capex in the coming year, according to the Wall Street Journal. The multibillion-dollar figures represent mammoth investments, which the Journal points out is larger than the European Union's quarterly spending on defense. However, the tech giants can't seem to spend enough for their investors. Microsoft, Google and Meta informed Wall Street analysts last quarter that their total capex would be higher than previously estimated. In the case of all three companies, investors were thrilled, and shares in each company soared after their respective earnings calls. Microsoft's market capitalization hit $4tn the day after its report. Even Apple, the cagiest of the tech giants, signaled that it would boost its spending on AI in the coming year by a major amount, either via internal investments or acquisitions. The company's quarterly capex rose to $3.46bn, up from $2.15bn during the same period last year. The iPhone maker reported blockbuster earnings Thursday, with rebounding iPhone sales and better-than-expected business in China, but it is still seen as lagging farthest behind on development and deployment of AI products among the tech giants. Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said Thursday that the company was reallocating a 'fair number' of employees to focus on artificial intelligence and that the 'heart of our AI strategy' is to increase investments and 'embed' AI across all of its devices and platforms. Cook refrained from disclosing exactly how much Apple is spending, however. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion 'We are significantly growing our investment, I'm not putting specific numbers behind that,' he said. Smaller players are trying to keep up with the incumbents' massive spending and capitalize on the gold rush. OpenAI announced at the end of the week of earnings that it had raised $8.3bn in investment, part of a planned $40bn round of funding, valuing the startup, whose ChatGPT chatbot kicked in 2022, at $300bn.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store