Meta’s Record Revenues, Soaring Stock & Utopian AI: Will Zuckerberg’s $31 Billion AI Bet Pay Off?

Meta Platforms delivered a standout performance in the second quarter of 2025, with shares surging 12% to $779.70, just shy of its all-time high. The company significantly exceeded Wall Street expectations, reporting earnings per share of $7.14 versus the expected $5.88 and revenue of $47.5 billion, up 22% year-over-year. This strong financial showing was driven by growth in daily users, ad impressions, and price-per-ad across Meta’s platforms. CEO Mark Zuckerberg attributed the robust results to artificial intelligence, highlighting that AI played a central role in enhancing ad system efficiency. Notably, Instagram and Facebook saw ad conversion rates rise by 5% and 3% respectively, underscoring AI’s impact on monetization. Meta’s operational cash flow hit $26 billion, funding massive capital expenditures of $17 billion during the quarter to build out AI data centers aimed at supporting “superintelligence,” a long-term ambition Zuckerberg sees as central to Meta’s future.