Facebook reported its first-quarter earnings after the markets closed Wednesday, beating much of Wall Street’s expectations and seeming to overcome concerns that the Cambridge Analytica data scandal would slow the company's growth.
The average number of daily active users in March grew 13 percent from the year before to 1.45 billion. Facebook's overall revenue jumped by 49 percent from last year to nearly $12 billion based on growth in advertising revenue. The news sent shares surging by almost 7 percent after hours.
“We don’t see a decelerating business model here,” said Andrew Keene, chief executive of AlphaShark.com. “The numbers are great and I think that Facebook is going to move higher from here.”
The controversy over data privacy protections reached its height at the end of the first quarter, and it could take some time to see if the fallout has a lasting effect on the company's stock. Facebook shares are down 13 percent from the period before the Cambridge Analytica news was reported.
Facebook reported earnings just a day after it made public for the first time its [internal guidelines](https://cheddar.com/videos/facebook-wants-to-be-more-transparent-with-its-content-policy) for policing content on its site. In a bid to regain trust from its users, Facebook put out a 27-page document outlining how it defines hate speech, bullying, and child nudity. It also announced that it would allow users to make a direct appeal if they disagree with Facebook’s decision to pull something down.
For full coverage, [click here](https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMTY3MTA=).
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
