By Barbara Ortutay
Facebook capped a tumultuous 2020 with soaring earnings in the final quarter, its user base boosted by people staying home, and its revenue buoyed by a shift to digital advertising amid the pandemic.
But the company predicted uncertainty for 2021 and said its revenue in the latter half of the year could face significant pressure. Because revenue grew so quickly in the second half, the social network could have trouble keeping up that pace.
It’s also facing challenges in how it targets advertisements, including Apple’s coming launch of privacy protections that could limit Facebook’s ability to target ads.
Facebook earned $11.22 billion, or $3.88 per share, in the October-December period, well above the $3.19 that analysts expected and up 53% from a year earlier. Revenue grew 22% to $28.07 billion, higher than the $26.36 billion analysts were predicting, according to a poll by FactSet.
Its monthly user base grew 12% to 2.8 billion. Facebook ended 2020 with 58,604 employees, a 30% increase from a year earlier.
Shares of the Menlo Park, California-based company slipped about 2% in after-hours trading to $268.98.
There are reports that Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount have held talks to join forces. Cheddar News breaks it down to discuss what this could mean for the media landscape and for viewers.
Thursday kicks off the busiest holiday travel period of the year.
SiriusXM is facing a new lawsuit for allegedly trapping customers into subscription plans.
IKEA says it expects shipping delays and other product availability issues due to ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
There are multiple reports that talks are underway for a potential merger of Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount Global.
Stocks jumped after the opening bell on Thursday a day after Wall Street suffered its worst loss since October.
Dunkin said it's removing coconut milk from the menu.
Power Brands is recalling two of its air fryer models following reports of burns.
With only a few days until Christmas, people are still scrambling to buy gifts for friends and family. Claudia Lombana, consumer and shopping expert, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to budget for those gifts.
With the New Year around the corner, it's time to start thinking about resolutions. Many folks begin to think about saving money or cutting down on bills. Caleb Silver, editor-in-chief of Investopedia, joined Cheddar News to provide some tips on tracking debt and staying organized.
