*By Michael Teich*
Facebook may have impressed Wall Street with strong advertising revenue and user growth, but the social media company has not yet escaped from the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal unscathed, said Scott Devitt, an analyst at Stifel.
Shares of Facebook surged Thursday, a day after the company reported first-quarter advertising revenue grew 50 percent compared with a year ago. The news eased investors’ fears that advertisers would flee the platform after a backlash from users ー and Congress ー about the security of their personal information.
In its earnings call on Wednesday, the company also addressed Europe's new General Data Protection Regulation, warning the new privacy requirements could flatten or reduce the number of active users in Europe when they go into effect May 25.
Devitt said in an interview with Cheddar that he doesn’t see this being a major burden for Facebook, adding that the new rules may only have a minor effect on the number of users abroad.
“The bigger question is fatigue with the platform,” said Devitt, who has a “hold” rating and $175 price target on Facebook stock.
Facebook saw its first-ever decline in users in the U.S. and Canada in the last quarter of 2017, but it got back on track in the first quarter of this year ー it reported 185 million users, up from 184 million last year. Devitt said the revival is a promising sign.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/what-data-scandal-facebook-stock-jumps-on-earnings-beat).
Learning about money is a skill that should be learned at an early age. OneMain Financial is now offering a financial course called 'Credit Worthy' across several high schools across the country, along with some scholarships. Doug Shulman, CEO of OneMain Financial, joined Cheddar News to discuss the importance of learning and understanding credit. "Over half of high school students graduate without knowing the basics about credit," Schulman said. "It really helps establish a great foundation to being an independent adult, to have a healthy and happy life, and some financial security is part of that."
Mariah Carey is facing a second lawsuit claiming copyright infringement over her song, "All I Want For Christmas is You."
Apple posted better-than-expected results for the third quarter but continued to report soft revenue. Cheddar News breaks it all down.
Thousands of hospitality workers across 18 casinos in Las Vegas have announced they are set to strike if a new contract agreement is not reached by Friday, November 10.
Mariah Carey, the 'Queen of Christmas,' is teaming up with Victoria's Secret for a new holiday collection.
Stocks jumped Friday after a jobs report showed a higher slowdown in hiring, giving hope to an end in rate hikes.
A new study found greater productivity in companies with a higher gender balance.
Apple posted better-than-expected profit and revenue in the latest quarter but said sales dropped for the fourth straight quarter, including a drop in revenue for iPads and iMacs.
The Federal Trade Commission is accusing Amazon of using an algorithm to raise prices for some of its products, thereby causing other shopping sites to do the same.
The Labor Department reported the U.S. economy added 150,000 jobs in October, down from an adjusted 297,000 jobs added in September.
