Shares in MetaTrader fell in after-hours trading on Wednesday, despite the company reporting strong third-quarter results, after it warned that its expenses would increase significantly in 2026 compared to this year.
Like its competitors, Meta Platforms is engaged in a heated race in the field of artificial intelligence, and said its expenses will increase at a much faster pace next year, driven by rising infrastructure costs and employee compensation, after it hired AI experts at very high salary levels.
The company stated: “Employee compensation costs will be the second largest contributor to expense growth, as we will be calculating a full year’s salary for employees hired during 2025, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, and we will continue to add technical staff in priority areas.”
The company, headquartered in Menlo Park, California, reported earnings of $2.71 billion, or $1.05 per share, for the period from July to September. Excluding special tax-related expenses, the company's earnings would have been $7.25 per share.
Meta's revenue rose 26 percent to $51.42 billion, compared to $40.59 billion in the same period last year.
Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research had expected Meta to earn $6.72 per share on revenues of $49.5 billion.
In the United States, Meta is facing an antitrust lawsuit that is still awaiting a judge's decision, and the company may be forced to separate WhatsApp and Instagram from it. These two startups were acquired by Meta more than a decade ago and have since become powerful platforms in the world of social media.
Meta shares fell by $57.67, or 7.7 percent, to close at $694 in after-hours trading, after having ended the official trading session slightly higher at $751.7.
