Facebook Earnings: Here's What To Expect From The Social Media Juggernaut

Topline Facebook, the world’s largest social media company, posted results for its best first quarter ever Wednesday afternoon, shattering Wall Street expectations thanks to surging advertising revenues despite heightened competition from the likes of Google and threats on the regulatory front. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is worth an estimated $112 billion. NurPhoto via Getty Images Key Facts Menlo Park, Calif.-based Facebook reported revenue of $26.1 billion in the first quarter, 48% more than the $17.7 billion it pulled in the first quarter of last year and nearly $3 billion more than analysts expected. Net income also smashed expectations, hitting $9.5 billion, or $3.30 per share—well above average analyst expectations of $2.33 per share and nearly double income of $4.9 billion in the first quarter of last year. Facebook’s monthly active users jumped about 50 million, meaning a record-breaking 2.85 billion people used the social network in the last month of the quarter.  A slew of analysts upped their Facebook price targets this week in anticipation of the better-than-expected earnings report, with Credit Suisse’s Stephen Ju on Monday saying improving ad trends should bode well for Facebook and Instagram’s bottom lines. Facebook stock futures jumped 7% within minutes of the announcement;…
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