Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook, has been impressing investors with its narrative this year, dispelling the notion that its brands are falling behind in popularity compared to TikTok. The company’s upcoming earnings release on July 26th is expected to showcase promising results for its flagship brand, Instagram, with artificial intelligence playing a crucial role in driving its success.
According to Deutsche Bank analyst Benjamin Black, investors are growing more optimistic about the digital advertising market and Meta’s ability to leverage artificial intelligence investments for enhanced engagement and monetization trends. In a note to clients, Black emphasized the significance of artificial intelligence in boosting efficiency gains at Instagram and Meta’s overall performance.
Moreover, Black has increased his price target for Meta from $290 to $350, indicating his confidence in the company’s future prospects. He mentioned positive advertising checks throughout the quarter, highlighting that Meta’s ad spend has been strong relative to its competitors. This positive sentiment aligns with Meta’s potential to benefit from the current artificial intelligence frenzy. While Meta excels in improving content recommendations for users, it also utilizes AI technology to bolster its advertising solutions. For instance, Meta employs AI and machine learning to assist advertisers in creating captivating short-form video advertisements and addressing customer inquiries through its Messenger platform.
These efforts not only enhance user experience but also provide Meta with greater opportunities for monetization, making it a promising investment choice in the eyes of Benjamin Black.
Additional Insights
Meta’s Potential for Growth and Expansion
In a recent analysis, it was noted that Meta’s Threads app has already gained a substantial user base of over 107 million users. This achievement presents a promising opportunity for Meta to capitalize on its initial success and establish a strong foothold in the market. Barclays analyst Ross Sandler believes that Threads could mark the beginning of a new phase for the company.
Sandler raises the question of whether Meta can effectively leverage its existing infrastructure, graphs, and AI capabilities to develop more specialized standalone apps. For example, he suggests the possibility of creating a separate app for Reels, similar to TikTok, which would enable Meta to compete more effectively without any conflicting metrics or trade-offs with Instagram’s Feed and Stories.
If this strategic approach of launching apps within existing apps gains traction, it has the potential to significantly expand the price-to-earnings multiple assigned to Meta shares. This expansion would be attributed to the introduction of numerous new use cases and opportunities to enhance user engagement and generate more revenue.
Overall, the success of Threads indicates that Meta is well-positioned to pursue further growth and diversify its app offerings. By seizing opportunities and drawing inspiration from industry leaders such as Steve Jobs, Meta demonstrates its commitment to innovation and staying ahead in the competitive tech landscape.
Related: Meta’s Threads has over 107 million users, research says
Opinion: With Meta’s Threads, Zuck seized an opportunity and took a page from Steve Jobs