Meta Platforms stock gains as revenue and daily users climb

Meta Platforms (US30303M1027) stock is supported by a second-quarter 2026 revenue base of $42.3 billion, daily active people of 3.48 billion, and capital spending guidance of $64 billion to $72 billion for 2026. The company’s latest figures point to a business that keeps scaling while it spends aggressively on infrastructure.

Revenue above $42 billion

Meta said second-quarter 2026 revenue reached $42.3 billion, compared with $39.1 billion in the first quarter of 2026 and $39.07 billion in the second quarter of 2025. That means year-over-year growth of about 8.3% from the 2025 quarter and a sequential increase of about 8.2% from the first quarter of 2026.

Net income for the same quarter was $18.3 billion, while diluted earnings per share came in at $7.14. Those figures were both above the $16.6 billion profit and $5.16 EPS reported a year earlier, showing that revenue growth still translated into substantial earnings power.

Users still expand

The company also reported 3.48 billion daily active people across its family of apps in the second quarter of 2026, up from 3.43 billion in the first quarter of 2026. For investors, that user base matters because it supports ad inventory, pricing power, and the scale needed to fund AI and infrastructure spending.

Meta said capital expenditures are expected to be $64 billion to $72 billion in 2026, a clear sign that management is still prioritizing data centers, servers, and AI capacity. The spending range is large enough to keep free cash flow and margin expectations central to the stock story.

Guidance carries the weight

The company’s operating outlook also stays relevant because second-quarter revenue growth came alongside heavy investment plans. The combination of $42.3 billion in quarterly sales and the $64 billion to $72 billion full-year capex range puts more emphasis on how quickly infrastructure spending can turn into ad revenue and engagement gains.

That mix is why the market now tends to focus on margin durability rather than user growth alone. A company with 3.48 billion daily active people can still disappoint if spending rises faster than monetization.

AI spend and margins

Meta Platforms has made the spending path part of the equity case, not just the earnings story. The 2026 capex range of $64 billion to $72 billion implies that investors will keep comparing revenue growth with the pace of investment into AI and core infrastructure.

That comparison is especially important after a quarter with $18.3 billion in net income and $7.14 in diluted EPS. If earnings continue to expand while spending stays within the stated range, the market gets more confidence in the company’s ability to monetize scale.

Family apps drive scale

Across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other products, Meta’s family of apps reached 3.48 billion daily active people in the second quarter of 2026. That scale remains the foundation for advertising demand, even as the company pushes harder into AI-powered products and infrastructure.

For now, the most useful reading is simple: the revenue base is still growing, user reach remains enormous, and spending is still elevated. Those three numbers explain why Meta Platforms stock stays tied to execution rather than just sentiment.

Meta stock at scale

Meta Platforms stock is best understood through the balance between its 2026 spending plan and its quarterly profit engine. The company reported $42.3 billion in second-quarter revenue, $18.3 billion in net income, and 3.48 billion daily active people, all against a 2026 capital spending range of $64 billion to $72 billion.