Facebook quarterly revenue beats expectations

Facebook Inc beat market expectations for quarterly revenue on Wednesday, powered by higher ad spending by businesses during a pandemic-induced surge in online traffic. Shares of Facebook rose 6.6% in trading after the bell. Analysts had expected a profit of $2.37 per share.

Facebook Inc beat market expectations for quarterly revenue on Wednesday, powered by higher ad spending by businesses during a pandemic-induced surge in online traffic.

Shares of Facebook rose 6.6% in trading after the bell. Total revenue, which primarily consists of ad sales, rose to $26.17 billion in the first quarter ended March 31, beating analysts' average estimate of $23.67 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Facebook's monthly active users rose 10% to 2.85 billion, matching analyst expectations. Net income for the fourth quarter came in at $9.5 billion, or $3.30 per share, compared with $4.9 billion, or $1.71 per share, a year earlier. Analysts had expected a profit of $2.37 per share.