Meta beats expectations but legal penalties hit profit amid AI race

Economic Times TechOctober 21, 2026en

Meta beat investor expectations for third-quarter revenue on Wednesday as it doubles down on a global AI race but the social media giant's profits took a hit due to an $18 billion legal settlement with nearly all US states. The company reported $9.86 billion in profits from July to September, almost 50 percent below investor expectations, which Meta said was dragged down by a $9.9 billion charge related to the settlement.

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