Goldman Sachs Comments on Meta (META.US) Q3 Financial Report: AI Continues to Empower Core Business, Maintains "Buy" Rating

Goldman Sachs, following the release of Meta Platforms (META.US) FY2026 Q3 earnings report, issued an initial commentary stating that the market's initial reaction to this report is expected to be generally positive. This is because the company's revenue not only exceeded expectations but also surpassed the upper end of company guidance, with advertising revenue increasing by 26% year-on-year. However, GAAP profitability was significantly impacted by a one-time accrual of $9.9 billion related to a settlement between Meta and multiple state attorneys general in the United States concerning lawsuits about youth mental health and social media. Goldman Sachs pointed out that, excluding this expense, the company's profit level surpassed both its own and Visible Alpha's consensus expectations.