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Facebook Reported Solid Earnings but Investors Still Are Cautious

January 31, 2018  By

Facebook continues to perform and bring in stellar numbers and it resulted in the stock trading down briefly and then pushing back upwards. Facebook is essentially the go to place for people who interact. Instagram is another growing platform and it is also owned by Facebook. This company continues to push further into new territory and making all the right moves. However, it was stated that time spent on Facebook has decreased in the last quarter.

Published over a year ago
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Reviewed by Vlad Skutelnik

Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2017 came in at $12.9 billion, which is an increase from $10.3 billion in the third quarter. Daily active users increased from the pervious quarter as well to 1.4 billion, an improvement of over 30 million users from last quarter. Advertising continues to be one of Facebook’s revenue streams and will be for the foreseeable future. Net income did drop from Q3 to Q4 of 2017, but the overall trend is still trending upward.

How important is Facebook's Liquidity

Facebook financial leverage refers to using borrowed capital as a funding source to finance Facebook ongoing operations. It is usually used to expand the firm's asset base and generate returns on borrowed capital. Facebook financial leverage is typically calculated by taking the company's all interest-bearing debt and dividing it by total capital. So the higher the debt-to-capital ratio (i.e., financial leverage), the riskier the company. Financial leverage can amplify the potential profits to Facebook's owners, but it also increases the potential losses and risk of financial distress, including bankruptcy, if the firm cannot cover its debt costs. The degree of Facebook's financial leverage can be measured in several ways, including by ratios such as the debt-to-equity ratio (total debt / total equity), equity multiplier (total assets / total equity), or the debt ratio (total debt / total assets). Please check the breakdown between Facebook's total debt and its cash.

How is Facebook allocating its cash?

To perform a cash flow analysis of Facebook, investors first need to understand how to read the cash flow statement. A cash flow statement shows the amount of cash Facebook is receiving and how much cash it distributes out in a given period. The Facebook cash flow statement breaks down these inflows and outflows into different buckets, including operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities.

Breaking down Facebook Further

Mark Zuckerberg was quoted as saying, “2017 was a strong year for Facebook, but it was also a hard one”. He went on to say that he wants Facebook to not only be fun to use but contribute to people’s well-being. With changes in how the company operated, the goal is to show people important and useful information, thus pushing down the hours of time spent on the platform daily by 50 million hours.  

Facebook continues to be the leader in social media but all it takes is one new invention or platform to draw people elsewhere. It seems obvious that the goal of Facebook is to make it an effective tool for people to keep in touch, but to also see important information such as news and other notable events.  

Zuckerberg was also quoted as saying, “By focusing on meaningful connections, our community and business will be strong over the long term”. This is accurate because the flow of information was being cluttered and Facebook does not want that. Twitter is an example of information that is rapidly expressed with no real order.  

The landscape continues to change but it certainly seems to be bright for Facebook. People should continue to advertise and contribute to the growth. Until there are peoples mothers and grandmothers on another platform, Facebook should be in a solid spot. Other platforms gear towards other age groups and genders, but Facebook is the common ground for all and that speaks volumes.

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Editorial Staff

Nathan Young is a Senior Member of Macroaxis Editorial Board - US Equity Analysis. With years of experience in the financial sector, Nathan brings a diverse base of knowledge. Specifically, he has in-depth understanding of application of technical and fundamental analysis across different equity instruments. Utilizing SEC filings and technical indicators, Nathan provides a reputable analysis of companies trading in the United States. View Profile
This story should be regarded as informational only and should not be considered a solicitation to sell or buy any financial products. Macroaxis does not express any opinion as to the present or future value of any investments referred to in this post. This post may not be reproduced without the consent of Macroaxis LLC. Macroaxis LLC and Nathan Young do not own shares of Facebook. Please refer to our Terms of Use for any information regarding our disclosure principles.

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