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Meta Platforms
- Sector: TechnologyTechnology Media and Telecommunications
- Sub Sector: Technology
- Country: US
- Bond: META 4.95 33
- Indicative Yield-to-Maturity (YTM): 4.95%
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Fundamental View
AS OF 25 Feb 2025We are encouraged by Meta’s strong advertising growth relative to peers in 2023 and 2024. Meta has extremely strong credit metrics of 0.3x gross leverage and $49 bn net cash. We continue to expect Meta to be a regular/annual issuer to fund its shareholder returns and massive investments in AI and the metaverse.
Longer term, we expect Meta to adhere to its previously communicated financial policy of maintaining a positive or neutral cash balance. Meta does have legal and regulatory risks notably an FTC suit that seeks to unwind its prior acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. However, not all event risk is negative as Meta would be the greatest beneficiary from a potential TikTok ban.
Business Description
AS OF 25 Feb 2025- Meta Platforms is the largest social networking company in the world. Meta generates substantially all of its revenue from advertising which includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and third-party affiliated websites or mobile applications.
- In 4Q24, Family of Apps was 98% of revenue (96.7% from advertising and 1.1% from other) and Reality Labs was 2% of revenue. Reality Labs generated $17.7 bn in operating losses during LTM 4Q24 as the company is investing heavily in the metaverse.
- There are 3.35 bn Family Daily Active People (DAP) as of 4Q24, and the Family Average Revenue per Person (ARPP) was $14.25 quarterly in 4Q24.
- Meta is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Employee headcount was >74k at 4Q24.
Risk & Catalysts
AS OF 25 Feb 2025In December 2020, the FTC filed a lawsuit against Meta targeting its acquisitions of Instagram and Whatsapp. If Meta is forced to unwind prior acquisitions, this would be a credit negative given reduced scale and diversification.
Meta’s business model relies almost entirely on user-generated content. As such, there are risks related to customer privacy (e.g., Cambridge Analytica data scandal in 2018) and regulatory changes (e.g., Section 230 protections).
In April 2024, the US signed into law a bill requiring a sale or ban of TikTok, although Trump signed an executive order instructing the Attorney General to not enforce the TikTok ban for 75 days (to 4/5/2025). If a ban is implemented, this would positively impact Meta and others with competing short-form video products.
In October 2022, activist Altimeter Capital wrote a letter to Zuck and Board although it was on the friendly-side of activism and some suggestions have already been implemented.
Key Metric
AS OF 25 Feb 2025| $ mn | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | LTM 4Q24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue YoY % | 21.6% | 37.2% | (1.1%) | 15.7% | 21.9% |
| EBITDA | 46,069 | 63,882 | 49,622 | 71,955 | 101,568 |
| EBITDA Margin | 53.6% | 54.2% | 42.6% | 53.3% | 61.7% |
| CapEx % of Sales | 18.3% | 16.3% | 27.5% | 20.8% | 23.8% |
| Sh. Ret. % of CFO-CapEx | 27% | 116% | 152% | 46% | 68% |
| Net Debt | (61,954) | (47,998) | (30,815) | (47,018) | (48,989) |
| Gross Leverage | 0.0x | 0.0x | 0.2x | 0.3x | 0.3x |
| EV / EBITDA | 15.8x | 14.0x | 5.8x | 12.3x | 14.5x |
CreditSight View Comment
AS OF 30 Jan 2025We are encouraged by Meta’s strong advertising growth relative to peers in 2023 and 2024. Meta has extremely strong credit metrics of 0.3x gross leverage and $49 bn net cash. We continue to expect Meta to be a regular/annual issuer to fund its shareholder returns and massive investments in AI and the metaverse. Longer term, we expect Meta to adhere to its previously communicated financial policy of maintaining a positive or neutral cash balance. Meta does have legal and regulatory risks notably an FTC suit that seeks to unwind its prior acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. However, not all event risk is negative as Meta would be the greatest beneficiary from a potential TikTok ban.
Recommendation Reviewed: January 30, 2025
Recommendation Changed: April 18, 2024
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