Facebook has seen its b & # XE9; n & # XE9; net profit fall by 20% & # xE0, with $    509 million in the first quarter
Facebook saw its net income fell 20% to $ 509 million in the first quarter – Lionel Bonaventure AFP

20 Minutes with AFP

very mixed results for Facebook which certainly seen its advertising revenue rise but sales weighed down by expenses and hard dollars.

According to the reported results Wednesday, the net profit of US social network was down 20% to $ 509 million in the first quarter. Earnings per share, which is the benchmark on Wall Street, nevertheless exceeded by 2 cents the average forecast of analysts at 42 cents.

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The turnover, up 42% to $ 3.54 billion, is however slightly below the consensus (3.56 billion).

Mobile revenues increase

Like many US multinationals, Facebook is suffering from the stronger dollar weighing on the results of its international activities: he said in a statement that without the currency effects, sales would increased by 49%.

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Ad revenue, the main source of income group whose online services are free for users have notably increased 46% to $ 3.32 billion, with an ever increasing share of mobile revenues (73%, against 69% in the fourth quarter 2014).

Explosion Research and development expenses

However, the costs and expenses parallel group soared by 83% year on year to 2.61 billion. Facebook warned that spending would rise sharply, citing + 55% to + 70% for this year.

Research and development expenditures included more than doubled to 1.06 billion dollars. The Group invests heavily in its advertising services and its main products, but also in more futuristic projects such as the Internet relayed by drones or virtual reality.

The social network Facebook claimed 1.44 billion Members of the end of March, 65% of connecting daily to its network. In late December, they were 1.39 billion, 64% of daily users.