Users reached 1.32 billion in June
The world's largest social network, Facebook, increased its active users to 1.32 billion this June, 14% more than a year ago.
30% of users use Facebook exclusively from a mobile device (smartphone, tablet, etc.). The network also announced a significant increase in both advertising revenue and profits, which pleased investors and led to a rise in its shares on Wall Street.
On average, 829 million people (63% of total users) used Facebook daily in June, 19% more than the same month last year, according to the BBC, the New York Times and the British Guardian. Users who used the network at least once a day from a mobile device were 654 million last month (an increase of 14% since June 2013), while total users via (and) mobile devices reached 1.07 billion.
In the second quarter of April-June 2014, Facebook posted a profit of $791 million, more than double the $333 million it had in the second quarter of last year (an increase of 138%). It was a financial performance that was significantly better than what Wall Street analysts had expected – something that has happened for the fifth consecutive quarter.
Its revenue was $2.91 billion, up from $1.81 billion in the same quarter last year, a spectacular 61% increase. This revenue was almost entirely from advertising revenue, which reached $2.68 billion (a 67% increase over the second quarter of last year).
In particular, mobile advertising revenue was $1.66 billion and now constituted approximately two-thirds (62%) of the American network's total advertising revenue, compared to 59% in the first quarter of 2014 and 41% in the second quarter of 2013. This fact shows that more and more advertisers are attracted by the viewing possibilities on Facebook's "mobile platform".
According to estimates by research firm eMarketer, Facebook received 5.8% of total global internet advertising revenue in 2013, up from 4.1% in 2012, and is expected to reach 8% by the end of this year.
"We had a great second quarter. Our community continued to grow, and we see many opportunities ahead as we connect the rest of the world," said the network's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
As he said, the average American now spends 40 minutes a day on Facebook, while adding that in the coming years the network will invest in new services for users, including for making financial transactions on the go, virtual reality (which is why the acquisition of the Oculus VR company was made a few days ago for $2 billion) and searches, in competition with Google, but without expecting any new source of profit immediately.
Facebook's stock has more than doubled in the last 12 months, while since the beginning of the year it has increased by approximately 30% and today its price is close to $75.
Source: protothema.gr
