Facebook reported 40 percent growth to USD 1.59 billion of revenue in the fourth quarter, compared with USD 1.13 billion in the year-earlier period. Advertising revenues rose by 41 percent to USD 1.33 billion, or 84 percent of turnover. The remaining revenue came from payments and other fees, essentially flat year-on-year. Mobile accounted for 23 percent of advertising sales, up 14 percent on the previous quarter.
Facebook increased its costs and expenses 82 percent to USD 1.06 billion in the fourth quarter, with capital expenditure at USD 198 million. Income from operations slipped to USD 523 million from USD 548 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.Facebook's net profit fell to USD 64 million from USD 302 million, and EPS to USD 0.03 from USD 0.14. Excluding stock-option costs and their dilutive effect, net profit would have risen 18 percent to USD 426 million and EPS reached USD 0.17, putting the results slightly ahead of market expectations.
Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, "In 2012, we connected over a billion people and became a mobile company. We enter 2013 with good momentum and will continue to invest to achieve our mission and become a stronger, more valuable company". Facebook finished the year with cash of USD 9.63 billion.
The social network counted 1.056 billion users at the end of 2012, of which 680 million accessed the site from a mobile device. The company estimates 157 million are mobile-only users.
Average revenue per monthly visitor reached USD 1.54 over the fourth quarter. This was highest in North America at USD 4.08, USD 1.71 in Europe, USD 0.69 in Asia and USD 0.56 in the rest of the world. Total revenue growth was strongest in Asia, up 72 percent to USD 198 million, while North America was the biggest market, growing sales 38 percent to USD 780 million.
Facebook also gave figures on daily visitors to the site, which it estimates at 618 million. The company noted that for the first time it counted more active daily users on mobile devices than fixed internet.
