The stronger cost controls implemented by Meta Platforms Inc this year, as well as a fresh $40 billion share repurchase, drove shares surging on Wednesday, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared 2023 the “Year of Efficiency.” The parent company of Instagram and Facebook reduced its expense forecast for 2023 by $5 billion, to a range of $89 billion-95 billion, and forecasted first-quarter sales that could outperform Wall Street expectations.

Since its November low, the market value of Meta stock has increased by $237 billion. After Zuckerberg committed to make the social media business leaner, the stock rose more than 20% in afternoon trade on Thursday, the greatest intraday gain in nearly a decade. Analysts applauded the move, with at least three brokerages raising their ratings on the company following the earnings announcement.

The emphasis on efficiency, according to Zuckerberg, is a natural progression of the company, a “phase change” for an organization that once lived by the mantra “move fast and break things.”

“For the first 18 years, we just grew so quickly,” Zuckerberg stated on a conference call. “It’s quite difficult to maximize efficiency.” “While you’re expanding at that rate, I simply believe we are in a different atmosphere presently.”

According to a statement, the cost reductions reflect Meta’s amended intentions for lower data center construction expenses this year as the company transitions to a structure that can accommodate both AI and non-AI activity.

As firms cut back on marketing expenditure owing to economic concerns, rivals like TikTok gained younger viewers, and Apple’s privacy changes continued to undermine the business of distributing tailored advertising, the digital ad giant faced a bleak 2022.

In response, Meta slashed more than 11,000 workers in November, foreshadowing the tens of thousands of layoffs in the tech industry that followed.

“The ‘Year of Efficiency’ is our management theme for 2023, and we’re focused on making a stronger and more agile organization,” Zuckerberg said in a statement.

Monetization efficiency for Reels on Facebook had more than doubled in the previous six months, and the company was on schedule to break even by the end of 2023 or early 2024 and then grow profitably, he added on the conference call.

“After Snap’s terrible forecast earlier this week, Meta’s better-than-expected earnings should dispel concerns about the state of the digital advertising sector,” said Jesse Cohen, senior analyst at Investing.com.

Meta’s layoff strategy

Meta Platforms will eliminate several layers of middle management as part of a companywide attempt to decrease expenses and boost “efficiency,” said CEO Mark Zuckerberg during an earnings call on Wednesday.

According to Zuckerberg, the Facebook parent will also try to remove programs that are underperforming or are not critical, as well as improve priority execution.

This is “only the beginning,” according to the company’s chief financial officer, Susan Li. Li also stated that they are thoroughly evaluating Their hiring requirements.