Facebook investors shrug off election woes, look for ‘social commerce’ payday

Facebook Inc may face questions about fallout from U.S. election controversies when it posts earnings on Wednesday, but top of mind for investors is a less political matter: the company’s heavy bet on e-commerce to drive ad sales.

The world’s biggest social media company is poised to reap a windfall from that gambit, analysts say, bolstered by a return in ad growth rates to pre-Covid levels and a holiday shopping boost from its new “social commerce” features.

Wall Street expects the company to report fourth-quarter sales up 25% to $26.4 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.