Meta reported ad revenue of 63.06 billion dollars in Q3 2026, up 26%, and a price per ad 23% higher in the US and Canada, according to PPC Land. The same report cites a 25 billion dollar judgment in New Mexico (under appeal) and a 9.89 billion charge for a settlement on teenagers. For advertisers in Portugal, the numbers suggest a busy auction, but don’t prove your cost is rising: only your account says that.
The numbers as the report gives them
According to PPC Land, Meta’s total revenue in Q3 2026 was 64.6 billion dollars and ad revenue 63.06 billion, both up 26%. The price per ad rose 23% in the US and Canada. Creator (partnership) ads exceeded 15 billion dollars in annualised revenue, up 97% on the previous year.
Operating profit was 12.99 billion, down 37%, with margin falling from 40% to 20%. Capital expenditure was 34.91 billion in the quarter, and free cash flow was negative by 2.12 billion. The article doesn’t mention impressions, Advantage+, Andromeda or future guidance.
The legal charges
The report cites a 9.89 billion dollar charge for a teenagers settlement and a 25 billion dollar judgment from a New Mexico court, with 15% annual interest. The state sought between 35 and 40 billion, and Meta had proposed about 3.4 billion. Meta will appeal, and the quarterly filings don’t mention the judgment, according to PPC Land.
This is context about the company, not your cost per click. The report doesn’t analyse how these charges affect advertisers, and any direct link would be speculation.
Meta, third quarter of 2026
+26%
ad revenue: 63.06 billion dollars
Price per ad +23% in the US and Canada. Creator ads above 15 billion annualised (+97%). Source: PPC Land, 22 October 2026.
What +23% in price per ad means
“Price per ad” is an average: what Meta receives, on average, for each ad shown. A 23% rise may result from more auction competition, better value per impression (more relevant ads), changes in format or country mix, among other factors. And the report refers only to the US and Canada.
It isn’t a European number and isn’t your CPC. It serves as a signal that the auction is contested in some markets. If your cost has risen, look for causes in your account before attributing it all to the market: audience, creative, offer, seasonality, settings changes.
Creator ads: +97%
Creator partnership ads passed 15 billion dollars in annualised revenue, up 97%, according to the report. This indicates the format is growing a lot. In Portugal, small and medium brands already work with creators, and it’s a format where creative (and the relationship with the creator’s audience) weighs more than targeting.
If you want to test, define goals and metrics beforehand (cost per enquiry, not just views), ask for rights to use the content in ads and ensure advertising is identified as such, in line with Portuguese rules on advertising and influencers.
Whoever knows their maximum cost per customer doesn't need to guess the market.
What Meta didn't say about Advantage+
The report on the quarter’s results doesn’t mention Advantage+. In another report from the same publication, on the Amazon Ads Agent, it’s noted that Advantage+ passed an annual run rate of 75 billion dollars and that, since 1 July 2026, Meta has applied “location fees” of 2% to 5% in six European countries, which are passed-through taxes.
This reinforces that Meta has increasingly automated ad buying. For the advertiser, it means managing fewer buttons and more goals, data and creatives. And, as seen in the new terms, taking on more responsibility for what automation does.
What to do instead of speculating
Track, in your account, cost per result, CPM and frequency per campaign, week by week, and compare with the same period last year. Keep an event log (campaign changes, offer changes, platform dates). And leave budget headroom for Black Friday for an auction dearer than expected.
An account in which every euro must return with margin doesn’t need to guess the market: it needs to know its maximum cost per customer and to stop what exceeds it. It’s the best insurance against price rises, wherever they come from.
How to read platform results without being impressed
Platforms’ quarterly results are made for investors, not advertisers. 26% growth shows money flowing to the channel, not that your return improves. A fall in operating profit or a legal charge doesn’t imply your cost rises or falls. Each indicator answers a different question from the one the advertiser asks.
What matters to the advertiser lies in your own reports: cost per result, margin, lead quality, time to sale. Use platform news as context, and your account as evidence. When the two diverge, the account wins.
Questions to ask your manager after reading this news
Have our CPM and cost per result changed in the last eight weeks? What changes did we make in that period that explain the variation? Are we testing creator formats? What cost-per-customer limits have we defined? And what do we do if the auction gets dearer in the middle of Black Friday?
Good answers are concrete, with numbers from your account. Vague answers (“that’s how the market is”) don’t help decide. Ask for a brief report with comparisons and hypotheses, and follow it weekly until the end of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Will ad prices rise in Portugal?
The report only gives price per ad in the US and Canada (+23%). There is no data for Portugal. Watch your CPM and cost per result.
Does the 25 billion judgment affect my budget?
The report doesn’t establish that link. It’s context about the company. Meta will appeal.
Should I test creator ads?
It may make sense, with a clear metric and identification of advertising. Start small and measure cost per enquiry.