Facebook (FB, Financial) detracted from performance despite posting a staggering +56% growth in advertising revenues. Much of the stock’s underperformance was driven by nonoperating concerns that we view as mostly political in nature. The Company’s digital properties command a massive audience of over 2.7 billion daily users, so any government or state actor would be able to wield tremendous power by controlling that audience and it should not be a surprise when those actors attempt to do that. However, Facebook has invested aggressively in its content curation capabilities that address many of the concerns raised by media and political critics. We continue to carry Facebook at our maximum weighting as the stock is trading in line with a market multiple despite unrivaled competitive positioning and rapid growth, representing one of the best risk-rewards available in the market.
From David Rolfe (Trades, Portfolio)'s Wedgewood Partners third-quarter 2021 shareholder letter.
