Meta to pay first-ever dividend as quarterly profits triple

Meta’s “year of efficiency” paid off in a big way.

The tech giant on Thursday reported that profits from the three months ended in December grew more than 200% to $14 billion, or $5.33 per share, exceeding Wall Street analysts’ expectations.

The company also announced its first-ever cash dividend of $0.50 per share to be paid out on March 26 to shareholders of record as of February 22, as well as a $50 billion share buyback.

“We intend to pay a cash dividend on a quarterly basis going forward,” the company said in a release.

The news sent Meta (META) shares popping more than 12% in after-hours trading Thursday.