Meta Platforms shares surged in after-hours trading after it blew out second-quarter earnings expectations Wednesday afternoon. Along with Alphabet’s second-quarter earnings report last week, Meta’s release reveals a lot of strength in digital advertising,

In the midst of an artificial intelligence spending spree, Meta posted stronger-than-expected results for the second quarter, buoyed by growing ad revenue even as its expenses increased

Meta posted a second-quarter profit that beat expectations by a wide margin, and revenue that topped forecasts for a 12th-straight quarter, as active users, ad impressions and ad prices all rose. The company also provided a revenue outlook for the current quarter that was better than forecast.

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley voted with Democrats Wednesday to advance his bill to ban US lawmakers from stock trading, over the opposition of other Republicans on the panel and drawing the ire of President Donald Trump.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley voted with Democrats to advance legislation to ban members of Congress from owning individual stocks.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., urged Democrats to vote against the bill because it included an exemption for Trump and Vance. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, the original bill’s cosponsor, pulled his support when Hawley introduced the modified version, telling lawmakers during a hearing Wednesday “I have no idea what we’re voting for.”

The health insurance giant’s second-quarter profit missed expectations as it continues to face higher medical costs.

Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) fell in premarket trading Tuesday after the health insurance giant's second-quarter profit came in worse than analysts had forecast. The insurer posted adjusted earnings per share of $4.