 Meta Platforms, Facebook's parent firm, made a stunning return after a catastrophic decline. While this is a positive move, investors should not put a bow on the turnaround story just yet. Meta Platforms, Facebook's parent company, saw its stock rise after the firm revealed fourth-quarter profitability that well exceeded forecasts. Indeed, Meta has been caught up in the broader rebound of underestimated IT companies that investors have witnessed in recent months, with shares up 46% since the beginning of the year. Daily active users across all of Meta's platforms exceeded expectations in the fourth quarter, increasing 5% year-over-year to slightly under 3 billion. CEO Mark Zuckerberg commended the Facebook network with assisting in the achievement of these goals, owing in large part to its AI discovery engine and reels as methods of increasing interaction. While it rates continued to fall, ad impressions increased by 23% year-over-year, indicating the attention that Meta's family of businesses demands. Despite Meta's stellar fourth quarter, investors should stay cautious. Despite exceeding forecasts, revenue declined 4% year-over-year. However, costs increased by an incredible 22%, reducing Meta's net income by more than 50% from nearly $10.2 billion last year to $4.6 billion this year. The company hopes to finish its restructuring, cost-cutting linked with headcount and overhead expenses, this year, which will help to reduce operating costs. But, efficiency is difficult for any organization, especially one that has seen the level of bloat that Meta has had in recent years. As the company is reducing and restructuring, Zuckerberg remains positive about the metaverse. Meta launched its first mainstream mixed reality gadget at the end of last year and continues to strive to be the industry standard for metaverse existence. These investments have yet to produce dividends for the company, with much of the optimism surrounding fourth quarter results stemming from Meta's social media platforms rather than new projects. Reality laboratories has continued to eat into Meta's operational margins, resulting in billions of dollars in losses each quarter and a top line that has gradually shrunk over time. What does this entail for WhatsApp, as one of Meta's social media platforms? According to recent reports, Mark Zuckerberg no longer owns WhatsApp. Elon Musk now owns WhatsApp. This alters everything. So, I guess it's no longer a part of the metaverse, or is it? Leave your thoughts in the comments.