Meta May Overtake Google Search in Ad Revenue This Year, Bernstein Says

According to a note published on August 31, Bernstein analysts believe Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) will surpass Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s Google Search in advertising revenue by the end of 2026. The firm's theory is interesting for what it excludes: by omitting other Google ad revenue streams like Maps and Gmail, Bernstein says Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) may have already matched Google Search revenue on an apples-to-apples basis. In the second quarter of 2026, Meta secured about half of every additional dollar of new digital advertising spending in the industry, a significant share in a category with dozens of rival platforms.