By Noah Rayman
Facebook shares soared Thursday morning after the social network reported strong earnings that outstripped expectations the day before.
The stock rose roughly eight points, or 15 percent, by 9:45 a.m., following a smaller surge in after-hours trading late Wednesday.
The company announced Wednesday that it pulled in $523 million in profits in the fourth quarter of 2013, about an eight-fold increase over the same quarter last year, as ads on the site became increasingly valuable. Profits on the year reached $1.5 billion, up from just $53 million in 2012.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Noah Rayman at noah.rayman@time.com