Mobile Facebook Usage Rises Sharply

Facebook shares hit a new all-time high yesterday after news of strong mobile growth had spurred optimism among analysts and investors. 15 months after the company's disappointing IPO, Facebook's shares closed at $41.34 on Monday, up 133 percent since hitting rock bottom in September 2012. Facebook's stock had first returned to its IPO price of $38 as recently as August 2, after the company had delivered encouraging second quarter results.

The most recent climb of Facebook's shares came on the heels of a research note published by a J.P. Morgan analyst last Thursday. The analyst expressed his optimism that any decline of desktop-based usage Facebook might suffer, would be more than made up for by the increase in mobile usage. This claim was supported by comScore data that also surfaced on Thursday, showing that mobile engagement had risen sharply over the past year, while desktop-based Facebook use saw a moderate decline. If Facebook continues to successfully convert mobile usage into mobile ad dollars, Facebook's current valuation of above $100 billion might be justified after all.