BUY FACEBOOK! 12 analysts explain why they're gaga about FB after earnings

Facebook had a big quarter.

The social network generated earnings of $0.50 per share, beating expectations for $0.47. This was on better-than-expected revenue, which jumped 39% year-over-year to $4.04 billion.

"This was another strong quarter for our community," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. "Engagement across our family of apps keeps growing, and we remain focused on improving the quality of our services."

Daily active users climbed 17% to 968 million, but that was a little bit lower than the 970 million expected by analysts.

The stock closed at $96.99 on Wednesday and slipped by around 2% after the news.

Wall Street analysts covering Facebook are one-sidedly bullish. Of the 13 research notes read by Business Insider, 12 analysts maintained a "buy" or "outperform" rating on the stock. Their price targets range from $105 to $120. Just one analyst is neutral. No one is saying to sell.

From what we've read, much of the excitement about Facebook isn't really about Facebook in the traditional sense. It's a more about the newer platforms - like Instagram, Oculus, WhatsApp, and FB Messenger - and the opportunities to monetize.

Here's some of what they had to say: