Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 8.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 190,229 shares of the social networking company’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,682 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises approximately 2.3% of Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S.’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $125,568,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Fischer Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Fischer Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,847 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $1,219,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC now owns 605 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Investment Group increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Kennedy Investment Group now owns 6,734 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $4,445,000 after purchasing an additional 2,425 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 26.8% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 39,748 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $26,237,000 after purchasing an additional 8,395 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Seros Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 24.7% during the 4th quarter. Seros Financial LLC now owns 515 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $340,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Meta Platforms Stock Down 0.4%
Shares of META opened at $632.51 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.60 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s fifty day moving average is $617.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $636.88. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $796.25. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is presently 7.63%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $850.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Arete Research reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $725.00 target price (down from $825.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $840.19.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on META
Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms
Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Meta launched paid subscription plans across its flagship apps and Meta AI, opening a new monetization path that could reduce reliance on ad revenue. Mark Zuckerberg says a Meta cloud computing business ‘definitely on the table’
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators are pointing to the subscription push as a meaningful upside driver, with some estimating it could add billions in annual revenue if adoption is strong. Meta’s Subscription Push Could Add $13.5 Billion By 2028 Across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp
- Neutral Sentiment: Meta also said it may eventually use excess AI/data-center capacity for a cloud business, which adds long-term optionality but is still early-stage. Mark Zuckerberg says a Meta cloud computing business ‘definitely on the table’
- Neutral Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend, which is modest but reinforces capital-return strength. Meta Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
- Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported Meta’s employee mouse-click tracking tool for AI training may run into EU privacy concerns, creating regulatory risk around data collection and cross-border use. Exclusive: Meta tool to track employee mouse clicks on collision course with EU privacy rules
- Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary from Jim Cramer and disclosures of insider selling add some caution around execution and valuation. Jim Cramer Says Meta “Has Not Excelled in a Visible Way”
Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms
In related news, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 2,079 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.92, for a total transaction of $1,268,023.68. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,118 shares in the company, valued at approximately $681,890.56. The trade was a 65.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,847 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.83, for a total transaction of $4,769,642.01. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 414 shares in the company, valued at $251,641.62. The trade was a 94.99% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 42,445 shares of company stock worth $26,306,420. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms Profile
Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.
Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.
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