Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Insider Sells $28,510,400.00 in Stock

Posted by Brian Himes on Sep 26th, 2026

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) insider Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total transaction of $28,510,400.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $131,515,624.16. This trade represents a 17.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 3.3%

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $751.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52 week low of $520.26 and a 52 week high of $779.82. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $615.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $613.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.91 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $7.14 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is presently 7.91%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:

Positive Sentiment: Muse momentum remains the main bullish catalyst. Early reviews, rising user traction and Meta’s new early-access program for upcoming Muse features are reinforcing expectations that the AI assistant could become a major consumer product and future revenue stream. Meta opens early access program for new Muse features
Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising price targets. Deutsche Bank, TD Cowen, Canaccord Genuity and other firms lifted targets and maintained bullish ratings, citing Muse’s potential to expand Meta beyond advertising through subscriptions, commerce and AI services. Meta price targets raised as Muse gains momentum
Positive Sentiment: AI hardware could broaden Muse’s distribution. Meta is integrating Muse into Ray-Ban AI glasses and introducing additional wearable and VR products, creating potential new hardware, services and commerce opportunities.
Neutral Sentiment: Friday’s decline appears largely technical. After rising roughly 36% during September and approaching a $2 trillion market value, Meta faced profit-taking and a pullback from recent highs. Bullish options activity suggests some traders continue to view the weakness as a buying opportunity.
Neutral Sentiment: Large capital spending remains a key debate. Investors are encouraged by Meta’s AI strategy but remain uncertain whether heavy spending on infrastructure and Reality Labs will generate sufficient returns.
Negative Sentiment: New Mexico litigation adds regulatory risk. A jury found that Meta misled state residents in a case related to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, potentially increasing legal costs and scrutiny. Meta misled consumers in New Mexico jury case
Negative Sentiment: A Muse security vulnerability was identified. Meta is adding clearer safety warnings after a vulnerability reportedly could expose sensitive user information, raising concerns about trust and adoption of its AI agent. Meta bolsters Muse safety warning after vulnerability
Negative Sentiment: Competition and monetization obstacles remain. Amazon blocked Muse from accessing its platform, while privacy concerns around camera-equipped glasses and skepticism toward new AI hardware could limit Meta’s growth plans.
Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a cautionary signal. Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares and COO Javier Olivan sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. The transactions do not necessarily indicate reduced confidence, but they add to concerns after the stock’s rapid advance.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on META shares. CICC Research cut their price target on Meta Platforms from $773.00 to $700.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Citizens Jmp increased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $885.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wedbush raised their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $595.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Roth Capital cut their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $886.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $785.90.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Meta Platforms

About Meta Platforms

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Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company’s principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.