WealthPlan Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 5.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 38,918 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 2,053 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for 1.3% of WealthPlan Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $28,222,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in META. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $69,502,379,000 after buying an additional 105,154,977 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 4.0% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 92,033,963 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $51,841,811,000 after buying an additional 3,510,123 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,038,035 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $12,036,491,000 after acquiring an additional 2,673,494 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 18,200,469 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $12,013,948,000 after acquiring an additional 1,046,715 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 12,836,063 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $7,230,426,000 after acquiring an additional 162,909 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Meta Platforms Stock Down 3.7%
Shares of META stock traded down $27.39 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $709.33. 20,582,358 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 22,124,532. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $655.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $625.86. The stock has a market cap of $1.81 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.72, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $779.82. 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 (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.15 EPS for the current year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were given a $0.5250 dividend. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.91%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research firms recently issued reports on META. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Meta Platforms from $785.00 to $875.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Erste Group Bank raised Meta Platforms from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Meta Platforms from $720.00 to $580.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $790.00 to $687.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Citic Securities decreased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $718.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-six have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $808.88.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on META
Key Meta Platforms News
Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Bank of America expects Meta to exceed third-quarter revenue expectations, forecasting $63.8 billion versus a $63.3 billion consensus estimate, and maintained a Buy rating with an $810 price target. Meta expected to beat revenue forecasts as AI boosts advertising, says Bank of America
- Positive Sentiment: Meta released the open-weight Muse Spark model for coding and AI-agent tasks, while its collaboration with Apple enables developers to run the model locally on high-end Mac computers. The developments could broaden adoption of Meta’s AI technology and reduce reliance on cloud infrastructure. Meta releases open-weight Muse Spark model
- Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan reaffirmed its Overweight rating and set a $920 price target, implying substantial upside, while other analysts including KeyCorp and Rosenblatt also maintained positive ratings. JPMorgan reaffirms Meta rating
- Neutral Sentiment: Meta is expected to report third-quarter results on October 21. Investors will focus on advertising growth, user metrics, profitability, capital expenditures, and management’s outlook for AI infrastructure spending. Meta Q3 earnings estimates
- Neutral Sentiment: Meta withdrew $25 million from a previously announced $65 million effort to support political candidates considered favorable to the AI industry. The move may reduce near-term spending but signals a change in its political strategy. Meta Withdraws $25 Million from Its Midterms Push
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst-related pressure is weighing on the stock after Goldman Sachs lowered its expectations and Meta was reported down following an analyst downgrade, countering the more bullish JPMorgan view. Meta stock price down on analyst downgrade
- Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that AI infrastructure spending could reach approximately $205 billion in 2027. Heavy capital expenditures are reducing free cash flow, while potential legal charges and regulatory scrutiny add to earnings risk. Meta AI spending could hit $205 billion
- Negative Sentiment: Seven U.S. senators are questioning Meta’s claim of $6.6 billion in research tax credits for AI data centers, creating potential tax liability and reputational risk. Senators question Meta AI data-center tax credits
Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms
In other news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $728.10, for a total transaction of $688,782.60. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 6,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,047,189.20. The trade was a 12.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 184,516 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $131,515,624.16. The trade was a 17.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 149,797 shares of company stock worth $102,180,385 in the last three months. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Meta Platforms Profile
Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company operates a global family of apps that includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, enabling users to connect, communicate, share content and discover communities.
Meta generates most of its business through digital advertising displayed across its platforms. Its products serve individuals, creators, businesses and organizations in markets around the world, while its advertising tools help businesses reach audiences based on factors such as interests, activity and demographics.
Through its Reality Labs division, Meta develops virtual and augmented reality hardware, software and services, including the Meta Quest line of headsets and related experiences.
Further Reading
- Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms
- Does the AI Selloff Put Alphabet’s Breakout in Doubt?
- Bank Earnings Are Mixed—These 2 ETFs Offer Very Different Paths to a Recovery
- 3 Stocks Delivering Bigger Dividends Despite Market Uncertainty
- MarketBeat Week in Review – 10/12 – 10/16
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Meta Platforms Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Meta Platforms and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
