Legacy Wealth Management LLC MS trimmed its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 70.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,606 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 3,890 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Management LLC MS’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $1,165,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advantage Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Meta Platforms Stock Performance
META opened at $610.15 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $674.97 and a 200 day simple moving average of $632.16. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82. The company has a market capitalization of $1.56 trillion, a PE ratio of 20.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.28.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The firm had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $63.34 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $7.25 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 EPS for the current year.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were 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 of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.16%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities analysts recently commented on META shares. Roth Capital reduced their price target on Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. HSBC dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $905.00 to $830.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Monness Crespi & Hardt reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $875.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Meta Platforms from $775.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $833.12.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Meta launched Spaces, a collaboration feature for its Muse AI agents, following the rollout of Muse Voice. The new offerings may help strengthen user engagement and expand Meta’s consumer AI ecosystem. Meta introduces Spaces
- Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings commentary points to AI supporting Meta’s advertising operations, reinforcing the potential for the company’s AI investments to generate revenue. Takeaways from recent earnings
- Neutral Sentiment: Meta paused planned updates to its terms and is keeping existing rules in place. The move avoids an immediate policy change, though the underlying issues remain unresolved. Meta pauses planned terms updates
- Neutral Sentiment: Plans for new nonvoting Class C shares have been described as effectively creating a 2-for-1 split. A split changes the number of shares, but does not by itself change the company’s underlying value; the structure preserves Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control. Is Meta Platforms next for a stock split?
- Negative Sentiment: Meta and other platforms sued to block California restrictions on social-media features for users under 16. The case adds regulatory uncertainty and potential legal costs. Platforms sue over California teen social-media law
- Negative Sentiment: Meta warned that political backlash and possible limits on data-center construction could complicate its AI expansion. Its $15 billion senior-notes offering also highlights the scale of financing required for investment. Data-center expansion concerns
- Negative Sentiment: Reported ETF net selling and insider share sales may add short-term pressure, although the disclosed insider transaction was made under a pre-arranged trading plan. ETFs are net sellers of Meta Platforms
Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms
In other Meta Platforms news, insider Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total value of $28,510,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at $131,515,624.16. The trade was a 17.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan Li sold 9,196 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total transaction of $5,063,409.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,260,343.46. This represents a 41.09% 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. Insiders sold 149,398 shares of company stock valued at $102,134,435 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 13.42% of the company’s stock.
About Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms, Inc is a global technology company that develops social networking, messaging, and digital communication products. Its services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, which connect people and help businesses reach audiences around the world.
The company also develops virtual and augmented reality products and technologies through its Reality Labs division, including Quest headsets and related software and services. Advertising is a central part of Meta’s business, with its platforms providing tools for businesses to promote products and services.
Founded in 2004 as Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow students, the company changed its name to Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building social technologies and immersive digital experiences.
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