Key Points
- COO Javier Oliván sold 517 shares on December 29 at an average price of $658.14 for $340,258.38, leaving him with 12,200 shares valued at about $8.03 million (a 4.07% reduction in his position).
- The December 29 sale is part of a recurring pattern of insider disposals by Oliván (multiple 517‑share sales Oct–Dec and a 2,610‑share sale on Nov 15) and coincides with other late‑December insider sales, creating near‑term headline pressure.
- Despite the insider selling, Meta posted a strong quarterly beat (EPS $7.25 vs. $6.74 est., revenue $51.24B), enjoys broad analyst buy ratings, and recently agreed to acquire AI startup Manus (~$2B), though that deal and ongoing legal/regulatory scrutiny add execution and reputational risk.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $658.14, for a total value of $340,258.38. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 12,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,029,308. This trade represents a 4.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.
Javier Olivan also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Monday, December 22nd, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $661.11, for a total transaction of $341,793.87.
- On Monday, December 15th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $646.00, for a total transaction of $333,982.00.
- On Monday, December 8th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $669.63, for a total transaction of $346,198.71.
- On Monday, December 1st, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $639.03, for a total transaction of $330,378.51.
- On Monday, November 24th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $598.54, for a total transaction of $309,445.18.
- On Monday, November 17th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $604.23, for a total value of $312,386.91.
- On Saturday, November 15th, Javier Olivan sold 2,610 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.46, for a total value of $1,590,690.60.
- On Monday, November 10th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $631.00, for a total value of $326,227.00.
- On Monday, November 3rd, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $656.00, for a total value of $339,152.00.
- On Monday, October 27th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $749.57, for a total value of $387,527.69.
Meta Platforms Stock Performance
Shares of META opened at $665.96 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.68 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.42, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.28. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a twelve month low of $479.80 and a twelve month high of $796.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 1.98. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $652.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $706.02.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The social networking company reported $7.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.74 by $0.51. The business had revenue of $51.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 30.89% and a return on equity of 39.35%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 26.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $6.03 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 26.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 9.28%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several brokerages have recently weighed in on META. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $870.00 price target (down from $900.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $875.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $840.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $900.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $820.22.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Meta Platforms
Trending Headlines about Meta Platforms
Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Meta agreed to acquire Manus, a Singapore-based agentic AI startup (reported ~ $2B). Investors view the deal as a direct bolt-on for Meta’s agent/automation strategy, accelerating product integration across Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp and adding millions of paying users. Meta to acquire Chinese startup Manus to boost advanced AI features
- Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains constructive: multiple buy ratings and rising price targets (e.g., Rosenblatt reaffirmed buy with a $1,117 PT), reinforcing confidence that Meta’s heavy AI spending could pay off long term. Benzinga
- Neutral Sentiment: Debate over AI capex continues — investors accept higher near-term spending for models/data centers, but that capex remains a watch item for margins and free cash flow. Coverage and options commentary highlight both opportunity and short-term volatility. Buy Stock in the Mag 7 hypsercalers — AI spending debate
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: COO Javier Oliván and Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead reported sales of ~517 and ~519 shares respectively in late December — the disclosures add near-term headline pressure even though sizes are small relative to holdings. Olivan SEC filing Newstead SEC filing
- Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: the U.S. Virgin Islands sued Meta, alleging the company profited from scam ads and failed to protect children — litigation could create regulatory and reputational pressure. Meta is sued by US Virgin Islands over ads for scams, dangers to children
- Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical/regulatory scrutiny: Manus’s founders’ China ties have already drawn attention in Washington — that could slow integrations or trigger extra review, increasing execution risk. Meta snaps up AI startup Manus for $2B, drawing scrutiny over Chinese roots
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meta Platforms
Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 34,551 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $20,230,000 after buying an additional 570 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,456 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $5,537,000 after acquiring an additional 875 shares during the period. Headwater Capital Co Ltd grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 294.7% in the first quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd now owns 150,000 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $86,454,000 after purchasing an additional 112,000 shares during the last quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the first quarter worth approximately $214,000. Finally, Betterment LLC lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Betterment LLC now owns 572 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $330,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.
About Meta Platforms
(
Get Free Report)
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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