Key Points
- COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares on Jan. 12 at an average price of $653 for a total of $337,601, lowering his holdings to 11,166 shares (4.43% decrease), as disclosed in an SEC filing.
- The sale is part of a string of recent insider disposals (including a 2,610‑share sale on Nov. 15) and comes amid Reality Labs layoffs, analyst pressure and regulatory risks, factors that have coincided with a ~2.5% pullback and heightened focus on Meta’s Jan. 28 earnings report.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $653.00, for a total value of $337,601.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 11,166 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,291,398. This trade represents a 4.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Javier Olivan also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Monday, January 5th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $650.41, for a total value of $336,261.97.
- On Monday, December 29th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $658.14, for a total value of $340,258.38.
- On Monday, December 22nd, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $661.11, for a total value of $341,793.87.
- On Monday, December 15th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $646.00, for a total value of $333,982.00.
- On Monday, December 8th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was 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 shares were 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 stock was 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 shares were sold at an average price of $604.23, for a total transaction 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 transaction of $1,590,690.60.
- On Monday, November 10th, Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $631.00, for a total value of $326,227.00.
Meta Platforms Trading Down 2.5%
Shares of META opened at $615.52 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 1.98. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52-week low of $479.80 and a 52-week high of $796.25. The firm has a market cap of $1.55 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.29. The business's fifty day moving average is $641.01 and its 200-day moving average is $701.60.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The social networking company reported $7.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 39.35% and a net margin of 30.89%.Meta Platforms's revenue was up 26.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.03 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 26.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 9.28%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in META. Clarius Group LLC increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 13,355 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $8,815,000 after buying an additional 788 shares during the period. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $2,129,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,414 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,593,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Catalyst Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Catalyst Private Wealth LLC now owns 9,645 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $6,367,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AA Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. AA Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,020 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,993,000 after purchasing an additional 201 shares during the period. Institutional investors 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: Big‑tech energy deals reduce a major execution risk for Meta’s AI/data‑center buildout — Meta signed prepayment/partner arrangements (e.g., Oklo) that de‑risk long‑term baseload power for its compute expansion, which supports the Meta Compute plan. Oklo’s Meta Deal De-Risks the Story—Rebound Setup Emerging
- Positive Sentiment: Additional nuclear partnerships (Terrapower reports) signal Meta is securing long‑term, reliable power — important as Meta scales “tens/hundreds of gigawatts” for AI. Bill Gates' Terrapower to supply Meta Platforms with nuclear reactors
- Positive Sentiment: Demand signals for AI wearables: Meta and EssilorLuxottica are discussing ramping Ray‑Ban Meta smart glasses output, supporting the company’s pivot to AI devices and potential revenue diversification beyond advertising. Meta mulls doubling output of Ray-Ban glasses by year end
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: a couple of firms reaffirmed/raised targets (Rosenblatt, TD Cowen), indicating upside expectation if Meta’s AI investments pay off.
- Neutral Sentiment: Meta Compute initiative outlines a massive data‑center/data‑power capex path to own AI infrastructure — strategically positive long term but increases near‑term capital intensity and execution risk. Meta Compute: Inside Zuckerberg’s Massive Data Center Bet
- Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly release scheduled after the close on Jan. 28 — upcoming results and guidance will be a key catalyst for the next leg of the stock’s move. Meta to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
- Negative Sentiment: Reality Labs layoffs (~1,500 jobs, ~10% of division) signal contraction of metaverse ambitions and larger restructuring; while this cuts costs, it raises near‑term execution and product risks for VR/metaverse roadmap. Meta Lays Off 1,500 People in Metaverse Division
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and pessimistic forecasts (some outlets reporting cuts in sentiment and price targets) are pressuring the stock amid concerns about very large 2026 capex guidance and falling free‑cash‑flow. Wells Fargo & Company Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Meta Platforms
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: COO Javier Olivan disclosed a sale (~517 shares) which, paired with other negative headlines, can amplify short‑term selling pressure. SEC Filing: Javier Olivan sale
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal risks persist (e.g., Brazil/WhatsApp orders and appeals) that could add litigation or compliance costs in key markets. Meta, WhatsApp approach Supreme Court against NCLAT decision
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $815.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $875.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $870.00 price objective (down previously from $900.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Monday, November 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $800.00 target price on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $822.96.
Read Our Latest Report on Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms Company Profile
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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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