Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) CFO Susan Li sold 2,127 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Saturday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $689.85, for a total transaction of $1,467,310.95. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 15,347 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,587,127.95. This represents a 12.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.
Meta Platforms Stock Performance
NASDAQ META opened at $543.82 on Wednesday. The company's 50 day moving average is $594.80 and its 200-day moving average is $618.43. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $790.80. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market cap of $1.39 trillion, a P/E ratio of 20.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.25.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 EPS 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 business had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $7.14 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.5 earnings per share for the current year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is 7.91%.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meta Platforms
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in META. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 17.4% in the first quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 18,000 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $10,299,000 after purchasing an additional 2,670 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 133,798 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $88,319,000 after purchasing an additional 18,169 shares during the period. WMS Group LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth $876,000. Consolidated Investment Group LLC raised its position in Meta Platforms by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Consolidated Investment Group LLC now owns 7,900 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $5,215,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Meta Platforms by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,995,630 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $132,015,115,000 after purchasing an additional 7,269,279 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
META has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $840.00 to $770.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Phillip Securities raised shares of Meta Platforms to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson decreased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $766.00 to $715.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, KeyCorp cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $790.00 to $780.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $785.32.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Meta Platforms
Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms
Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Some analysts view META’s decline as excessive, arguing that one-time legal and severance costs have weighed on earnings and that future margin expansion, AI-powered advertising, and WhatsApp monetization could support substantial upside. Meta also remains among the major technology holdings disclosed by Appaloosa Management. Meta’s Dip Offers A 30% Upside Potential
- Neutral Sentiment: A federal child-safety trial has begun in California, with 29 states alleging that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage compulsive use among younger users, concealed health risks, and violated child-privacy and consumer-protection laws. The states are seeking potentially enormous damages—reported at roughly $200 billion in some filings and as much as $1.4 trillion in broader claims—as well as changes to the platforms. The outcome could establish a precedent for similar lawsuits and regulatory action across the industry. Meta faces 29-state trial that could reshape Instagram and Facebook
- Negative Sentiment: The trial is the immediate catalyst for investor selling because a loss could lead to major financial penalties, costly product changes, and restrictions on how Meta engages younger users—potentially affecting user engagement and advertising revenue. The risk is amplified by Meta’s recent loss of a nearly $1 billion New Mexico judgment and the prospect of additional lawsuits. Meta Stock Sinks as $200B Trial Threatens Facebook and Instagram Ad Revenue
- Negative Sentiment: Investors are also scrutinizing Meta’s AI spending. Large data-center investments are consuming cash, while debt and off-balance-sheet financing arrangements could create future obligations if AI assets underperform. Meta’s recent quarterly EPS miss and margin pressure add to concerns that the AI buildout may take time to generate returns. What Could Meta’s Off-Balance-Sheet AI Financing Mean for Investors?
- Negative Sentiment: Privacy concerns are spreading beyond regulators: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has barred employees from wearing Meta’s smart glasses at work, adding to reputational and adoption risks for the device business. ICE Bars Its Workers From Wearing Meta’s Smart Glasses on the Job
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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