Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Price Target Raised to $730.00

Key Points

• Wedbush raised Meta’s price target from $700 to $730 while maintaining a neutral rating, implying roughly 4.66% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: Meta has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $821.22, with Goldman Sachs and Bank of America among firms maintaining or issuing buy ratings.
• Meta exceeded quarterly expectations with $7.40 in EPS and $64.60 billion in revenue, up 26.1% year over year, though substantial AI spending, potential share dilution, legal liabilities and Reality Labs losses remain key risks.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by Wedbush from $700.00 to $730.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the social networking company's stock. Wedbush's price target would suggest a potential upside of 4.66% from the stock's previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $885.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday. President Capital upgraded shares of Meta Platforms from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the company from $660.00 to $897.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Scotiabank restated a "sector perform" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $810.00 to $845.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $821.22.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

META opened at $697.52 on Thursday. The business's 50-day moving average is $662.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $629.10. Meta Platforms has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.78 trillion, a PE ratio of 26.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.19.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.86. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $63.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The firm's revenue was up 26.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.25 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms will post 27.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total value of $21,359,386.56. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 149,906 shares of company stock worth $102,347,409 in the last three months. 13.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Culbertson A N & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 12.3% in the 3rd quarter. Culbertson A N & Co. Inc. now owns 2,406 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,745,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares in the last quarter. Seros Financial LLC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the third quarter worth approximately $258,000. Legacy Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 5.8% during the third quarter. Legacy Financial Group Inc. now owns 764 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $554,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. NBT Bank N.A. acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the third quarter valued at about $6,545,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 7.9% during the third quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 9,611 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $6,970,000 after acquiring an additional 704 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

More Meta Platforms News

Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q3 operating performance: Meta reported earnings of $7.40 per share versus the $6.54 consensus estimate and revenue of $64.60 billion versus expectations of $63.34 billion. Revenue increased 26.1% year over year, supported by advertising growth and improved AI-driven ad performance. Meta Q3 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish: Guggenheim reaffirmed a Buy rating with an $850 price target, while Susquehanna, KeyCorp, Pivotal Research and Bank of America also raised or maintained positive ratings with targets ranging from $845 to $960. Meta analyst ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Muse is gaining traction: Meta said its AI assistant has surpassed 10 million users, while AI tools are reportedly increasing ad conversions, click-through rates and average ad prices. This supports the argument that AI is already strengthening Meta’s core advertising business. Meta Muse user growth
• Neutral Sentiment: New Class C shares: Meta plans to issue nonvoting stock to help fund its AI expansion without reducing Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control. The structure may improve funding flexibility but raises investor concerns about dilution and governance. Meta new stock class
• Negative Sentiment: AI spending is overshadowing the earnings beat: Meta raised the low end of its 2026 capital-expenditure outlook to $135 billion, with potential spending as high as $145 billion. Investors are questioning how quickly Muse and other AI initiatives can generate returns, particularly as Muse carries high computing costs and Reality Labs is expected to lose about $15 billion next year. Meta AI spending concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Large legal liabilities add uncertainty: A New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over alleged privacy violations tied to Cambridge Analytica. Meta plans to appeal, but the verdict adds to recurring litigation expenses and regulatory risk. The company also faces an Australian class-action lawsuit alleging harm to children. Meta New Mexico privacy verdict

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company's principal platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads, which enable users to connect, communicate, share content, and discover products and services.

Meta also operates Reality Labs, its division focused on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies. Reality Labs develops products such as Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and related software and experiences, along with research and hardware intended to support immersive computing.

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