Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Receives "Buy" Rating from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan reaffirmed its “buy” rating on Meta Platforms, with broader analyst sentiment remaining favorable: 48 analysts rate the stock Strong Buy or Buy, and the average price target is $793.16.
• Meta shares rose 3.5% to $770.05, near their 52-week high, giving the company a market capitalization of approximately $1.96 trillion.
• In its latest quarter, Meta reported revenue of $60.80 billion, above estimates and up 28% year over year, but earnings per share of $6.18 missed the $7.19 consensus forecast.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reissued by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research report issued on Tuesday.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on META. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $640.00 to $796.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an "outperform" rating on the stock. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $650.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Phillip Securities raised shares of Meta Platforms from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $795.00 to $750.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Benchmark restated a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $793.16.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 3.5%

NASDAQ:META traded up $25.95 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $770.05. The stock had a trading volume of 19,022,294 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,358,818. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $610.79 and a 200 day moving average of $611.16. The company has a market capitalization of $1.96 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.96, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms has a one year low of $520.26 and a one year high of $770.90. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Meta Platforms will post 27.93 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 3,348 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.97, for a total value of $2,012,047.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 9,498 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,708,013.06. This trade represents a 26.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 40,000 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total value of $28,510,400.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 184,516 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $131,515,624.16. This represents a 17.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 123,333 shares of company stock valued at $80,795,845 over the last 90 days. 13.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets. Citizens JMP increased its target to $885 from $770, while other firms—including JPMorgan, KeyCorp, Cantor Fitzgerald and RBC—also offered bullish assessments. JPMorgan compared Muse’s early potential with ChatGPT’s launch. Meta stock rises as analysts raise price targets
• Positive Sentiment: Muse is gaining users quickly. Apptopia estimated approximately 642,000 daily U.S. users during Muse’s first 12 days, compared with 231,000 for ChatGPT at the same stage of its mobile launch. Investors are increasingly expecting monetization through subscriptions, advertising, commerce and business services. Meta unveils Muse Charm handheld device
• Positive Sentiment: Meta expanded its AI hardware ecosystem. The company unveiled the Muse Charm handheld device, camera-free Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses and $1,299 Meta VR Glasses, giving Muse additional distribution channels and potentially strengthening Meta’s long-term platform strategy. Mark Zuckerberg debuts Meta VR Glasses and Muse Charm
• Positive Sentiment: Non-advertising revenue opportunities are emerging. Meta One subscription offerings, in-app purchases and Muse’s commerce integrations—including Shopify’s Shop Pay—could help diversify revenue beyond the company’s core advertising business. Meta One subscriptions show positive early signs
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro conditions remain a near-term influence. Rising Treasury yields and oil prices pressured broader technology stocks, although Meta’s gains outpaced the major indexes as investors focused on company-specific AI developments.
• Negative Sentiment: AI spending and valuation are significant risks. Analysts are debating whether Meta’s capital expenditures could approach $145 billion while free cash flow reportedly fell sharply. The stock’s steep recent rally increases the risk of profit-taking if Muse monetization does not meet elevated expectations. Meta’s spending and valuation debate
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive and privacy concerns persist. Amazon has blocked Muse from its website, while privacy and security concerns surrounding AI agents and smart glasses could restrict adoption or attract regulatory scrutiny. Insider share sales under pre-arranged trading plans are an additional, though limited, cautionary signal.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company's principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.

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