Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Given "Outperform" Rating at Royal Bank Of Canada

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "outperform" rating reiterated by research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $770.00 price objective on the social networking company's stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's target price points to a potential downside of 0.05% from the company's current price.

META has been the topic of several other reports. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, August 27th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $780.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $780.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $750.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $798.78.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 3.5%

META traded up $26.28 on Thursday, hitting $770.38. The company had a trading volume of 13,245,789 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,313,023. The firm has a market cap of $1.96 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.98, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $768.65. The company's fifty day moving average price is $610.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $611.16. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). The company had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Meta Platforms will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $680.27, for a total transaction of $643,535.42. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,770 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,646,237.90. This represents a 8.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 123,333 shares of company stock worth $80,795,845. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in META. Watchman Group Inc. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 0.3% during the first quarter. Watchman Group Inc. now owns 5,091 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $2,913,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Penney Financial LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 3.9% during the first quarter. Penney Financial LLC now owns 399 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.0% during the first quarter. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,519 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $869,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. CWS Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.7% during the first quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC now owns 985 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $564,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. Finally, Tenzing Financial LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the second quarter. Tenzing Financial LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Muse is creating a new AI growth narrative. Meta’s personal AI agent reportedly reached the top of Apple’s U.S. free-app rankings, with early downloads approaching 900,000. At Meta Connect, CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined potential monetization through subscriptions, advertising, commerce and services for small businesses. Meta Maps Out Muse Monetization Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see substantial upside. KeyCorp raised its price target to $900 from $780, while Cantor Fitzgerald increased its target to $860 from $680; both maintained overweight ratings. Bank of America also reiterated a Buy rating. The upgrades reflect expectations that AI agents could become a major growth engine beyond advertising.
• Positive Sentiment: Meta expanded its AI hardware and commerce ecosystem. The company unveiled $1,299 Meta VR Glasses, the Muse Charm wearable and new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses. Muse’s integration with Shopify’s Shop Pay could allow Meta to earn transaction-related revenue as the agent facilitates purchases. Meta debuts VR Glasses and Muse Charm
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta Connect provided important product catalysts, but execution remains unproven. The new devices could increase Muse adoption and strengthen Meta’s distribution, though revenue contribution and consumer demand have yet to be established.
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking and market conditions are weighing on the stock. Meta has eased after a roughly 12% rally, while rising bond yields have pressured high-growth AI shares. Some traders are rotating toward more focused AI companies, and analysts are debating whether Meta’s heavy infrastructure spending could drive negative cash flow over the next two years.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive, privacy and regulatory risks remain. Amazon blocked Muse from shopping on its platform, while concerns about privacy, security and camera-equipped smart glasses could limit adoption. Meta also faces legal scrutiny, including deliberations in a New Mexico case. Meta's New AI Agent Is an Instant Hit—and the Backlash Has Already Begun
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a modest cautionary signal. Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares and COO Javier Olivan sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. The transactions do not necessarily indicate a change in outlook, but they follow a sharp increase in META’s valuation.

About Meta Platforms

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.