1,131 Shares in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Acquired by Mission Financial Group LLC

Key Points

• Mission Financial Group acquired 1,131 Meta shares worth approximately $637,000 during the second quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 79.91% of META.
• Meta shares opened at $682.31, while analysts maintained a generally positive outlook with a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $788.88.
• Meta reported quarterly revenue of $60.80 billion, up 28% year over year, but earnings of $6.18 per share missed estimates. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, while recent insider selling and legal concerns over fraudulent advertisements remain risks.

Mission Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,131 shares of the social networking company's stock, valued at approximately $637,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of META. Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,110 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $5,132,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. LM Advisors LLC grew its position in Meta Platforms by 67.1% during the second quarter. LM Advisors LLC now owns 15,715 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $8,851,000 after buying an additional 6,312 shares during the period. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC grew its position in Meta Platforms by 1.1% during the second quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 19,731 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $11,114,000 after buying an additional 211 shares during the period. Davis Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 0.4% in the second quarter. Davis Asset Management L.P. now owns 517,000 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $291,221,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kirtland Hills Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 6.2% in the second quarter. Kirtland Hills Capital Management LLC now owns 9,732 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $5,482,000 after buying an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of META stock opened at $682.31 on Friday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $606.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $609.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.74 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.70, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $790.80.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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). 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $7.14 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's payout ratio is presently 7.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

META has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Monness Crespi & Hardt lowered their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $890.00 to $730.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Arete Research set a $735.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $800.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $800.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $788.88.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America maintained a Buy view, estimating Meta could save approximately $8.5 billion in 2027 by shifting AI workloads to its in-house MTIA chips. Meta reportedly plans to deploy newer chips in 2027, potentially reducing dependence on Nvidia and improving AI margins. Meta Can Save $8.5 Billion in 2027 by Using Its Own MTIA Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse AI agent and the new Meta One subscription are strengthening the investment case that the company can diversify beyond advertising. Meta One combines higher AI usage limits and features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, creating a potential recurring-revenue stream. Meta Platforms: Get In Before September 23
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism remains a near-term catalyst. Citi identified Meta Connect on September 23 as a possible trigger for additional product announcements and investor enthusiasm, while Rosenblatt reiterated a Buy rating with an $886 price target. Meta Event Next Week Could Spark Stock Gains, Says Citi
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is expanding Muse’s capabilities, including phone calls, as it competes with emerging AI-agent providers. The move could improve user engagement and monetization, but competition and the execution required to turn usage into paid revenue remain significant. Rival AI Agents and Meta’s Muse Add Calling
• Negative Sentiment: A German court ruled Meta liable for fraudulent third-party advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, ordering the company to remove such content and pay damages. The decision could increase legal costs and raise concerns about platform-monitoring obligations. German Court Rules Meta Liable for Fake Ads
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer advocate Clark Howard said Meta declined to remove a deepfake advertisement using his likeness. The episode adds reputational and regulatory risk as Meta attempts to control AI-generated scams and fraudulent advertising. Facebook Told Clark Howard a Deepfake Ad Meets Its Standards
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 20,000 Meta shares worth about $13.5 million. The transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, which reduces its signaling value, but insider selling can still weigh modestly on sentiment. SEC Insider Trading Filing

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Christopher Cox sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $650.28, for a total transaction of $13,005,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 244,516 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $159,003,864.48. This represents a 7.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal 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 Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total value of $2,002,514.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 81,758 shares of company stock valued at $51,214,020 in the last ninety days. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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