17,559 Shares in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Purchased by North Star Asset Management Inc.

Key Points

• North Star Asset Management purchased 17,559 Meta shares worth approximately $9.9 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of Meta, with Corient Private Wealth increasing its stake by 723.1%.
• Meta’s latest quarterly revenue rose 28% year over year to $60.8 billion, exceeding estimates, but earnings of $6.18 per share missed expectations of $7.19. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, representing a 0.3% yield.
• Meta faces mixed investor signals: analysts maintain a generally positive “Moderate Buy” consensus, while insiders have sold more than $51.2 million in shares over the past 90 days and concerns remain about heavy AI-related capital spending, cash-flow pressure and legal risks.

North Star Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 17,559 shares of the social networking company's stock, valued at approximately $9,891,000.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Camarda Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $215,000. Dearborn Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at about $711,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at about $483,911,000. Stonebridge Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth about $508,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP lifted its stake in Meta Platforms by 723.1% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 8,801,764 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $4,957,946,000 after purchasing an additional 7,732,446 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, insider Curtis Mahoney sold 1,559 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total value of $869,922.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 1,957 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,092,006. This trade represents a 44.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $657.73, for a total transaction of $622,212.58. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 10,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,048,234.68. This trade represents a 8.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 have sold a total of 81,758 shares of company stock worth $51,214,020 over the last ninety days. 13.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $665.75 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a one year low of $520.26 and a one year high of $790.80. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $606.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $609.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.70 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 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 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $60.22 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $7.14 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

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

More Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse personal AI agent reached No. 1 on Apple’s U.S. free-app chart, surpassing ChatGPT roughly one week after launch. Its ability to handle shopping, bookings, email and phone calls could give Meta a significant consumer-AI growth platform and strengthen the case for future subscriptions or commerce revenue. Meta's Muse tops Apple's US free app chart
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Meta’s internally developed MTIA AI chips could save approximately $8.5 billion in 2027 by reducing reliance on third-party processors. Custom silicon could improve the economics of Meta’s expanding AI infrastructure over time. Meta Can Save $8.5 Billion in 2027 by Using Its Own MTIA Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and upcoming product announcements remain potential catalysts. Rosenblatt reiterated a Buy rating, while investors are looking ahead to Meta Connect on September 23 for additional AI, glasses and subscription details. Meta Earns Buy Rating from Rosenblatt Securities
• Neutral Sentiment: Muse’s early popularity is encouraging, but analysts disagree on its financial impact. The generous free tier may accelerate adoption while delaying revenue and increasing computing costs; consumer distrust of Meta and the need to provide sensitive account data could also limit paid conversion. Meta’s Muse Agent Has Wall Street Divided on Its AI Potential
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are taking profits after META rose roughly 23%–24% over the past month. Valuation and expectations have risen quickly, increasing sensitivity to any evidence that AI spending will not generate near-term earnings growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Meta’s AI investment program is placing significant pressure on cash flow. Articles highlighted a more than 90% decline in free cash flow as capital expenditures rise, raising concerns about the payback period for data centers, chips and other infrastructure. Meta Versus Oracle: AI Capex Payback Velocity
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and reputational pressure is increasing. A German court held Meta liable for fraudulent third-party ads, while regulators and its Oversight Board criticized safeguards against deepfakes and nonconsensual filming involving its smart glasses. These issues could increase compliance costs and threaten user trust. German Court Rules Meta Liable for Fake Ads
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 20,000 shares worth approximately $13.5 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The planned nature reduces the signal, but the sale may still weigh modestly on sentiment. SEC Insider Trading Filing

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on META. TD Cowen cut their price objective on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $750.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho set a $750.00 price objective on Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Citizens Jmp dropped their target price on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $770.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Benchmark reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Arete Research set a $735.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Four investment 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 company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $788.88.

Meta Platforms 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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