286,391 Shares in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Purchased by Meritage Group LP

Key Points

• Meritage Group LP purchased 286,391 Meta shares during the second quarter, worth approximately $161.3 million. Meta now represents 6.2% of the fund’s portfolio and is its eighth-largest holding.
• Institutional ownership remains high at 79.91%, while several other funds increased their positions, including OMERS Administration, which raised its stake by 123.2%.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Meta carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $788.88. However, company insiders sold $51.2 million of stock over the past 90 days, and Meta’s latest quarterly EPS missed estimates despite 28% year-over-year revenue growth.

Meritage Group LP acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 286,391 shares of the social networking company's stock, valued at approximately $161,321,000. Meta Platforms makes up 6.2% of Meritage Group LP's holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.4% in the second quarter. Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,977 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $2,803,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Satovsky Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.6% during the second quarter. Satovsky Asset Management LLC now owns 1,545 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $870,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 123.2% during the second quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 710,539 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $400,240,000 after purchasing an additional 392,172 shares in the last quarter. Covington Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Meta Platforms by 14.7% in the 2nd quarter. Covington Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 23,911 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $13,469,000 after purchasing an additional 3,060 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd raised its stake in Meta Platforms by 64.4% in the 2nd quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 518,127 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $291,856,000 after purchasing an additional 202,975 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays lowered their target price 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. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Susquehanna decreased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $650.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Wedbush boosted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $595.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $815.00 to $725.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $788.88.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total value of $5,063,409.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,260,343.46. This represents a 41.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 3,348 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.97, for a total transaction of $2,012,047.56. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 9,498 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,708,013.06. This represents a 26.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 81,758 shares of company stock valued at $51,214,020 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $682.31 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52-week low of $520.26 and a 52-week high of $790.80. The stock has a market cap of $1.74 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.70, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.25. The business has a fifty day moving average of $606.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $609.40. 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 posted 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). The company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The firm's revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $7.14 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.91%.

Key Stories 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

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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