38,306 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Acquired by Trans Canada Capital Inc.

Key Points

• Trans Canada Capital acquired 38,306 Meta shares worth approximately $21.6 million in the second quarter, making Meta its 10th-largest holding. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of the company.
• Meta reported quarterly revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% year over year, but earnings per share of $6.18 fell short of the $7.19 analyst consensus. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, equivalent to a 0.3% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $785.90, although insiders have sold more than $80.8 million of stock over the past three months.

Trans Canada Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 38,306 shares of the social networking company's stock, valued at approximately $21,577,000. Meta Platforms makes up 1.2% of Trans Canada Capital Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 18.6% in the 2nd quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 18,777 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $10,577,000 after buying an additional 2,939 shares during the last quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 33.6% in the 2nd quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 3,031 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,707,000 after acquiring an additional 763 shares in the last quarter. William John Sempolinski acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,107,000. Sone Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 38.2% during the 2nd quarter. Sone Capital Management LLC now owns 16,059 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $9,046,000 after acquiring an additional 4,440 shares during the period. Finally, Lakewood Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 63.7% in the 2nd quarter. Lakewood Capital Management LP now owns 115,985 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $65,333,000 after buying an additional 45,130 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

META opened at $751.66 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of $1.91 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.25. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $615.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $612.83. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52 week low of $520.26 and a 52 week high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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). The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $7.14 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's payout ratio is presently 7.91%.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. This represents a 34.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at $131,515,624.16. The trade was 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 sold 123,333 shares of company stock worth $80,795,845 in the last three months. 13.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on META shares. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Meta Platforms from $640.00 to $796.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Scotiabank reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $600.00 price objective (down from $700.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $770.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday. Finally, President Capital upgraded Meta Platforms from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $660.00 to $897.00 in a research report on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $785.90.

More Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Muse momentum remains the main bullish catalyst. Early reviews, rising user traction and Meta’s new early-access program for upcoming Muse features are reinforcing expectations that the AI assistant could become a major consumer product and future revenue stream. Meta opens early access program for new Muse features
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising price targets. Deutsche Bank, TD Cowen, Canaccord Genuity and other firms lifted targets and maintained bullish ratings, citing Muse’s potential to expand Meta beyond advertising through subscriptions, commerce and AI services. Meta price targets raised as Muse gains momentum
• Positive Sentiment: AI hardware could broaden Muse’s distribution. Meta is integrating Muse into Ray-Ban AI glasses and introducing additional wearable and VR products, creating potential new hardware, services and commerce opportunities.
• Neutral Sentiment: Friday’s decline appears largely technical. After rising roughly 36% during September and approaching a $2 trillion market value, Meta faced profit-taking and a pullback from recent highs. Bullish options activity suggests some traders continue to view the weakness as a buying opportunity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Large capital spending remains a key debate. Investors are encouraged by Meta’s AI strategy but remain uncertain whether heavy spending on infrastructure and Reality Labs will generate sufficient returns.
• Negative Sentiment: New Mexico litigation adds regulatory risk. A jury found that Meta misled state residents in a case related to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, potentially increasing legal costs and scrutiny. Meta misled consumers in New Mexico jury case
• Negative Sentiment: A Muse security vulnerability was identified. Meta is adding clearer safety warnings after a vulnerability reportedly could expose sensitive user information, raising concerns about trust and adoption of its AI agent. Meta bolsters Muse safety warning after vulnerability
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and monetization obstacles remain. Amazon blocked Muse from accessing its platform, while privacy concerns around camera-equipped glasses and skepticism toward new AI hardware could limit Meta’s growth plans.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a cautionary signal. 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 reduced confidence, but they add to concerns after the stock’s rapid advance.

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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