4,898 Shares in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Bought by MW Advisory LLC

Key Points

• MW Advisory LLC acquired 4,898 Meta shares valued at approximately $2.76 million, making Meta its 17th-largest holding and representing 1.1% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own about 79.91% of Meta.
• Analysts maintain a largely bullish outlook, with an overall “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $785.90. JPMorgan raised its target to $920, although some firms recently lowered their targets or maintained neutral ratings.
• Meta reported strong revenue growth of 28% year over year but missed quarterly earnings expectations, while insiders sold more than $80.8 million in shares over the past 90 days. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, yielding approximately 0.3%.

MW Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 4,898 shares of the social networking company's stock, valued at approximately $2,759,000. Meta Platforms makes up 1.1% of MW Advisory LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. RHL Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Bayban boosted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on META shares. UBS Group reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $920.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday. HSBC dropped their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $905.00 to $830.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed 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. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $785.90.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. This trade represents a 34.07% 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 business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $680.27, for a total transaction of $643,535.42. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,770 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,646,237.90. The trade was a 8.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 123,333 shares of company stock valued at $80,795,845 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $751.66 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $615.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $613.07. The firm has a market cap of $1.91 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.25.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). The business had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $7.14 earnings per share. Sell-side 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st will be issued a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.91%.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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.

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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