5,624 Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Sold by CX Institutional

Key Points

• CX Institutional reduced its Meta position by 11.2%, selling 5,624 shares and retaining 44,668 shares valued at approximately $32.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s outstanding stock.
• Meta shares traded near $728, while analysts maintained a generally bullish view with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $787.86. The company recently reported revenue growth of 28% year over year but missed quarterly earnings expectations.
• Meta’s AI expansion is a major catalyst, but legal and spending risks remain: its Muse AI agent reportedly surpassed 5 million downloads, while New Mexico prosecutors are seeking up to $40 billion in privacy-related penalties and analysts caution that heavy AI investment must translate into monetization.

CX Institutional trimmed its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 11.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 44,668 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 5,624 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up approximately 0.9% of CX Institutional's investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. CX Institutional's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $32,392,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $69,502,379,000 after purchasing an additional 105,154,977 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 92,033,963 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $51,841,811,000 after buying an additional 3,510,123 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 52,806,712 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $34,734,628,000 after acquiring an additional 878,396 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $22,152,075,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 14.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,038,035 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $12,036,491,000 after buying an additional 2,673,494 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse AI agent is gaining significant attention and reportedly surpassed 5 million downloads. Investors see the free product as a potential way to expand engagement, strengthen Meta’s AI ecosystem and eventually support new advertising or commerce revenue. Zuckerberg's Free AI Agent Hit 5 Million Downloads
• Positive Sentiment: Meta is expanding Muse for small businesses, linking the AI assistant with advertising, sales and operations. That strategy could accelerate ad growth and create a broader commercial use case for Meta’s AI investments. Meta Expands Muse for Small Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst optimism and Meta’s reported claims for billions of dollars in tax credits tied to AI data-center costs are supporting the bullish narrative around advertising growth, AI infrastructure and potential cost relief. Meta Stock Jumps Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-time Meta executive Justin Osofsky is leaving to become COO of AI infrastructure company Nscale ahead of its planned IPO. The move highlights demand for Meta’s AI and technology talent but could raise limited concerns about executive departures. Nscale Hires Meta’s Justin Osofsky
• Negative Sentiment: New Mexico prosecutors are seeking between $35 billion and $40 billion in penalties after a jury found Meta misled Facebook users about data privacy. Although the final amount and legal outcome remain unresolved, the potential liability is a major overhang. New Mexico Wants Meta to Pay Up to $40 Billion
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts warn that Meta’s recent rally now depends on Muse generating returns and avoiding privacy-related execution problems. Heavy AI spending could also pressure results if monetization fails to keep pace with investment. Meta Platforms: Things May Get Ugly

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In related news, insider Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total transaction of $28,510,400.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $131,515,624.16. This trade represents a 17.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Monday, September 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $750.42, for a total value of $709,897.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 8,824 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,621,706.08. The trade was a 9.68% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 151,882 shares of company stock valued at $103,032,319. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:META traded up $2.15 during trading on Friday, reaching $728.08. 12,942,034 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,544,939. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.85 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.42, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52 week low of $520.26 and a 52 week high of $779.82. 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 company's 50 day moving average is $622.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $615.28.

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 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $7.14 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

META has been the subject of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $725.00 price target (down from $815.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $710.00 to $875.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. China Renaissance lowered their target price on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $820.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $787.86.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company operates a global family of apps that includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, enabling users to connect, communicate, share content and discover communities.

Meta generates most of its business through digital advertising displayed across its platforms. Its products serve individuals, creators, businesses and organizations in markets around the world, while its advertising tools help businesses reach audiences based on factors such as interests, activity and demographics.

Through its Reality Labs division, Meta develops virtual and augmented reality hardware, software and services, including the Meta Quest line of headsets and related experiences.

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