785 Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Acquired by Cornerstone National Bank & Trust Co

Key Points

• Cornerstone National Bank & Trust Co. increased its Meta stake by 5,233.3% in the third quarter, purchasing 785 additional shares to hold 800 shares worth approximately $581,000. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s outstanding stock.
• Meta reported quarterly earnings of $7.40 per share, beating estimates of $6.54, while revenue rose 26.1% year over year to $64.60 billion, above expectations of $63.34 billion.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with Meta carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $833.12. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, representing a 0.3% yield.

Cornerstone National Bank & Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 5,233.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 800 shares of the social networking company's stock after buying an additional 785 shares during the period. Cornerstone National Bank & Trust Co's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $581,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Horizons Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

NASDAQ META opened at $642.62 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average is $664.40 and its 200-day moving average is $629.72. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $779.82. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $1.64 trillion, a P/E ratio of 21.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.19.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The social networking company reported $7.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 31.15% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The company had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $63.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $7.25 EPS. Meta Platforms's revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were given a dividend of $0.5250 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 7.91%.

Trending Headlines about Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q3 operating performance: Meta reported $64.6 billion in revenue, up 26% year over year, and adjusted earnings of $7.40 per share versus expectations of roughly $6.54. AI-driven recommendations and advertising tools are improving engagement, ad pricing and conversions. META Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Muse adoption supports the AI thesis: Meta’s Muse AI agent has surpassed 10 million downloads, strengthening the case that the company could eventually monetize AI through subscriptions, enterprise services and additional advertising. However, meaningful revenue contribution is expected later, potentially from 2027 onward. Meta Muse Adoption
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive: UBS, Citigroup, Mizuho, JPMorgan, Bank of America and other firms raised or reaffirmed bullish ratings and price targets, citing resilient advertising growth and long-term AI potential. Some investors, including commentator Mike Khouw, view the selloff as a buying opportunity. Why Mike Khouw Is Buying Meta
• Neutral Sentiment: New Class C shares and a 2-for-1 split: Meta plans to issue one non-voting Class C share for each Class A and Class B share. The move should improve trading liquidity and give Mark Zuckerberg greater flexibility to sell shares or finance AI investment without surrendering voting control, but it does not by itself create economic value for shareholders. Meta’s New Non-Voting Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Commercial terms delayed: Meta postponed controversial terms that publishers and advertisers said could authorize broader web scraping, moving implementation to November 20 from October 30. The delay may reduce near-term friction, though the underlying regulatory and customer concerns remain. Meta Delays Commercial Terms
• Negative Sentiment: AI spending is the main pressure: Meta lifted the lower end of its 2026 capital-expenditure forecast to $135 billion, with spending potentially reaching $145 billion. Free cash flow turned negative as infrastructure investment accelerated, while credit-default-swap costs reached records. Investors are questioning when Muse and other AI projects will generate returns. Meta AI Spending and Free Cash Flow
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and regulatory risks remain significant: Meta faces a $25 billion New Mexico privacy judgment, additional lawsuits alleging harm to children and scam advertising, and rising legal costs. The company plans to appeal the New Mexico ruling, but the liabilities add uncertainty and pressure margins. Meta New Mexico Privacy Judgment

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Citizens Jmp reissued a "market outperform" rating and set a $885.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Loop Capital lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $740.00 to $955.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $886.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $833.12.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $707.20, for a total transaction of $669,011.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 5,986 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,233,299.20. The trade was a 13.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 40,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total transaction of $28,510,400.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at $131,515,624.16. This trade represents a 17.82% 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 have sold a total of 149,906 shares of company stock worth $102,347,409 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company's principal platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads, which enable users to connect, communicate, share content, and discover products and services.

Meta also operates Reality Labs, its division focused on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies. Reality Labs develops products such as Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and related software and experiences, along with research and hardware intended to support immersive computing.

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