8,549 Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Sold by Traynor Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Traynor Capital Management cut its Meta stake by 60.3%, selling 8,549 shares in the third quarter and retaining 5,638 shares valued at about $4.09 million.
• Institutional investors’ activity was mixed: several large funds increased their positions, and institutions collectively owned 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Meta beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue up 26.1% year over year. Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $833.12.

Traynor Capital Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 60.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,638 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 8,549 shares during the quarter. Traynor Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $4,089,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of META. Corient Private Wealth LP increased its position in Meta Platforms by 723.1% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 8,801,764 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $4,957,946,000 after buying an additional 7,732,446 shares during the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth about $2,948,486,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 3,510,123 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 14.6% during the 1st 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 acquiring an additional 2,673,494 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 18.1% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 11,858,972 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $6,784,873,000 after acquiring an additional 1,815,017 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

META stock traded up $5.07 during trading on Friday, hitting $610.15. The company had a trading volume of 15,673,971 shares, compared to its average volume of 23,359,418. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $674.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $632.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $1.56 trillion, a P/E ratio of 20.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.28. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The firm 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 business posted $7.25 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 presently 7.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

META has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Phillip Securities raised Meta Platforms from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $795.00 to $750.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Susquehanna upped their target price on Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Meta Platforms from $875.00 to $850.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $763.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Wedbush boosted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $700.00 to $730.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $833.12.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In related news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $614.15, for a total transaction of $580,985.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 4,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,514,330.10. This trade represents a 18.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 151,090 shares of company stock valued at $103,150,807. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta launched Spaces, a collaboration feature for its Muse AI agents, following the rollout of Muse Voice. The new offerings may help strengthen user engagement and expand Meta’s consumer AI ecosystem. Meta introduces Spaces
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings commentary points to AI supporting Meta’s advertising operations, reinforcing the potential for the company’s AI investments to generate revenue. Takeaways from recent earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta paused planned updates to its terms and is keeping existing rules in place. The move avoids an immediate policy change, though the underlying issues remain unresolved. Meta pauses planned terms updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Plans for new nonvoting Class C shares have been described as effectively creating a 2-for-1 split. A split changes the number of shares, but does not by itself change the company’s underlying value; the structure preserves Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control. Is Meta Platforms next for a stock split?
• Negative Sentiment: Meta and other platforms sued to block California restrictions on social-media features for users under 16. The case adds regulatory uncertainty and potential legal costs. Platforms sue over California teen social-media law
• Negative Sentiment: Meta warned that political backlash and possible limits on data-center construction could complicate its AI expansion. Its $15 billion senior-notes offering also highlights the scale of financing required for investment. Data-center expansion concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Reported ETF net selling and insider share sales may add short-term pressure, although the disclosed insider transaction was made under a pre-arranged trading plan. ETFs are net sellers of Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a global technology company that develops social networking, messaging, and digital communication products. Its services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, which connect people and help businesses reach audiences around the world.

The company also develops virtual and augmented reality products and technologies through its Reality Labs division, including Quest headsets and related software and services. Advertising is a central part of Meta's business, with its platforms providing tools for businesses to promote products and services.

Founded in 2004 as Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow students, the company changed its name to Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building social technologies and immersive digital experiences.

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