AlpenGlobal Capital LLC Has $3.74 Million Stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• AlpenGlobal Capital trimmed its Meta stake by 11.5% in the second quarter, selling 861 shares and retaining 6,640 shares valued at approximately $3.74 million. Meta represents 2.4% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Institutional investors own approximately 79.91% of Meta’s outstanding shares, with major holders including Auto Owners Insurance, Geode Capital Management, Norges Bank, Bank of America and Invesco.
• Meta reported quarterly revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% year over year, although earnings per share missed analyst expectations. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $788.88, while the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share.

AlpenGlobal Capital LLC trimmed its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 11.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,640 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 861 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up 2.4% of AlpenGlobal Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. AlpenGlobal Capital LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $3,740,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $69,502,379,000 after acquiring an additional 105,154,977 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 52,806,712 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $34,734,628,000 after buying an additional 878,396 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth $22,152,075,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,038,035 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $12,036,491,000 after buying an additional 2,673,494 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 18,200,469 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $12,013,948,000 after buying an additional 1,046,715 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $665.60 on Tuesday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $790.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.70 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $602.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $608.92. 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 (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $7.14 earnings per share. Meta Platforms's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is 7.91%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on META. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Friday. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $785.00 price target (down from $800.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $810.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $788.88.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $650.28, for a total transaction of $13,005,600.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 244,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $159,003,864.48. This represents a 7.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, 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 value 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 approximately $3,875,854.26. This trade represents a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 60,183 shares of company stock worth $36,673,495. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI strategy is boosting investor confidence. Goldman Sachs reiterated its bullish view, citing the rollout of Meta’s Muse AI agent and a recent legal settlement as potential catalysts. Analysts also argue that Meta’s valuation remains attractive relative to its growth, with one estimate assigning an $817 price target. Why is Meta stock gaining in premarket today
• Positive Sentiment: Advertising momentum supports earnings expectations. A bullish analysis highlighted second-quarter ad impressions growth of 14% and a 12% increase in average ad prices. Meta’s forward PEG ratio was also described as below both the sector median and its five-year average, suggesting investors may still view the stock as reasonably valued despite its recent rally. Meta Platforms: AI Spending Is Starting To Pay Off
• Positive Sentiment: Meta is benefiting from a shift in AI sentiment. Shares of Meta and Alphabet gained while AI-chip stocks weakened after several AI executives called for a slower approach to developing frontier models. Investors may be favoring Meta because its large user base and advertising business provide diversified ways to monetize AI. Why Google and Meta Stocks Are the Big Winners From the Latest AI Concerns
• Neutral Sentiment: AI investment is creating both opportunity and financial risk. AI-related debt issuance has surged, and Meta is viewed as better positioned than highly leveraged infrastructure providers because of its stronger cash generation. Nevertheless, the scale of data-center spending could pressure free cash flow and increase execution risk. AI-Related Debt Sales Are Near $500 Billion
• Negative Sentiment: Meta faces a proposed class-action lawsuit over smart-glasses privacy. Parents and children in California and Illinois allege that the company’s unreleased “NameTag” facial-recognition feature improperly used Facebook and Instagram data. The case could create legal costs, regulatory scrutiny and reputational damage if the allegations gain traction. Meta Faces Lawsuit Over Smart Glasses Facial Recognition
• Negative Sentiment: Content-moderation and insider-selling headlines add caution. Meta’s Oversight Board urged it not to replace professional fact-checking with Community Notes, while a reported insider stock sale worth about $13 million may weigh modestly on sentiment. These developments raise governance and reputational concerns, although neither necessarily changes Meta’s underlying operating outlook. Oversight Board asks Meta not to replace fact-checking with Community Notes

Meta Platforms Company 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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