Argent Capital Management LLC Decreases Stock Position in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• Argent Capital Management reduced its Meta Platforms position by 5.5% in the third quarter, selling 4,510 shares and retaining 77,675 shares valued at approximately $56.3 million.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of Meta’s outstanding shares, with several major institutions—including State Street, Bank of America and Invesco—recently increasing their positions.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Meta receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $787.86, despite the company’s quarterly EPS missing estimates.

Argent Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 77,675 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 4,510 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for about 0.4% of Argent Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Argent Capital Management LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $56,328,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in META. 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 buying an additional 105,154,977 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 3,510,123 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $22,152,075,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew 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 valued at $12,036,491,000 after purchasing an additional 2,673,494 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 18,200,469 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $12,013,948,000 after purchasing an additional 1,046,715 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on META. Tigress Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating and set a $945.00 price target (down from $995.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Evercore raised their price objective on Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $860.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Meta Platforms from $640.00 to $796.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Erste Group Bank upgraded Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $787.86.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of META traded up $16.14 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $744.22. The stock had a trading volume of 7,452,712 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,489,725. The firm has a market cap of $1.90 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $625.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $615.98. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a twelve month low of $520.26 and a twelve month high of $779.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). 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 quarter in the previous year, the business posted $7.14 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.91%.

Insider Activity

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $750.42, for a total transaction of $709,897.32. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 8,824 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,621,706.08. The trade was a 9.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. 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 146,647 shares of company stock worth $99,886,901 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s advertising business delivered its strongest monthly stock performance in three years. Analysts see additional upside if ad growth, pricing and AI-driven monetization continue to support a higher 2027 valuation. Meta Stock Could Have Another Big Run Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analysis awarded Meta a Buy rating, arguing that its large user base and advertising cash flow can fund AI investments. Revenue growth of 28% year over year has outpaced user growth, indicating better monetization through higher ad prices and engagement. Meta Platforms: The AI Spending Looks Crazy; The Economics Don’t
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary on Meta’s Muse AI launch suggests the technology could become a major catalyst for commerce and advertising, with one forecast envisioning a path toward $1,000 per share. The outlook is speculative but adds to the positive AI narrative. Meta Muse: Sparking the AI Revolution
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta executives are scheduled to testify before New York City officials about AI risks and possible legislation. The hearing could increase regulatory scrutiny, though no immediate financial impact was announced. AI Executives Set to Testify at NYC Council Hearing
• Negative Sentiment: Meta, TikTok and X are challenging Ofcom’s demands for information under the United Kingdom’s online-safety regime. The dispute highlights potential compliance costs and regulatory exposure. Meta, TikTok and X Challenge UK Watchdog
• Negative Sentiment: Meta’s planned AI infrastructure spending—estimated at $130 billion to $145 billion by 2026—raises execution and return-on-investment risks. Investors need evidence that AI monetization will justify the unusually large capital commitments. Meta AI Spending Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Several lawsuits could create substantial liabilities and reduce Meta’s ability to spend on chips and data centers, presenting a direct risk to its AI strategy. Meta AI Plans Could Be Crippled by Lawsuits
• Negative Sentiment: Investor Steve Weiss said he reduced his Meta position as the 10-year Treasury yield approached 5.26%. Higher yields can pressure valuations for high-growth technology stocks and make Meta’s future cash flows less attractive. Analyst Sells Cisco and Trims Meta

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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