Bridgewater Advisors Inc. Has $15.39 Million Stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• Bridgewater Advisors increased its Meta position by 4.7% in the second quarter, owning 26,083 shares worth approximately $15.39 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 79.91% of Meta’s outstanding stock.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Meta receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $785.22, despite some target-price reductions and hold ratings.
• Meta reported 28% year-over-year revenue growth to $60.80 billion, though quarterly EPS of $6.18 missed the $7.19 consensus estimate. Investors are also focused on the potential of its Muse Spark 1.3 AI model to drive future adoption and revenue.

Bridgewater Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 4.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,083 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,181 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises about 0.8% of Bridgewater Advisors Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Bridgewater Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $15,395,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. First National Bank Sioux Falls increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank Sioux Falls now owns 2,001 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,321,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 984 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $649,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. now owns 1,075 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $794,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Acorn Creek Capital LLC increased its position in Meta Platforms by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Acorn Creek Capital LLC now owns 2,118 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,398,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the period. Finally, Objective Capital Management LLC increased its position in Meta Platforms by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Objective Capital Management LLC now owns 553 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $365,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wedbush reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $595.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Barclays cut their target price on Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $780.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Erste Group Bank upgraded Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen cut Meta Platforms from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $810.00 price objective 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 assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $785.22.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta opened paid developer access to Muse Spark 1.3, with company executives and analysts claiming the model is approaching or matching offerings from Anthropic and OpenAI. Improved performance and token efficiency could support adoption in coding agents, model APIs, subscriptions and future generative-search advertising. Meta Platforms: Muse Spark 1.3 Was The Warning Shot
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage identifies Muse Spark 1.3 as a new catalyst that could improve confidence in Meta’s AI roadmap and help the company recover toward its prior highs, provided the technology translates into revenue and returns on investment. Meta Rises 4% as Muse Spark 1.3 Claims Parity with Anthropic and OpenAI
• Positive Sentiment: Some investment commentary views Meta as a major beneficiary of the ongoing AI infrastructure and computing cycle, alongside other hyperscalers, potentially creating a long-term growth opportunity. Hyperscalers Are the Backbone of AI

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

Shares of META opened at $616.77 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $596.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $609.05. 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 $1.57 trillion, a P/E ratio of 23.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced 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 net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The business had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $7.14 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.17 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 434 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $602.70, for a total transaction of $261,571.80. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 5,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,529,411.20. This represents a 6.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing 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, insider Curtis Mahoney sold 1,559 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total transaction of $869,922.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 1,957 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,092,006. This trade represents a 44.34% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 32,987 shares of company stock valued at $19,202,995 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc NASDAQ: META, formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.

Meta's core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.

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