Chilton Capital Management LLC Purchases 5,058 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• Chilton Capital Management increased its Meta position by 3.1% in the second quarter, purchasing 5,058 shares to hold 168,076 shares valued at approximately $94.7 million. Institutional investors own about 79.9% of Meta’s stock.
• Meta shares opened at $610.68, with a $1.56 trillion market capitalization. The company’s latest quarter showed 28% year-over-year revenue growth to $60.8 billion, though EPS of $6.18 missed the $7.19 analyst consensus.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $785.22. However, investors remain focused on the costs and execution risks of Meta’s AI investments, along with potential financial and operating impacts from its large teen-user settlement.

Chilton Capital Management LLC increased its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 168,076 shares of the social networking company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,058 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for about 3.0% of Chilton Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Chilton Capital Management LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $94,676,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in META. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $610.68 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $790.80. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $594.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $609.21. The company has a market cap of $1.56 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.00, a PEG ratio of 1.02 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 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 firm had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $7.14 EPS. Meta Platforms's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Susan Li sold 9,196 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total transaction of $5,063,409.56. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,260,343.46. This represents a 41.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert Kimmitt sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $561.56, for a total value of $280,780.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,943 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,652,671.08. The trade was a 14.52% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 32,987 shares of company stock worth $19,202,995. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta unveiled Muse Spark 1.3, an upgraded AI model that AI chief Alexandr Wang says delivers the company’s biggest performance improvement yet and is comparable with offerings from Anthropic and OpenAI. The announcement strengthened expectations that Meta can compete more effectively in generative AI and monetize its large user base. Meta Rises 4% as Muse Spark 1.3 Claims Parity With Anthropic and OpenAI
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said Meta’s settlement of major social-media litigation could remove a legal overhang and accelerate the launch of new AI products. Some investors view the settlement as manageable relative to Meta’s scale and believe teen-usage restrictions may have limited revenue impact. Meta settlement could clear the way for new AI product launches, Morgan Stanley says
• Positive Sentiment: Investment commentary highlighted Meta as one of the leading “hyperscalers” supporting the AI ecosystem, with strong revenue growth, user engagement and long-term AI monetization potential. Hyperscalers are the backbone of AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Wedbush reaffirmed its Neutral rating, signaling that the AI opportunity is balanced by valuation, execution and spending concerns. Wedbush Reaffirms Neutral Rating for Meta Platforms
• Negative Sentiment: Meta reportedly agreed to pay as much as $17 billion over 10 years and make major changes to Instagram and Facebook for teen users. The settlement may reduce legal uncertainty, but its cost and potential limits on engagement create financial and operating risks. Meta Is Making These Major Changes for Teen Users After $17 Billion Settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary warned that AI infrastructure spending could approach $145 billion, compressing free cash flow even as revenue grows. Investors also remain concerned about Meta’s dependence on successful AI execution to justify a recovery toward its prior high. Meta Stock Has a New AI Catalyst
• Negative Sentiment: Meta is paying users to share how they use its latest AI model, raising privacy and reputational concerns that could complicate adoption. Separately, the company disabled cameras on some AI glasses after detecting tampering with recording lights. Meta is paying to peek at how you use their latest AI model

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $785.00 price target (down from $800.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $835.00 to $810.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $780.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Wedbush reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $595.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $800.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $785.22.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

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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