Cibc World Market Inc. Sells 4,986 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• CIBC World Market reduced its Meta Platforms stake by 4,986 shares, or 0.9%, to 563,119 shares valued at approximately $317.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with Meta holding a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $788.88. The stock opened at $682.31, below its 12-month high of $790.80.
• Meta reported quarterly revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% year over year, but earnings per share of $6.18 missed estimates of $7.19. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, representing a 0.3% annualized yield.

Cibc World Market Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 0.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 563,119 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 4,986 shares during the quarter. Cibc World Market Inc.'s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $317,200,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in META. RHL Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Advantage Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the first quarter valued at about $36,000. Bayban boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 100.0% in the first quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter worth about $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Meta Platforms news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of Meta Platforms 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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their position. The sale 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 Christopher K. Cox sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 244,516 shares in the company, valued at $159,003,864.48. This trade represents a 7.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 quarter, insiders have sold 81,758 shares of company stock worth $51,214,020. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

META has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Phillip Securities raised shares of Meta Platforms to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Mizuho set a $750.00 price objective on Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. KeyCorp cut their target price on Meta Platforms from $790.00 to $780.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $750.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Four 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $788.88.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 1.3%

META opened at $682.31 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.74 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $790.80. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $606.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $609.40. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). The company had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.Meta Platforms's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.14 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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%.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America maintained a Buy view, estimating Meta could save approximately $8.5 billion in 2027 by shifting AI workloads to its in-house MTIA chips. Meta reportedly plans to deploy newer chips in 2027, potentially reducing dependence on Nvidia and improving AI margins. Meta Can Save $8.5 Billion in 2027 by Using Its Own MTIA Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse AI agent and the new Meta One subscription are strengthening the investment case that the company can diversify beyond advertising. Meta One combines higher AI usage limits and features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, creating a potential recurring-revenue stream. Meta Platforms: Get In Before September 23
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism remains a near-term catalyst. Citi identified Meta Connect on September 23 as a possible trigger for additional product announcements and investor enthusiasm, while Rosenblatt reiterated a Buy rating with an $886 price target. Meta Event Next Week Could Spark Stock Gains, Says Citi
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is expanding Muse’s capabilities, including phone calls, as it competes with emerging AI-agent providers. The move could improve user engagement and monetization, but competition and the execution required to turn usage into paid revenue remain significant. Rival AI Agents and Meta’s Muse Add Calling
• Negative Sentiment: A German court ruled Meta liable for fraudulent third-party advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, ordering the company to remove such content and pay damages. The decision could increase legal costs and raise concerns about platform-monitoring obligations. German Court Rules Meta Liable for Fake Ads
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer advocate Clark Howard said Meta declined to remove a deepfake advertisement using his likeness. The episode adds reputational and regulatory risk as Meta attempts to control AI-generated scams and fraudulent advertising. Facebook Told Clark Howard a Deepfake Ad Meets Its Standards
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 20,000 Meta shares worth about $13.5 million. The transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, which reduces its signaling value, but insider selling can still weigh modestly on sentiment. SEC Insider Trading Filing

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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