Coastline Trust Co Sells 3,582 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• Coastline Trust Co. reduced its Meta Platforms stake by 8.4%, selling 3,582 shares and retaining 38,931 shares valued at approximately $28.2 million. Meta represents 2.6% of the firm’s portfolio, while institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of the stock.
• Meta shares opened at $725.93, with a market capitalization of roughly $1.85 trillion and a 52-week range of $520.26 to $779.82. The stock carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average analyst price target of $787.86.
• Meta’s latest quarterly revenue rose 28% year over year to $60.8 billion, exceeding estimates, although earnings per share of $6.18 missed expectations. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, equal to a 0.3% yield.

Coastline Trust Co lowered its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 38,931 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 3,582 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up 2.6% of Coastline Trust Co's holdings, making the stock its 11th largest position. Coastline Trust Co's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $28,232,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 18.6% in the second quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 18,777 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $10,577,000 after acquiring an additional 2,939 shares in the last quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 33.6% during the second quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 3,031 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,707,000 after acquiring an additional 763 shares during the period. William John Sempolinski bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $3,107,000. Sone Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 38.2% during the second quarter. Sone Capital Management LLC now owns 16,059 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $9,046,000 after purchasing an additional 4,440 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lakewood Capital Management LP lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 63.7% in the second quarter. Lakewood Capital Management LP now owns 115,985 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $65,333,000 after purchasing an additional 45,130 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

NASDAQ META opened at $725.93 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82. The business's fifty day moving average is $622.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $615.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.85 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released 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). The company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The business's revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $7.14 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on META shares. Susquehanna decreased their price target on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $650.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. UBS Group reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. President Capital upgraded Meta Platforms from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $660.00 to $897.00 in a report on Thursday, September 24th. DA Davidson decreased their target price on Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $600.00 target price (down from $700.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $787.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total value of $4,379,184.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $462,024. This trade represents a 90.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total value of $21,359,386.56. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 151,882 shares of company stock worth $103,032,319 over the last three months. Company 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’s free Muse personal AI agent has reportedly surpassed 5 million downloads, reinforcing the company’s lead in consumer AI. JPMorgan says Meta’s free-access strategy could pressure subscription-based rivals and potentially create a valuable new advertising and commerce channel. Zuckerberg's Free AI Agent Hit 5 Million Downloads
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators remain optimistic that Meta can convert AI adoption into revenue. The company is expanding its Muse platform for small businesses, linking AI tools with advertising, sales and operations, which could improve ad targeting and accelerate advertiser spending. META Expands Muse for Small Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: A recent analyst upgrade helped support the stock, while strategists describe Meta as a potential beneficiary of the next phase of the AI trade because it is using AI to strengthen an existing advertising business rather than relying solely on infrastructure spending. Meta Stock Jumps Following Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Meta reportedly signed a $27 billion AI-capacity agreement with Nebius, highlighting continued demand for computing resources and the company’s commitment to scaling its AI capabilities. Nebius Group Signs AI Capacity Deal with Meta
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s strong September performance reflected enthusiasm over Muse, which reportedly outpaced ChatGPT in Apple’s App Store downloads. However, investors are now focused on how quickly the company can monetize the service and whether the recent rally has already priced in much of the good news. Meta Stock Enjoys Best Month on AI Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: OpenAI’s launch of Dots introduces a significant competitor in personal AI agents. Google, Apple and other startups are also entering the market, raising questions about customer retention, pricing and the cost of defending Muse’s early lead. OpenAI Follows Meta into Personal AI Agents
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about Meta’s more than $130 billion AI investment program, declining free cash flow and the possibility that data-center capacity will eventually exceed demand. A report also questioned the company’s use of tax credits for AI data-center costs, creating potential tax and reputational exposure. How Meta Uses AI Data Centers to Avoid Federal Taxes
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of insider selling, including transactions by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Javier Olivan under a pre-arranged trading plan, may weigh modestly on sentiment, although the sales do not necessarily indicate deteriorating fundamentals. Meta Platforms Insider Sold Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Meta has also disputed claims that Muse accessed private messages without permission. Even if the allegation is unfounded, renewed privacy concerns could increase regulatory scrutiny and slow adoption of the product. Meta Disputes Muse Privacy Claim

Meta Platforms Profile

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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