EP Wealth Advisors LLC Has $148.12 Million Position in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• EP Wealth Advisors increased its Meta position by 16.9% in the second quarter, owning 262,961 shares valued at approximately $148.1 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 79.91% of Meta’s outstanding stock.
• Meta reported 28% year-over-year revenue growth to $60.8 billion in its latest quarter, though earnings of $6.18 per share missed analyst estimates of $7.19. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $788.88, although investors continue to weigh Meta’s substantial AI infrastructure spending, regulatory risks and recent insider selling.

EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 16.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 262,961 shares of the social networking company's stock after buying an additional 37,956 shares during the quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $148,123,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. RHL Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Advantage Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $28,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the first quarter worth $36,000. Bayban lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% in the first quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: New Meta One subscriptions could create recurring AI revenue. Meta introduced plans ranging from individual to creator and business tiers, priced from $2.99 to $499 per month, offering expanded access to AI image, video and editing tools across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Meta AI. The initiative gives investors a clearer path to monetizing AI beyond advertising. Reuters article on Meta One subscriptions
• Positive Sentiment: AI agents are being integrated into WhatsApp Business. Businesses will be able to use third-party AI agents to set up and manage customer messaging, potentially increasing WhatsApp’s commercial utility and supporting higher business adoption and revenue. TechCrunch article on WhatsApp Business AI agents
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly favorable. Recent coverage highlights bullish views tied to Meta’s Muse AI platform, improving advertising performance and the company’s valuation relative to growth. One report says 55 analysts covering Meta have no sell ratings, while Goldman Sachs has identified further upside potential. Analyst coverage article
• Positive Sentiment: Meta reportedly plans camera-free smart glasses. The internally named Luna glasses could broaden Meta’s wearables strategy while addressing privacy concerns associated with cameras, although launch details remain unconfirmed. Reuters article on Meta’s camera-free smart glasses
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta said it will directly report child-safety cases to India’s cybercrime portal, a move that could improve regulatory cooperation but also underscores continuing scrutiny of its platforms. Article on Meta’s child-safety reporting in India
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and legal risks remain significant. California’s restrictions on certain youth-targeted advertising practices and a lawsuit involving alleged facial-recognition features in Meta’s smart glasses could increase legal costs and limit product functionality. Article on Meta’s regulatory risks
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to debate whether Meta’s aggressive AI infrastructure commitments will generate sufficient returns, particularly if interest rates remain elevated. A recent SEC filing also disclosed an insider sale worth approximately $13 million, which may weigh modestly on sentiment. Analysis of Meta’s AI spending

Meta Platforms Price Performance

NASDAQ:META opened at $670.24 on Wednesday. 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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $603.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $609.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.71 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 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.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). The business 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.91%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on META. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $763.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and set a $800.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and set a $785.00 price objective (down from $800.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $600.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $788.88.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total value of $5,063,409.56. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 1,559 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 1,957 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,092,006. This 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 60,183 shares of company stock worth $36,673,495. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Meta Platforms

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.