Lyell Wealth Management LP Purchases 867 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• Lyell Wealth Management increased its Meta stake by 867 shares (1.5%) in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 57,115 shares valued at about $41.4 million.
• Meta reported quarterly EPS of $7.40 and revenue of $64.6 billion, beating analyst estimates; revenue rose 26.1% year over year.
• Analysts have a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating on the stock, with an average price target of $833.12.

Lyell Wealth Management LP grew its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 1.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 57,115 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 867 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises approximately 2.5% of Lyell Wealth Management LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Lyell Wealth Management LP's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $41,419,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Associated Banc Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 3rd quarter worth about $44,769,000. Fischer Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. Fischer Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,005 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,454,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 3rd quarter valued at about $107,000. Richwood Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 3rd quarter valued at about $217,000. Finally, Integrity Advisory Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter. Integrity Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 2,326 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,687,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup increased their price target on Meta Platforms from $895.00 to $905.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. KeyCorp increased their target price on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $905.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, New Street Research dropped their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $730.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $833.12.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $610.15 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.56 trillion, a P/E ratio of 20.80, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.28. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $674.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $632.16. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $779.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 31.15% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The company had revenue of $64.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $63.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $7.25 EPS. Meta Platforms's revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.16%.

Trending Headlines about Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta launched Spaces, a collaboration feature for its Muse AI agents, following the rollout of Muse Voice. The new offerings may help strengthen user engagement and expand Meta’s consumer AI ecosystem. Meta introduces Spaces
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings commentary points to AI supporting Meta’s advertising operations, reinforcing the potential for the company’s AI investments to generate revenue. Takeaways from recent earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta paused planned updates to its terms and is keeping existing rules in place. The move avoids an immediate policy change, though the underlying issues remain unresolved. Meta pauses planned terms updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Plans for new nonvoting Class C shares have been described as effectively creating a 2-for-1 split. A split changes the number of shares, but does not by itself change the company’s underlying value; the structure preserves Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control. Is Meta Platforms next for a stock split?
• Negative Sentiment: Meta and other platforms sued to block California restrictions on social-media features for users under 16. The case adds regulatory uncertainty and potential legal costs. Platforms sue over California teen social-media law
• Negative Sentiment: Meta warned that political backlash and possible limits on data-center construction could complicate its AI expansion. Its $15 billion senior-notes offering also highlights the scale of financing required for investment. Data-center expansion concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Reported ETF net selling and insider share sales may add short-term pressure, although the disclosed insider transaction was made under a pre-arranged trading plan. ETFs are net sellers of Meta Platforms

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. The transaction 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, 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 149,398 shares of company stock worth $102,134,435. Insiders own 13.42% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a global technology company that develops social networking, messaging, and digital communication products. Its services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, which connect people and help businesses reach audiences around the world.

The company also develops virtual and augmented reality products and technologies through its Reality Labs division, including Quest headsets and related software and services. Advertising is a central part of Meta's business, with its platforms providing tools for businesses to promote products and services.

Founded in 2004 as Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow students, the company changed its name to Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building social technologies and immersive digital experiences.

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