Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Holdings Cut by One Way Holdings LLC

Key Points

• One Way Holdings cut its Meta stake by 92% in the third quarter, selling 32,544 shares and retaining 2,835 shares valued at about $2.06 million.
• Meta reported quarterly EPS of $7.40, above the $6.54 consensus, while revenue of $64.6 billion rose 26.1% year over year and also topped expectations.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with an average price target of $833.12; insiders sold about $103.2 million in shares over the past 90 days.

One Way Holdings LLC trimmed its stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 92.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,835 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 32,544 shares during the quarter. One Way Holdings LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $2,056,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Advantage Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $610.15 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.56 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.80, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 1.90. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $674.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $632.16. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52-week low of $520.26 and a 52-week high of $779.82.

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

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 (DPR) is presently 7.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on META. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Citic Securities reduced their target price on Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $718.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Daiwa Securities Group decreased their price target on Meta Platforms from $790.00 to $687.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. UBS Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $920.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $833.12.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Meta Platforms news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total transaction of $5,063,409.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,186 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,260,343.46. This represents a 41.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 151,090 shares of company stock valued at $103,150,807 in the last 90 days. 13.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

About Meta Platforms

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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