Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Holdings Lifted by Sowell Financial Services LLC

Key Points

• Sowell Financial Services increased its Meta stake by 4.3% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 38,700 shares valued at approximately $28.1 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 79.91% of Meta.
• Meta reported quarterly earnings of $7.40 per share and revenue of $64.60 billion, exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue grew 26.1% year over year. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $833.12.
• AI investment remains both an opportunity and a risk: Meta’s AMD partnership and advertising improvements could support growth, but its roughly $95 billion financing plan raises dilution and cash-flow concerns, alongside continuing regulatory and legal pressures.

Sowell Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,700 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,584 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up about 0.9% of Sowell Financial Services LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Sowell Financial Services LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $28,064,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in META. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Meta Platforms by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. now owns 10,335 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $7,495,000 after buying an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Nabity Jensen Investment Management Inc lifted its stake in Meta Platforms by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. Nabity Jensen Investment Management Inc now owns 1,599 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,160,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Gibbs Wealth Management lifted its stake in Meta Platforms by 26.0% in the 3rd quarter. Gibbs Wealth Management now owns 16,420 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $11,908,000 after acquiring an additional 3,388 shares in the last quarter. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,500 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $2,538,000 after acquiring an additional 810 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Altura Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Altura Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 5,304 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $3,846,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AMD partnership strengthens AI infrastructure: Advanced Micro Devices plans to invest $1 billion in Meta’s stock while collaborating on multi-generation Instinct processors, CPUs and gigawatt-scale data-center deployments. The agreement could diversify Meta’s chip supply and improve computing efficiency. Advanced Micro Devices' Meta Platforms Partnership Goes Beyond a $1 Billion Investment
• Positive Sentiment: Advertising engine remains a key support: Recent analysis highlighted rising ad prices, stronger impressions and AI-driven improvements to ad conversions and Reels engagement. Analysts remain optimistic that Meta’s AI tools, including Muse, can support long-term revenue and earnings growth. Meta's Pullback Just Changed the AI Risk/Reward
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and AI upside: Daiwa Securities raised its Meta price target to $779 from $687, while other commentary characterized the recent pullback as an attractive entry point and cited potential gains from AI-powered commerce and advertising. Daiwa Securities Adjusts Price Target on Meta Platforms to $779
• Neutral Sentiment: New consumer AI products broaden Meta’s options: Meta launched Style Sketch, an AI fashion app that creates outfit ideas from users’ clothing, following the launch of the AI pet app Waddle World. These experiments could increase engagement, but their revenue potential remains unproven. Meta quietly launches an AI fashion app called Style Sketch
• Negative Sentiment: AI financing raises dilution and cash-flow concerns: Meta’s roughly $95 billion capital-raising plan, including common and convertible preferred shares, provides funding for AI infrastructure but increases shareholder dilution. Quarterly capital expenditures also pushed free cash flow negative, potentially limiting buybacks and dividends. Meta Just Priced a Stock Sale at $625 a Share
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and regulatory pressure continues: Meta delayed new commercial terms for publishers after objections and faces a major U.S. trial over alleged social-media harms to young users. These matters could create additional costs and reputational risk. Meta delays indefinitely its rollout of new commercial terms
• Negative Sentiment: Muse execution remains uncertain: Meta removed an Instagram ad promoting Muse’s ability to identify unfollowers, underscoring product-positioning and user-trust risks as the company expands its AI services. Meta took down its ad touting Muse

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on META. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $895.00 to $905.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $580.00 to $685.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Arete Research lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $735.00 to $806.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $780.00 to $880.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Meta Platforms has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $833.12.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $640.00, for a total value of $605,440.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 5,040 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,225,600. This represents a 15.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Insiders sold a total of 150,015 shares of company stock worth $102,464,300 in the last three months. Insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of META opened at $624.52 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average is $668.65 and its 200-day moving average is $632.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.59 trillion, a PE ratio of 21.29, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $63.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 31.15% and a return on equity of 30.73%. Meta Platforms's revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.25 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.98 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

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

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company's principal platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads, which enable users to connect, communicate, share content, and discover products and services.

Meta also operates Reality Labs, its division focused on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies. Reality Labs develops products such as Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and related software and experiences, along with research and hardware intended to support immersive computing.

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