Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Acquired by NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC

Key Points

• NorthCrest Asset Management increased its Meta position by 24.9% in the third quarter, adding 12,730 shares to own 63,764 shares valued at approximately $45.97 million. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Meta insiders sold significant amounts of stock, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s sale of 27,474 shares for $21.36 million. Insiders have sold 148,222 shares worth roughly $101.0 million over the past 90 days.
• Investor sentiment remains broadly positive amid Meta’s new AI model launches, with analysts assigning a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $791.47 price target. However, the company faces execution and spending risks as it expands its AI and data-center infrastructure.

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC raised its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 24.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 63,764 shares of the social networking company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,730 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for 1.1% of NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $45,967,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. DWR Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Meta Platforms by 13.1% during the third quarter. DWR Wealth Management LLC now owns 597 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $441,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Haven Capital Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Haven Capital Group Inc. now owns 3,523 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $2,555,000 after buying an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Financial Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Integrated Financial Solutions Inc. now owns 4,732 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $3,432,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 9.5% in the 3rd quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC now owns 7,754 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $5,624,000 after buying an additional 674 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gilpin Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Meta Platforms by 42.3% during the third quarter. Gilpin Wealth Management LLC now owns 138 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $100,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Meta Platforms news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the company's 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. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total value of $28,510,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 184,516 shares of the company's stock, valued at $131,515,624.16. This represents a 17.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 148,222 shares of company stock valued at $101,033,627. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta unveiled Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, its first frontier AI models, which the company says are competitive with leading offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic. The models are designed to improve Muse’s ability to handle workplace and multi-step tasks. Meta releases Muse Wonder AI models to challenge Anthropic and OpenAI
• Positive Sentiment: Independent app-intelligence data showed early Muse user-retention rates rivaling ChatGPT, strengthening the case that Meta’s AI investments could create a significant new consumer and subscription business. Meta is charging $20 or $100 per month for access to premium models. Why Meta Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts broadly raised or reaffirmed bullish views following the AI launch, adding investor confidence in Meta’s long-term growth potential. Analysts update Meta stock price for the next 12 months
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta will release third-quarter 2026 results after the market closes on October 21. Investors will look for advertising growth, AI-related spending and management’s outlook. Meta to Announce Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: The AI push carries significant execution and financial risk. Zuckerberg said Meta considered spending as much as $200 billion before knowing whether its models would succeed, while the company is also building a massive data-center footprint. Meta was prepared to write an up to $200 billion AI check
• Negative Sentiment: Muse’s global download growth has slowed, making retention and willingness to pay important tests for monetization. Cantor Fitzgerald also reduced its price target from $860 to $840, despite maintaining an overweight rating. Meta Says New AI Model Is State-of-the-Art

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on META shares. President Capital raised shares of Meta Platforms from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $660.00 to $897.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $770.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $800.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $791.47.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 3.4%

NASDAQ META opened at $742.96 on Tuesday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.89 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.98, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23. The business's 50-day moving average is $644.04 and its 200 day moving average is $621.26.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). The business had revenue of $60.80 billion during 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%. Meta Platforms's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $7.14 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current 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 paid a dividend of $0.5250 per share. 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 payout ratio is presently 7.91%.

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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