Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Bought by ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC

Key Points

• ARS Wealth Advisors Group increased its Meta stake by 7.8% in the second quarter, owning 15,253 shares valued at $8.6 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively hold 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with four Strong Buy and 35 Buy ratings; Meta has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $785.32, despite several recent target-price cuts.
• Meta faces significant risks from its child-safety trial, heavy AI infrastructure spending and margin pressure. Shares opened at $543.82, near their 52-week low, after the company missed quarterly EPS estimates even as revenue rose 28% year over year.

ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC lifted its stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,253 shares of the social networking company's stock after buying an additional 1,099 shares during the period. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $8,592,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the first quarter worth $36,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Bayban boosted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% in the first quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

META has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Roth Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $815.00 to $725.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Monness Crespi & Hardt decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $890.00 to $730.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $750.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Mizuho set a $750.00 target price on Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $785.32.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 2,079 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $609.92, for a total transaction of $1,268,023.68. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,118 shares in the company, valued at $681,890.56. This trade represents a 65.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 3,348 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.97, for a total transaction of $2,012,047.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,498 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,708,013.06. This represents a 26.06% decrease in their position. 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 19,899 shares of company stock worth $12,290,969 over the last ninety days. 13.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts view META’s decline as excessive, arguing that one-time legal and severance costs have weighed on earnings and that future margin expansion, AI-powered advertising, and WhatsApp monetization could support substantial upside. Meta also remains among the major technology holdings disclosed by Appaloosa Management. Meta’s Dip Offers A 30% Upside Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: A federal child-safety trial has begun in California, with 29 states alleging that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage compulsive use among younger users, concealed health risks, and violated child-privacy and consumer-protection laws. The states are seeking potentially enormous damages—reported at roughly $200 billion in some filings and as much as $1.4 trillion in broader claims—as well as changes to the platforms. The outcome could establish a precedent for similar lawsuits and regulatory action across the industry. Meta faces 29-state trial that could reshape Instagram and Facebook
• Negative Sentiment: The trial is the immediate catalyst for investor selling because a loss could lead to major financial penalties, costly product changes, and restrictions on how Meta engages younger users—potentially affecting user engagement and advertising revenue. The risk is amplified by Meta’s recent loss of a nearly $1 billion New Mexico judgment and the prospect of additional lawsuits. Meta Stock Sinks as $200B Trial Threatens Facebook and Instagram Ad Revenue
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also scrutinizing Meta’s AI spending. Large data-center investments are consuming cash, while debt and off-balance-sheet financing arrangements could create future obligations if AI assets underperform. Meta’s recent quarterly EPS miss and margin pressure add to concerns that the AI buildout may take time to generate returns. What Could Meta’s Off-Balance-Sheet AI Financing Mean for Investors?
• Negative Sentiment: Privacy concerns are spreading beyond regulators: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has barred employees from wearing Meta’s smart glasses at work, adding to reputational and adoption risks for the device business. ICE Bars Its Workers From Wearing Meta’s Smart Glasses on the Job

Meta Platforms Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $543.82 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 firm has a market cap of $1.39 trillion, a P/E ratio of 20.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $790.80. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $594.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $618.43.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $7.14 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.91%.

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc NASDAQ: META, formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.

Meta's core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.

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