Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Bought by Central Pacific Bank Trust Division

Key Points

• Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its Meta Platforms stake by 64.7% in the third quarter, purchasing 2,817 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 7,169 shares valued at approximately $5.2 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with Meta carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $787.86. Recent targets range as high as $900, though one analyst lowered its target to $700.
• Meta shares opened at $741.90, near their 12-month high of $779.82, while the company’s latest results showed 28% year-over-year revenue growth but earnings below analyst expectations. Insiders have also sold nearly $99.9 million of stock over the past three months.

Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 64.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,169 shares of the social networking company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,817 shares during the quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $5,199,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Watchman Group Inc. raised its stake in Meta Platforms by 0.3% during the first quarter. Watchman Group Inc. now owns 5,091 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $2,913,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Penney Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Penney Financial LLC now owns 399 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $228,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,519 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $869,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC now owns 985 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $564,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the period. Finally, Tenzing Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Tenzing Financial LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $726,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on META shares. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and set a $800.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. New Street Research reduced their price objective on Meta Platforms from $730.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wedbush increased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $595.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $865.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $780.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $787.86.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

Shares of META stock opened at $741.90 on Tuesday. 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 company's fifty day moving average price is $628.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $616.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.89 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $7.14 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.91%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $750.42, for a total transaction of $709,897.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 8,824 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,621,706.08. This trade represents a 9.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of Meta Platforms 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 146,647 shares of company stock worth $99,886,901 in the last three months. 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 Muse is emerging as the primary bullish catalyst. Analysts and commentators believe the AI shopping agent could capture meaningful commerce market share, redirect purchases from Amazon, and create a new monetization channel for Meta. Jim Cramer said Muse could ultimately have more market share than OpenAI, while a separate analysis suggested the product could support a move toward $1,000. Jim Cramer Believes META Muse Will Have Much More Market Share Than OpenAI
• Positive Sentiment: AI investments are increasingly being framed as economically productive rather than purely speculative. Meta’s advertising revenue is growing faster than its user base, suggesting improved ad pricing, engagement, and AI-driven targeting. Supporters argue that Meta’s large user and advertising ecosystem can fund substantial capital expenditures, despite projected infrastructure spending of up to $145 billion in 2026. Meta Platforms: The AI Spending Looks Crazy; The Economics Don't
• Positive Sentiment: Meta has secured long-term nuclear power through its agreement with Vistra. Vistra’s anticipated $4.2 billion federal loan will help expand nuclear capacity that is already supported by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Meta, improving the company’s ability to power AI data centers. Vistra Gets $4.2B Federal Loan to Add Nuclear Power Meta Already Bought
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s Reality Labs strategy appears to be shifting away from the metaverse’s prior spending-heavy approach, but the financial benefits and timing remain uncertain. A comparison of Meta and CyberAgent offers limited direct implications for META’s valuation. Pay Attention to Meta's Quiet Dismantling of Its Biggest Mistake
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and regulatory risks are weighing on the investment case. New Mexico reportedly seeks $40 billion from Meta, while Meta and other platforms are challenging Ofcom’s data demands under the U.K. Online Safety regime. Separate lawsuits could increase costs and limit Meta’s ability to invest in AI. Why New Mexico Wants $40 Billion from Meta Platforms and What It Means for META Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Higher Treasury yields are prompting some investors to reduce exposure to expensive growth stocks. Investor Steve Weiss said he trimmed META as the 10-year Treasury yield approached 5.26%, a headwind for valuation multiples. Meta’s substantial AI spending also raises execution and free-cash-flow concerns. Analyst Sells Cisco and Trims Meta Amid Rising Yields

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 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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