Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Bought by Jericho Financial LLP

Key Points

• Jericho Financial increased its Meta position by 8% in the second quarter to 12,536 shares valued at approximately $7.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with Meta receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $788.88, compared with its reported opening price of $682.31.
• Meta’s AI-chip strategy, Muse AI agent and potential subscription revenue are positive catalysts, while legal exposure related to fraudulent advertisements and recent insider selling remain risks.

Jericho Financial LLP raised its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 8.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,536 shares of the social networking company's stock after purchasing an additional 932 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises approximately 3.7% of Jericho Financial LLP's holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Jericho Financial LLP's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $7,061,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its stake in Meta Platforms by 5.8% during the second quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 431,735 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $243,192,000 after buying an additional 23,780 shares in the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 10.0% during the 2nd quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,687 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $9,963,000 after buying an additional 1,610 shares during the last quarter. Mission Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $637,000. Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,110 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $5,132,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LM Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 67.1% in the 2nd quarter. LM Advisors LLC now owns 15,715 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $8,851,000 after acquiring an additional 6,312 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America maintained a Buy view, estimating Meta could save approximately $8.5 billion in 2027 by shifting AI workloads to its in-house MTIA chips. Meta reportedly plans to deploy newer chips in 2027, potentially reducing dependence on Nvidia and improving AI margins. Meta Can Save $8.5 Billion in 2027 by Using Its Own MTIA Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse AI agent and the new Meta One subscription are strengthening the investment case that the company can diversify beyond advertising. Meta One combines higher AI usage limits and features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, creating a potential recurring-revenue stream. Meta Platforms: Get In Before September 23
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism remains a near-term catalyst. Citi identified Meta Connect on September 23 as a possible trigger for additional product announcements and investor enthusiasm, while Rosenblatt reiterated a Buy rating with an $886 price target. Meta Event Next Week Could Spark Stock Gains, Says Citi
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is expanding Muse’s capabilities, including phone calls, as it competes with emerging AI-agent providers. The move could improve user engagement and monetization, but competition and the execution required to turn usage into paid revenue remain significant. Rival AI Agents and Meta’s Muse Add Calling
• Negative Sentiment: A German court ruled Meta liable for fraudulent third-party advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, ordering the company to remove such content and pay damages. The decision could increase legal costs and raise concerns about platform-monitoring obligations. German Court Rules Meta Liable for Fake Ads
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer advocate Clark Howard said Meta declined to remove a deepfake advertisement using his likeness. The episode adds reputational and regulatory risk as Meta attempts to control AI-generated scams and fraudulent advertising. Facebook Told Clark Howard a Deepfake Ad Meets Its Standards
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 20,000 Meta shares worth about $13.5 million. The transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, which reduces its signaling value, but insider selling can still weigh modestly on sentiment. SEC Insider Trading Filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on META. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating and set a $800.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $810.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Monday, June 1st. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $750.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $788.88.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $682.31 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.74 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $790.80. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $606.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $609.40.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). The company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $7.14 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's payout ratio is 7.91%.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In related news, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 20,000 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $650.28, for a total value of $13,005,600.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 244,516 shares in the company, valued at $159,003,864.48. This trade represents a 7.56% decrease in their position. 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 the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $600.97, for a total transaction of $2,012,047.56. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,498 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,708,013.06. The trade was a 26.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 quarter, insiders have sold 81,758 shares of company stock valued at $51,214,020. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company's principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.

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