Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Bought by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. increased its Meta Platforms stake by 15.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 1,000 additional shares and bringing its total to 7,400 shares worth about $4.89 million.
• Meta reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $10.44 beating estimates and revenue of $56.31 billion topping expectations, while revenue rose 33.1% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on META, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $840.19, even as some insiders recently sold shares and the stock drew mixed commentary on valuation and execution.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. raised its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 15.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,400 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for about 2.4% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.'s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $4,885,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Westchester Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Key Capital Management INC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth approximately $48,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 36.8% during the fourth quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 78 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

Shares of META opened at $632.51 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $617.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $636.88. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $796.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.60 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 2.35.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The firm had revenue of $56.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $55.56 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $6.43 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 33.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.35 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.525 dividend. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.63%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

META has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. KeyCorp reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $760.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $765.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Meta Platforms from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Argus reissued a "buy" rating and set a $800.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $800.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $840.19.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Meta Platforms 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 value of $1,268,023.68. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 1,118 shares in the company, valued at approximately $681,890.56. This trade represents a 65.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 837 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $608.98, for a total value of $509,716.26. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 13,823 shares in the company, valued at $8,417,930.54. The trade was a 5.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 42,445 shares of company stock valued at $26,306,420. 13.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta launched paid subscription plans across its flagship apps and Meta AI, opening a new monetization path that could reduce reliance on ad revenue. Mark Zuckerberg says a Meta cloud computing business 'definitely on the table'
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators are pointing to the subscription push as a meaningful upside driver, with some estimating it could add billions in annual revenue if adoption is strong. Meta's Subscription Push Could Add $13.5 Billion By 2028 Across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta also said it may eventually use excess AI/data-center capacity for a cloud business, which adds long-term optionality but is still early-stage. Mark Zuckerberg says a Meta cloud computing business 'definitely on the table'
• Neutral Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend, which is modest but reinforces capital-return strength. Meta Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported Meta’s employee mouse-click tracking tool for AI training may run into EU privacy concerns, creating regulatory risk around data collection and cross-border use. Exclusive: Meta tool to track employee mouse clicks on collision course with EU privacy rules
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary from Jim Cramer and disclosures of insider selling add some caution around execution and valuation. Jim Cramer Says Meta “Has Not Excelled in a Visible Way”

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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