Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Bought by RDST Capital LLC

Key Points

• RDST Capital increased its Meta position by 41.2% in the second quarter, acquiring 41,037 additional shares for a total holding of 140,667 shares valued at approximately $79.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Meta receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $788.88, despite some firms lowering their targets.
• Meta’s AI expansion presents both opportunities and risks: its Muse agent is gaining early traction and custom AI chips could reduce costs, but heavy infrastructure spending is pressuring cash flow while legal, privacy and valuation concerns weigh on sentiment.

RDST Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 41.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 140,667 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 41,037 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for 6.6% of RDST Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. RDST Capital LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $79,236,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. White Knight Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 13.3% during the 2nd quarter. White Knight Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,890 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,065,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the period. Lakewood Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 63.7% in the second quarter. Lakewood Capital Management LP now owns 115,985 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $65,333,000 after purchasing an additional 45,130 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 8.9% in the second quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,518,377 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $836,209,000 after purchasing an additional 123,604 shares during the period. Sone Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 38.2% during the second quarter. Sone Capital Management LLC now owns 16,059 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $9,046,000 after buying an additional 4,440 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trajan Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.1% during the second quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 133,908 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $75,429,000 after buying an additional 1,447 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $650.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $700.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $835.00 to $810.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Mizuho set a $750.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $788.88.

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In other news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $657.73, for a total value of $622,212.58. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 10,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,048,234.68. The trade was a 8.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Curtis J. Mahoney sold 1,559 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total transaction of $869,922.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 1,957 shares in the company, valued at $1,092,006. The trade was a 44.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 sold 81,758 shares of company stock valued at $51,214,020 in the last quarter. 13.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse personal AI agent reached No. 1 on Apple’s U.S. free-app chart, surpassing ChatGPT roughly one week after launch. Its ability to handle shopping, bookings, email and phone calls could give Meta a significant consumer-AI growth platform and strengthen the case for future subscriptions or commerce revenue. Meta's Muse tops Apple's US free app chart
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Meta’s internally developed MTIA AI chips could save approximately $8.5 billion in 2027 by reducing reliance on third-party processors. Custom silicon could improve the economics of Meta’s expanding AI infrastructure over time. Meta Can Save $8.5 Billion in 2027 by Using Its Own MTIA Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and upcoming product announcements remain potential catalysts. Rosenblatt reiterated a Buy rating, while investors are looking ahead to Meta Connect on September 23 for additional AI, glasses and subscription details. Meta Earns Buy Rating from Rosenblatt Securities
• Neutral Sentiment: Muse’s early popularity is encouraging, but analysts disagree on its financial impact. The generous free tier may accelerate adoption while delaying revenue and increasing computing costs; consumer distrust of Meta and the need to provide sensitive account data could also limit paid conversion. Meta’s Muse Agent Has Wall Street Divided on Its AI Potential
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are taking profits after META rose roughly 23%–24% over the past month. Valuation and expectations have risen quickly, increasing sensitivity to any evidence that AI spending will not generate near-term earnings growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Meta’s AI investment program is placing significant pressure on cash flow. Articles highlighted a more than 90% decline in free cash flow as capital expenditures rise, raising concerns about the payback period for data centers, chips and other infrastructure. Meta Versus Oracle: AI Capex Payback Velocity
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and reputational pressure is increasing. A German court held Meta liable for fraudulent third-party ads, while regulators and its Oversight Board criticized safeguards against deepfakes and nonconsensual filming involving its smart glasses. These issues could increase compliance costs and threaten user trust. German Court Rules Meta Liable for Fake Ads
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 20,000 shares worth approximately $13.5 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The planned nature reduces the signal, but the sale may still weigh modestly on sentiment. SEC Insider Trading Filing

Meta Platforms Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of META stock opened at $665.75 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $790.80. The stock has a market cap of $1.70 trillion, a PE ratio of 25.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.25. The business's fifty day moving average is $606.33 and its 200-day moving average is $609.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23.

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 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion during 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 quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $7.14 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

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

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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