Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Bought by TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.

Key Points

• TD Waterhouse Canada increased its Meta Platforms stake by 2.9% in the second quarter, purchasing 13,175 additional shares for a total of 466,932 shares valued at approximately $286.4 million.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 79.91% of Meta’s outstanding shares, while several smaller investment firms also established or increased positions during recent quarters.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with Meta carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $785.90, although recent target reductions and substantial insider selling signal some caution.

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 2.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 466,932 shares of the social networking company's stock after purchasing an additional 13,175 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up about 0.8% of TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.'s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $286,398,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RHL Group LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Advantage Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Bayban increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

META has been the topic of a number of research reports. Tigress Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating and issued a $945.00 price objective (down from $995.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $763.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Daiwa Securities Group lowered their price target on Meta Platforms from $790.00 to $687.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Phillip Securities upgraded Meta Platforms from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $795.00 to $750.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Three equities 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $785.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total value of $2,002,514.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,875,854.26. This represents a 34.07% decrease in their position. The transaction 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, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $680.27, for a total transaction of $643,535.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 9,770 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,646,237.90. This represents a 8.83% 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 90 days, insiders have sold 123,333 shares of company stock worth $80,795,845. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Muse momentum remains the main bullish catalyst. Early reviews, rising user traction and Meta’s new early-access program for upcoming Muse features are reinforcing expectations that the AI assistant could become a major consumer product and future revenue stream. Meta opens early access program for new Muse features
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising price targets. Deutsche Bank, TD Cowen, Canaccord Genuity and other firms lifted targets and maintained bullish ratings, citing Muse’s potential to expand Meta beyond advertising through subscriptions, commerce and AI services. Meta price targets raised as Muse gains momentum
• Positive Sentiment: AI hardware could broaden Muse’s distribution. Meta is integrating Muse into Ray-Ban AI glasses and introducing additional wearable and VR products, creating potential new hardware, services and commerce opportunities.
• Neutral Sentiment: Friday’s decline appears largely technical. After rising roughly 36% during September and approaching a $2 trillion market value, Meta faced profit-taking and a pullback from recent highs. Bullish options activity suggests some traders continue to view the weakness as a buying opportunity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Large capital spending remains a key debate. Investors are encouraged by Meta’s AI strategy but remain uncertain whether heavy spending on infrastructure and Reality Labs will generate sufficient returns.
• Negative Sentiment: New Mexico litigation adds regulatory risk. A jury found that Meta misled state residents in a case related to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, potentially increasing legal costs and scrutiny. Meta misled consumers in New Mexico jury case
• Negative Sentiment: A Muse security vulnerability was identified. Meta is adding clearer safety warnings after a vulnerability reportedly could expose sensitive user information, raising concerns about trust and adoption of its AI agent. Meta bolsters Muse safety warning after vulnerability
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and monetization obstacles remain. Amazon blocked Muse from accessing its platform, while privacy concerns around camera-equipped glasses and skepticism toward new AI hardware could limit Meta’s growth plans.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a cautionary signal. Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares and COO Javier Olivan sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. The transactions do not necessarily indicate reduced confidence, but they add to concerns after the stock’s rapid advance.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 3.3%

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $751.66 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $615.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $613.07. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82. The stock has a market cap of $1.91 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.31, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $7.14 EPS. Meta Platforms's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms's payout ratio is currently 7.91%.

About Meta Platforms

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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