Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Purchased by Ashton Thomas Securities LLC

Key Points

• Ashton Thomas Securities increased its Meta position by 6.6% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 19,825 shares valued at approximately $14.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Meta reported quarterly revenue of $64.6 billion and EPS of $7.40, exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue grew 26.1% year over year. Advertising momentum remains strong, supported by higher ad pricing, increased impressions and AI-driven conversion improvements.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $833.12 versus the reported share price of $614.99. Meta also expanded its AI infrastructure partnership with AMD, including a planned $1 billion equity investment.

Ashton Thomas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 6.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 19,825 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,231 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms makes up about 1.5% of Ashton Thomas Securities LLC's holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $14,377,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Advantage Trust Co bought a new stake in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta settled a teen lawsuit alleging that Instagram and Facebook contributed to addiction, depression and eating disorders. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the agreement removes Meta from an upcoming Los Angeles trial and reduces near-term litigation uncertainty. Reuters settlement report
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s advertising fundamentals remain strong: recent coverage cited higher ad pricing, rising impressions, improved AI-driven ad conversions and strong engagement. Analysts also see meaningful upside, with one fair-value estimate raised from $813.65 to $848.38 per share. Meta fair value report
• Positive Sentiment: Meta expanded its relationship with Advanced Micro Devices, including a $1 billion equity investment and multi-generation chip co-design for Meta’s AI data centers. The deal may improve access to computing capacity and supplier diversification. AMD and Meta partnership report

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $640.00, for a total value of $605,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 5,040 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,225,600. The trade was a 15.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 149,515 shares of company stock worth $102,183,520 over the last quarter. Insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Meta Platforms stock opened at $614.99 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $779.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.57 trillion, a P/E ratio of 20.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.28. The firm's 50-day moving average is $670.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $632.26.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $63.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.25 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 earnings per share for the current 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 issued a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's payout ratio is currently 7.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $920.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $850.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $860.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $833.12.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company's principal platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads, which enable users to connect, communicate, share content, and discover products and services.

Meta also operates Reality Labs, its division focused on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies. Reality Labs develops products such as Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and related software and experiences, along with research and hardware intended to support immersive computing.

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