Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Sold by Cim Investment Management Inc.

Key Points

• Cim Investment Management reduced its Meta Platforms position by 8.2% in the second quarter, selling 756 shares and retaining 8,513 shares worth approximately $4.8 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Meta insiders have reported substantial selling, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s sale of 27,474 shares for approximately $21.4 million. Insiders sold 151,882 shares worth about $103 million over the past 90 days, primarily through pre-arranged trading plans.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Meta holding a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $787.86. The company reported 28% year-over-year revenue growth, though quarterly earnings per share of $6.18 missed the $7.19 consensus estimate.

Cim Investment Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,513 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 756 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for approximately 1.1% of Cim Investment Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Cim Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $4,795,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd increased its position in Meta Platforms by 18.6% during the second quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 18,777 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $10,577,000 after purchasing an additional 2,939 shares during the last quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 33.6% in the 2nd quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 3,031 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,707,000 after purchasing an additional 763 shares during the last quarter. William John Sempolinski purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,107,000. Sone Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 38.2% in the 2nd 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 period. Finally, Lakewood Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 63.7% during the 2nd quarter. Lakewood Capital Management LP now owns 115,985 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $65,333,000 after buying an additional 45,130 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In related news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the 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 $4,379,184.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $462,024. This trade represents a 90.46% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 151,882 shares of company stock valued at $103,032,319. 13.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on META shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $750.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Citigroup restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Arete Research upped their price target on Meta Platforms from $735.00 to $806.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $787.86.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

META opened at $725.93 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $622.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $615.28. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $779.82. The firm has a market cap of $1.85 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.34, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 business's revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $7.14 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.91%.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s free Muse personal AI agent has reportedly surpassed 5 million downloads, reinforcing the company’s lead in consumer AI. JPMorgan says Meta’s free-access strategy could pressure subscription-based rivals and potentially create a valuable new advertising and commerce channel. Zuckerberg's Free AI Agent Hit 5 Million Downloads
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators remain optimistic that Meta can convert AI adoption into revenue. The company is expanding its Muse platform for small businesses, linking AI tools with advertising, sales and operations, which could improve ad targeting and accelerate advertiser spending. META Expands Muse for Small Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: A recent analyst upgrade helped support the stock, while strategists describe Meta as a potential beneficiary of the next phase of the AI trade because it is using AI to strengthen an existing advertising business rather than relying solely on infrastructure spending. Meta Stock Jumps Following Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Meta reportedly signed a $27 billion AI-capacity agreement with Nebius, highlighting continued demand for computing resources and the company’s commitment to scaling its AI capabilities. Nebius Group Signs AI Capacity Deal with Meta
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s strong September performance reflected enthusiasm over Muse, which reportedly outpaced ChatGPT in Apple’s App Store downloads. However, investors are now focused on how quickly the company can monetize the service and whether the recent rally has already priced in much of the good news. Meta Stock Enjoys Best Month on AI Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: OpenAI’s launch of Dots introduces a significant competitor in personal AI agents. Google, Apple and other startups are also entering the market, raising questions about customer retention, pricing and the cost of defending Muse’s early lead. OpenAI Follows Meta into Personal AI Agents
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about Meta’s more than $130 billion AI investment program, declining free cash flow and the possibility that data-center capacity will eventually exceed demand. A report also questioned the company’s use of tax credits for AI data-center costs, creating potential tax and reputational exposure. How Meta Uses AI Data Centers to Avoid Federal Taxes
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of insider selling, including transactions by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Javier Olivan under a pre-arranged trading plan, may weigh modestly on sentiment, although the sales do not necessarily indicate deteriorating fundamentals. Meta Platforms Insider Sold Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Meta has also disputed claims that Muse accessed private messages without permission. Even if the allegation is unfounded, renewed privacy concerns could increase regulatory scrutiny and slow adoption of the product. Meta Disputes Muse Privacy Claim

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 operates a global family of apps that includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, enabling users to connect, communicate, share content and discover communities.

Meta generates most of its business through digital advertising displayed across its platforms. Its products serve individuals, creators, businesses and organizations in markets around the world, while its advertising tools help businesses reach audiences based on factors such as interests, activity and demographics.

Through its Reality Labs division, Meta develops virtual and augmented reality hardware, software and services, including the Meta Quest line of headsets and related experiences.

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