Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Sold by EFG International AG

Key Points

• EFG International AG cut its Meta Platforms stake by 10.3% in the second quarter, selling 15,977 shares and retaining 139,143 shares valued at approximately $78.4 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 79.91% of Meta.
• Meta is seeing strong AI momentum, with its Muse agent reaching No. 1 on Apple’s U.S. free-app chart and custom MTIA chips potentially saving about $8.5 billion in 2027. However, analysts remain divided over monetization, rising AI infrastructure costs and pressure on free cash flow.
• Meta shares opened at $665.75, down 2.4%, while analysts maintained an overall “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $788.88. Insiders sold roughly $51.2 million of stock during the quarter, largely through pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans.

EFG International AG decreased its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 10.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 139,143 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 15,977 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for approximately 1.4% of EFG International AG's holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. EFG International AG's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $78,407,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of META. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its position in Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $69,502,379,000 after buying an additional 105,154,977 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Meta Platforms by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 52,806,712 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $34,734,628,000 after buying an additional 878,396 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth about $22,152,075,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 14.6% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,038,035 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $12,036,491,000 after buying an additional 2,673,494 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 18,200,469 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $12,013,948,000 after acquiring an additional 1,046,715 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. This represents a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 10,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,048,234.68. This trade represents a 8.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 81,758 shares of company stock worth $51,214,020. 13.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on META shares. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $750.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $810.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Monday, June 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $800.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $600.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Meta Platforms from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $640.00 to $820.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $788.88.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 2.4%

NASDAQ META opened at $665.75 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $790.80. The company has a market capitalization of $1.70 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.08, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.25. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $606.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $609.79. 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 issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). The business had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $7.14 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is 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 currently 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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