Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stake Lowered by Highland Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Highland Capital Management cut its Meta Platforms stake by 5.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 2,661 shares and leaving it with 45,121 shares valued at about $29.8 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted positions in Meta, and hedge funds and other institutions still own 79.91% of the stock. Company insiders hold 13.61%.
• Meta reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $10.44 beating estimates and revenue rising 33.1% year over year to $56.31 billion, while analysts remain generally positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Highland Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 5.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 45,121 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 2,661 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for 1.5% of Highland Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Highland Capital Management LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $29,784,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 495 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $327,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,808,675 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $2,514,080,000 after acquiring an additional 115,471 shares in the last quarter. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD increased its position in Meta Platforms by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD now owns 3,275 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $2,162,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. WT Wealth Management increased its position in Meta Platforms by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. WT Wealth Management now owns 7,856 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $5,186,000 after purchasing an additional 593 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fulcrum Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter worth about $467,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 56,571 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $644.70, for a total value of $36,471,323.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 8,089 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $631.24, for a total transaction of $5,106,100.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 2,841 shares in the company, valued at $1,793,352.84. This trade represents a 74.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 169,231 shares of company stock worth $108,239,954 in the last quarter. 13.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

META opened at $618.43 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52-week low of $520.26 and a 52-week high of $796.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.35. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $623.25 and a 200-day moving average of $640.90. The company has a market cap of $1.56 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The company had revenue of $56.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $6.43 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

META has been the topic of several research reports. DA Davidson upped their target price on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $765.00 to $770.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $850.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $920.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $840.31.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s recent earnings beat and revenue growth remain a key bullish driver, reinforcing the view that ad demand and AI-driven monetization are still accelerating. Analysts highlighted stronger advertiser tools and engagement as signs the business can keep compounding. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Meta is rolling out new privacy features for WhatsApp and AI chats, including an “incognito” mode, which could help address user trust concerns while supporting adoption of its AI products. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that WhatsApp monetization could expand through a premium subscription add another potential high-margin revenue stream, giving investors more confidence in Meta’s long-term earnings power. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary around Meta’s AI infrastructure spending and talent push suggests management is still investing aggressively in future growth, which some investors view as necessary to defend its competitive position. Article Title

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc NASDAQ: META, formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.

Meta's core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.

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