Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Holdings Boosted by Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co.

Key Points

• Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. boosted its Meta Platforms stake by 147.1% in the fourth quarter, adding 59,770 shares to reach 100,400 shares worth about $66.3 million.
• Meta’s latest earnings were strongly above expectations, with Q1 EPS of $10.44 versus $6.67 expected and revenue of $56.31 billion, up 33.1% year over year.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on Meta, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target price of $840.19, even as some insiders have recently sold shares.

Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 147.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 100,400 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 59,770 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for 2.2% of Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co.'s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co.'s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $66,273,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of META. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 34.2% during the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 52,252 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $38,373,000 after acquiring an additional 13,311 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 15.7% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 133,798 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $88,319,000 after acquiring an additional 18,169 shares during the period. Becker Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 5.0% during the third quarter. Becker Capital Management Inc. now owns 35,052 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $25,741,000 after acquiring an additional 1,657 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 84,059 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $55,487,000 after acquiring an additional 3,336 shares during the period. Finally, Cramer Rosenthal Mcglynn LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 16.2% during the third quarter. Cramer Rosenthal Mcglynn LLC now owns 6,933 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $5,091,000 after acquiring an additional 968 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In related news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,847 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $607.83, for a total value of $4,769,642.01. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 414 shares in the company, valued at $251,641.62. This trade represents a 94.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 56,571 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $644.70, for a total value of $36,471,323.70. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 95,471 shares of company stock worth $60,616,955 in the last quarter. 13.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Erste Group Bank lowered Meta Platforms from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Citigroup reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, January 29th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $760.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $800.00 and set a "strong-buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Meta Platforms from $815.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $840.19.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

NASDAQ:META opened at $610.26 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1-year low of $520.26 and a 1-year high of $796.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.54 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.25. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $617.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $636.87.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.67 by $3.77. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The business had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $55.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $6.43 EPS. Meta Platforms's revenue for the quarter was up 33.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta is being viewed as an early leader in the AI trade, with recent commentary arguing the market may be underestimating how much AI could boost the company’s long-term earnings and valuation. The AI Trade Might Be Grossly Underestimated — and It Could Be Time To Rethink How We View the Mag 7
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s AI strategy is getting more attention, including reporting on CTO Andrew Bosworth’s push to use AI to reshape the workforce and improve efficiency, which could support margins over time. Meet Mark Zuckerberg's Right-Hand Man Who's Unleashing AI at Meta
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish on Meta Platforms despite recent volatility, reinforcing confidence that the company’s ad business and AI investments can continue driving upside. Wall Street analysts predict Meta stock price for the next 12 months
• Positive Sentiment: Meta is expanding its AI ecosystem through a $125 million UCLA semiconductor hub with partners including Broadcom and Synopsys, which could help strengthen long-term AI infrastructure and talent development. Meta, Broadcom And Others Launch $125 Million UCLA AI Chip Hub
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage about a potential AI “sidekick” or digital twin for Mark Zuckerberg adds to the company’s AI narrative, but it is more of a concept story than a confirmed business catalyst. Mark Zuckerberg May Already Have an AI Agent Sidekick — Could This Be the Future for CEOs?
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s expanding use of WhatsApp in government services in Gujarat is a positive adoption signal, but the direct financial impact is still unclear. Gujarat moves to WhatsApp governance, signs MoU with Meta Platforms
• Negative Sentiment: Meta is also dealing with scrutiny over the environmental impact of its data centers, after lawmakers raised concerns about water usage and called for an EPA probe, which could create regulatory and reputational pressure. AOC Raises Concerns Over Meta Data Center Water Impact

Meta Platforms Company 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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