Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Position Increased by Alta Advisers Ltd

Key Points

• Alta Advisers increased its Meta stake by 84.5% in the third quarter, adding 7,229 shares to hold 15,789 shares valued at $11.45 million. Other institutional investors also raised positions, and institutions collectively own 79.91% of Meta stock.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: Meta has a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $833.12, based on three Strong Buy, 47 Buy, and seven Hold ratings.
• Meta reported quarterly EPS of $7.40, beating the $6.54 consensus, while revenue of $64.60 billion exceeded estimates and rose 26.1% year over year.

Alta Advisers Ltd grew its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 84.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 15,789 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,229 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises 1.6% of Alta Advisers Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Alta Advisers Ltd's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $11,450,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in META. Ullmann Wealth Partners Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 12.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ullmann Wealth Partners Group LLC now owns 3,035 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $2,201,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares in the last quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 2.1% during the third quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC now owns 23,999 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $17,404,000 after purchasing an additional 503 shares in the last quarter. Kraematon Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the third quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 11.5% in the third quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 272,204 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $197,397,000 after purchasing an additional 28,120 shares during the period. Finally, Claro Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 4.7% in the third quarter. Claro Advisors Inc. now owns 18,293 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $13,266,000 after purchasing an additional 824 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $905.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Phillip Securities upgraded Meta Platforms from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $795.00 to $750.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $850.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $710.00 to $875.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $833.12.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

NASDAQ:META opened at $641.39 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $677.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $632.27. 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 $1.64 trillion, a P/E ratio of 21.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $63.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.25 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a $0.5250 dividend. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Meta Platforms news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total value of $2,002,514.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,875,854.26. This trade represents a 34.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $462,024. This trade represents a 90.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 149,398 shares of company stock worth $102,134,435 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 13.42% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse AI assistant is expanding to Apple Watch and Android Wear OS, giving users another way to access its AI services and potentially broadening adoption. Article: Meta's AI agent Muse lands on Apple Watch and Android Wear OS
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan named Meta one of its preferred internet stocks, citing AI-driven advertising and future monetization opportunities. The endorsement may help investor confidence after recent pressure on the shares. Article: JPMorgan Just Added Meta Platforms to Its Analyst Focus List
• Positive Sentiment: ETF purchases exceeded sales on Friday, with 63 funds buying Meta shares and a reported net inflow of $211.9 million—an indication of institutional demand. Article: ETFs Bought $211.9 Million of Meta Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest figures conflict: one report says short positions rose 165.6% to 75.5 million shares as of October 30, while a later entry reports zero shares as of November 10. The inconsistency makes the latest data unreliable as a directional signal.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to weigh the cost and payoff of Meta’s AI investment. Recent coverage cites negative free cash flow and a large legal charge that weighed on reported earnings, despite strong advertising growth. Article: Meta Platforms Stock: Is it a Steal of a Deal at $650?
• Negative Sentiment: Meta is expanding AI-based age checks for Instagram teens as lawsuits over harm to young users continue. The move may address safety concerns, but the litigation and regulatory exposure remain risks. Article: Meta expands Instagram's AI age-guessing tech globally

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc. is a global technology company that develops social networking, messaging, and digital communication products. Its services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, which connect people and help businesses reach audiences around the world. The company also develops virtual and augmented reality products and technologies through its Reality Labs division, including Quest headsets and related software and services. Advertising is a central part of Meta's business, with its platforms providing tools for businesses to promote products and services.

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