Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Position Trimmed by Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Lineweaver Wealth Advisors cut its Meta position by 67.6% in the third quarter, selling 9,725 shares and retaining 4,657 shares valued at approximately $3.38 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with three Strong Buy ratings, 45 Buy ratings and nine Holds; Meta has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $796.51.
• Meta’s shares opened at $762.50, near their 12-month high, while recent results showed 28% year-over-year revenue growth but earnings below expectations. Insiders have sold roughly $101 million of stock over the past three months, and investors remain focused on whether heavy AI spending will translate into stronger monetization.

Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 67.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,657 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 9,725 shares during the period. Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $3,377,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Advantage Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on META. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price target on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $900.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $796.51.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In related news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 approximately $3,875,854.26. This represents a 34.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 40,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total transaction of $28,510,400.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at $131,515,624.16. This trade represents a 17.82% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 148,222 shares of company stock worth $101,033,627 over the last three months. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $762.50 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.94 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.72, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $779.82. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $647.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $622.44.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last posted 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). Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%. The business had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta introduced Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, frontier AI models designed for complex, multi-step personal and professional tasks. The launch supports the view that Meta is catching up with OpenAI and Anthropic while creating potential subscription and advertising opportunities. Meta Platforms Introduces AI Tools to Fine-Tune Facebook Algorithms
• Positive Sentiment: Third-party app data reportedly showed strong early retention for Meta’s standalone Muse assistant, helping ease concerns about slowing downloads and reinforcing expectations that the company’s AI investments can improve engagement and monetization. Why Meta Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street support strengthened, with Truist assigning a $1,000 price target and KeyCorp and Rosenblatt reaffirming bullish ratings with targets of $900 and $886, respectively. Analysts cited Muse adoption and AI-driven advertising improvements as catalysts. Social Media Stocks Rally as Truist Sets $1,000 Meta Target
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s partnership with Virtuix expanded, with Omni One orders reportedly tripling year over year after becoming available for Meta Quest. The development provides modest support for demand across Meta’s virtual-reality ecosystem. Virtuix Deepens Meta Partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Facebook is giving users more control over feed-ranking algorithms. The move may improve user trust and engagement, although greater personalization controls could affect content distribution and ad performance. Facebook Gives Users More Algorithm Control
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain cautious about Meta’s premium valuation and substantial AI spending, with planned capital expenditures reportedly reaching $130 billion to $145 billion. Third-quarter results, scheduled for October 21, will be important for validating AI monetization and revenue guidance. Meta Q3 Preview

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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