Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Purchased by Kestra Advisory Services LLC

Key Points

• Kestra Advisory Services increased its Meta stake by 11.5% in the third quarter, adding 28,120 shares to reach 272,204 shares valued at about $197.4 million.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: Meta has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $833.12, with 57 analysts rating it Buy or Strong Buy.
• Meta’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with earnings per share of $7.40 versus $6.54 expected and revenue up 26.1% year over year to $64.6 billion.

Kestra Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 11.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 272,204 shares of the social networking company's stock after buying an additional 28,120 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up approximately 0.6% of Kestra Advisory Services LLC's holdings, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Kestra Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $197,397,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of META. Bill Few Associates Inc. grew its position in Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bill Few Associates Inc. now owns 1,206 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $874,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 1.8% in the third quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. now owns 866 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $630,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Tenzing Financial LLC lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the second quarter. Tenzing Financial LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Uptown Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the second quarter. Uptown Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,273 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $717,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sheets Smith Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.8% during the second quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 594 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. President Capital upgraded shares of Meta Platforms from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $660.00 to $897.00 in a report on Thursday, September 24th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $930.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $895.00 to $905.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $810.00 to $845.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $833.12.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $641.39 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.64 trillion, a P/E ratio of 21.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 1.90. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $677.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $632.27. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52-week low of $520.26 and a 52-week high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $63.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The firm's revenue was up 26.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total value of $21,359,386.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 149,398 shares of company stock valued at $102,134,435. Company insiders own 13.42% of the company's stock.

Key Meta Platforms News

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 Company 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding META? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.