Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Sold by Angeles Wealth Management LLC

Key Points

• Angeles Wealth Management reduced its Meta position by 8.8% in the second quarter, selling 1,278 shares and retaining 13,190 shares valued at approximately $7.43 million. Institutional investors collectively own about 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains bullish: Meta has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with 44 Buy, three Strong Buy and 10 Hold ratings, and an average price target of $785.90.
• Insider selling and elevated valuation are notable risks. Insiders sold roughly $80.8 million of stock over the past 90 days, while Meta trades near its 52-week high despite missing quarterly EPS estimates, although revenue rose 28% year over year.

Angeles Wealth Management LLC reduced its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 8.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,190 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 1,278 shares during the quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $7,430,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of META. RHL Group LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Advantage Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $770.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday. Loop Capital upped their price target on Meta Platforms from $740.00 to $955.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. China Renaissance cut their price target on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 31st. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on Meta Platforms from $955.00 to $855.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and set a $800.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $785.90.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total transaction of $4,379,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $462,024. This represents a 90.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total value of $28,510,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 184,516 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $131,515,624.16. This represents a 17.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 123,333 shares of company stock worth $80,795,845. 13.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Muse momentum remains the main bullish catalyst. Early reviews, rising user traction and Meta’s new early-access program for upcoming Muse features are reinforcing expectations that the AI assistant could become a major consumer product and future revenue stream. Meta opens early access program for new Muse features
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising price targets. Deutsche Bank, TD Cowen, Canaccord Genuity and other firms lifted targets and maintained bullish ratings, citing Muse’s potential to expand Meta beyond advertising through subscriptions, commerce and AI services. Meta price targets raised as Muse gains momentum
• Positive Sentiment: AI hardware could broaden Muse’s distribution. Meta is integrating Muse into Ray-Ban AI glasses and introducing additional wearable and VR products, creating potential new hardware, services and commerce opportunities.
• Neutral Sentiment: Friday’s decline appears largely technical. After rising roughly 36% during September and approaching a $2 trillion market value, Meta faced profit-taking and a pullback from recent highs. Bullish options activity suggests some traders continue to view the weakness as a buying opportunity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Large capital spending remains a key debate. Investors are encouraged by Meta’s AI strategy but remain uncertain whether heavy spending on infrastructure and Reality Labs will generate sufficient returns.
• Negative Sentiment: New Mexico litigation adds regulatory risk. A jury found that Meta misled state residents in a case related to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, potentially increasing legal costs and scrutiny. Meta misled consumers in New Mexico jury case
• Negative Sentiment: A Muse security vulnerability was identified. Meta is adding clearer safety warnings after a vulnerability reportedly could expose sensitive user information, raising concerns about trust and adoption of its AI agent. Meta bolsters Muse safety warning after vulnerability
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and monetization obstacles remain. Amazon blocked Muse from accessing its platform, while privacy concerns around camera-equipped glasses and skepticism toward new AI hardware could limit Meta’s growth plans.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a cautionary signal. Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares and COO Javier Olivan sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. The transactions do not necessarily indicate reduced confidence, but they add to concerns after the stock’s rapid advance.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

NASDAQ META opened at $751.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1-year low of $520.26 and a 1-year high of $779.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.91 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.25. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $615.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $613.07.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $7.14 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is presently 7.91%.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company's principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.

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.