Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock: WoodTrust Financial Corp Raises Holdings

Key Points

• WoodTrust Financial increased its Meta position by 378.2% in the third quarter, ending with 11,587 shares valued at approximately $8.4 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Meta reported 28% year-over-year revenue growth to $60.8 billion, although earnings per share of $6.18 missed the $7.19 consensus estimate. The company’s AI and advertising initiatives are driving optimism, but sharply higher infrastructure spending has pressured free cash flow.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with Meta rated “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $791.86. However, regulatory scrutiny, insider stock sales, and adoption and monetization challenges for Meta’s Muse AI agent remain key risks.

WoodTrust Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 378.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,587 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 9,164 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up approximately 1.0% of WoodTrust Financial Corp's investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. WoodTrust Financial Corp's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $8,403,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd increased its stake in Meta Platforms by 18.6% in the second quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 18,777 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $10,577,000 after acquiring an additional 2,939 shares during the last quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 33.6% in the 2nd quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 3,031 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,707,000 after purchasing an additional 763 shares in the last quarter. William John Sempolinski bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,107,000. Sone Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 38.2% during the 2nd quarter. Sone Capital Management LLC now owns 16,059 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $9,046,000 after buying an additional 4,440 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lakewood Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 63.7% during the 2nd quarter. Lakewood Capital Management LP now owns 115,985 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $65,333,000 after buying an additional 45,130 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Advertising remains the core bullish argument. Meta’s revenue increased 28% year over year to $60.8 billion in fiscal second-quarter 2026, and micro-drama content is emerging as a potential source of incremental advertising demand. Why Meta is winning the micro drama wars
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Meta’s AI-driven growth. TD Cowen reaffirmed a Buy rating with an $865 price target, while Wells Fargo sees a path toward a substantially higher valuation if AI improves ad performance and creates new revenue streams. Meta Could Hit $1,000, Says Wells Fargo
• Positive Sentiment: Meta is expanding its AI ecosystem. The company’s Muse agent, enterprise AI platform and AI-enabled smart-glasses strategy could provide new commerce, productivity and hardware opportunities beyond traditional social-media advertising. Meta’s decision to ban ByteDance and TikTok advertising in several markets also intensifies its competitive positioning. Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Decision to Pull the Trigger on Meta’s A.I. Agent
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s AI investment is producing both growth and financial strain. Revenue growth is strong, but free cash flow fell to $784 million from $8.55 billion a year earlier as data-center and AI infrastructure spending surged. Investors need evidence that Muse and other AI projects can eventually generate returns. Meta’s Sales Jumped 28% While Free Cash Flow Shrank
• Negative Sentiment: Muse faces adoption and monetization obstacles. Jefferies found that roughly one-third of tested websites blocked the agent, while Amazon reportedly blocked it, potentially delaying Meta’s plans to earn transaction fees from AI-powered commerce. Analysts also question whether the service can become profitable at scale. Meta’s Muse AI agent blocked by one-third of websites tested
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and reputational risks remain a drag. Florida is pursuing restrictions on teen access and infinite-scroll features, while criticism surrounding the film The Social Reckoning and Meta’s handling of harmful AI-generated content could increase scrutiny. A planned-transaction sale by COO Javier Olivan adds a modest insider-selling concern. Meta Stock Falls as Florida Asks a Court to Switch Off Infinite Scroll for Teens

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

Shares of META stock opened at $718.67 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $640.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $620.09. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $779.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.83 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.07, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Meta Platforms from $720.00 to $580.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Phillip Securities raised shares of Meta Platforms from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $795.00 to $750.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Wedbush increased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $595.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $820.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $955.00 to $855.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $791.86.

Insider Activity

In related news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total value of $4,379,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 828 shares in the company, valued at $462,024. This represents a 90.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total value of $5,063,409.56. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,186 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,260,343.46. This represents a 41.09% 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 three months, insiders have sold 148,222 shares of company stock valued at $101,033,627. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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