Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Buys 293,973 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management boosted its Meta Platforms stake by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 293,973 shares and bringing its total holding to 4,745,948 shares worth about $3.09 billion.
• Meta continues to see broad institutional support, with major holders like Vanguard and State Street also adding shares; about 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutions.
• Meta reported a strong first-quarter earnings beat, posting $10.44 EPS versus $6.67 expected and revenue growth of 33.1% year over year, even as insiders recently sold shares and concerns persist around rising AI spending and regulatory pressure.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,745,948 shares of the social networking company's stock after buying an additional 293,973 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for about 2.1% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.19% of Meta Platforms worth $3,086,859,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of META. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,995,630 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $132,015,115,000 after buying an additional 7,269,279 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 86,925,674 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $64,158,971,000 after buying an additional 1,650,435 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the third quarter worth approximately $1,191,175,000. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth approximately $813,994,000. Finally, Concentrum Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 948.7% during the third quarter. Concentrum Wealth Management now owns 1,243,577 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $913,000 after buying an additional 1,124,998 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 926 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $604.57, for a total value of $559,831.82. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 6,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,143,118.21. This represents a 11.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 580 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $667.00, for a total transaction of $386,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,847 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,565,949. This represents a 13.10% 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 quarter, insiders sold 169,231 shares of company stock valued at $108,239,954. Corporate insiders own 13.61% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of META stock opened at $614.23 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $622.18 and a 200-day moving average of $640.72. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $796.25. The company has a market capitalization of $1.55 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.67 by $3.77. The business had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 32.84% and a return on equity of 36.93%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.43 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square continues to hold Meta alongside other megacap AI leaders, reinforcing the view that META remains a core long-term AI and digital ads name. Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Google. Is Ackman's Hedge Fund Just a Mag 7 Play?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to point out that Meta’s latest earnings beat was strong, with faster revenue growth and better-than-expected EPS, which supports the bull case despite recent volatility. Meta Platforms Stock Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is getting attention as one of the most-watched stocks on Zacks, suggesting investors are closely focused on what comes next for AI spending, ad growth, and margins. Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is still a key part of the AI trade, but commentary about an AI bubble and crowded megacap positioning is keeping sentiment cautious around the stock. UBS warns AI stocks are overheating as growth expectations collide with history
• Negative Sentiment: Meta’s CFO said 2026 capital expenditures are expected to keep rising, intensifying concerns that heavy AI infrastructure spending could weigh on free cash flow and near-term profitability. Money Pit? Zuckerberg Just Exposed Why Hyperscaler AI Spending Keeps Going Up
• Negative Sentiment: Meta is facing fresh legal and regulatory pressure, including a New Mexico youth-safety trial, an Italian lawsuit over minors’ social media use, and a California suit tied to AI scam ads and advertising practices. Meta and Google fund US kids' groups, as critics warn of social media risk
• Negative Sentiment: Some fund managers trimmed META holdings, which may add to near-term caution even though other investors increased exposure. ARK Investment’s Cathie Wood Cuts Meta Platforms Stake Sharply

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

META has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $930.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Argus reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $800.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $685.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Arete Research reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Pivotal Research cut their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $930.00 to $910.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $840.31.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc NASDAQ: META, formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.

Meta's core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.

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