Narwhal Capital Management Reduces Stock Position in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• Narwhal Capital Management cut its Meta position by 5% in the fourth quarter, selling 2,547 shares and ending with 48,594 shares worth about $32.1 million. Meta remained its 10th-largest holding and made up 2.3% of the portfolio.
• Meta reported strong Q1 results, with earnings of $10.44 per share versus the $6.67 estimate and revenue of $56.31 billion, up 33.1% year over year. Analysts still broadly view the stock favorably, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $840.31.
• Investor focus remains on Meta’s heavy AI spending, as reports highlight a 2026 capital expenditure plan of $125 billion to $145 billion that could दब pressure on profitability before AI investments pay off. At the same time, the company has seen insider selling, including recent stock sales by COO Javier Olivan and director Robert M. Kimmitt.

Narwhal Capital Management lessened its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 5.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 48,594 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 2,547 shares during the period. Meta Platforms comprises 2.3% of Narwhal Capital Management's portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Narwhal Capital Management's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $32,076,000 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. Interchange Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 9,134 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $6,029,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares during the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,876 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $9,159,000 after purchasing an additional 646 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 133,798 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $88,319,000 after purchasing an additional 18,169 shares during the last quarter. Aries Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 9.7% in the 4th quarter. Aries Wealth Management now owns 10,496 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $6,928,000 after purchasing an additional 930 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank Sioux Falls raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank Sioux Falls now owns 2,001 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,321,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remain bullish on Meta Platforms, with recent notes from firms like BofA and Erste Group lifting earnings estimates or price targets after strong Q1 results, reinforcing expectations for meaningful upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s AI push is drawing attention as the company reportedly works on AI agents and improved models like Muse Spark, which could support new products and future monetization opportunities. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary pieces continue to frame Meta as an important AI and large-cap tech name, but these are mostly opinion-driven and do not add new fundamental information for the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta was also mentioned in a deal roundup about acquiring Assured Robot Intelligence, but the report provided little detail, so the market impact is unclear. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Reports highlighting employee dissatisfaction and impending layoffs suggest Meta’s AI transformation is creating internal friction, while also reminding investors that the company’s AI ambitions come with higher costs. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern remains centered on Meta’s enormous 2026 capex plan, estimated at $125 billion to $145 billion, which is fueling fears that profitability could come under pressure before AI investments pay off. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 926 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $607.74, for a total transaction of $562,767.24. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 7,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,727,609.46. The trade was a 10.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 580 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $667.00, for a total transaction of $386,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,847 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,565,949. The trade was 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 90 days, insiders have sold 168,193 shares of company stock worth $107,642,717. 13.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $920.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $910.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Pivotal Research dropped their price target 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. Argus reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $800.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $900.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Monday, January 26th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $840.31.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

NASDAQ META opened at $609.63 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average is $627.67 and its 200 day moving average is $645.30. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $796.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.35. The company has a market capitalization of $1.54 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.67 by $3.77. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The business had revenue of $56.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $55.56 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.43 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 33.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a $0.525 dividend. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.63%.

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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