RIA Advisory Group LLC Sells 9,355 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• RIA Advisory Group LLC reduced its Meta Platforms stake by 73.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 9,355 shares and ending with 3,316 shares valued at about $2.19 million.
• Meta’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $10.44 versus $6.67 expected and revenue of $56.31 billion, up 33.1% year over year.
• Analysts remain largely bullish on META, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of about $840.31, despite some recent target cuts and ongoing legal/regulatory pressure.

RIA Advisory Group LLC cut its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 73.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,316 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 9,355 shares during the period. RIA Advisory Group LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $2,189,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 34.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 52,252 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $38,373,000 after buying an additional 13,311 shares in the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH lifted its holdings 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 worth $88,319,000 after buying an additional 18,169 shares in the last quarter. Becker Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. Becker Capital Management Inc. now owns 35,052 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $25,741,000 after buying an additional 1,657 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co. lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 84,059 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $55,487,000 after buying an additional 3,336 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cramer Rosenthal Mcglynn LLC lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. Cramer Rosenthal Mcglynn LLC now owns 6,933 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $5,091,000 after buying an additional 968 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta is expanding WhatsApp’s privacy tools with a new “incognito” mode for AI chats, which could help ease user concerns and support adoption of its AI features. Reuters article on WhatsApp incognito mode
• Positive Sentiment: The company also introduced more private messaging and sharing products, including an Instagram feature and additional AI privacy controls, which may help strengthen engagement and user trust over time. CNET article on Instagram Instants
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is reportedly preparing to monetize WhatsApp more aggressively through a premium subscription model, which could eventually add high-margin recurring revenue, but the financial impact is still speculative. Seeking Alpha article on WhatsApp Plus
• Negative Sentiment: Santa Clara County filed a lawsuit accusing Meta of profiting from scam ads on Facebook and Instagram, adding to concerns that the company may face restitution, damages, and stricter oversight of its ad systems. Business Wire article on Santa Clara County complaint
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported that Meta is challenging New Mexico’s proposed $3.7 billion remedy in the teen mental health trial, underscoring the scale of potential liabilities from social media-related lawsuits. Reuters article on New Mexico trial
• Negative Sentiment: Separate reports said Meta lost a court fight in Italy over paying publishers for news snippets, reinforcing that international regulation could create additional costs and legal pressure. Reuters article on Italian publishers ruling

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on META shares. Wall Street Zen raised Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,015.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial cut their price target on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $840.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Pivotal Research cut their price target on Meta Platforms from $930.00 to $910.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price target on Meta Platforms from $685.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Four equities 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $840.31.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $616.63 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.56 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.41, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.25. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $796.25. The company has a current ratio of 2.35, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $623.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $641.75.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The social networking company reported $10.44 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $3.77. The business had revenue of $56.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.56 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 36.93% and a net margin of 32.84%.The firm's revenue was up 33.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.43 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.65 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In related news, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 580 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director owned 3,847 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,565,949. This trade represents a 13.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 926 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $604.57, for a total value of $559,831.82. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 6,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,143,118.21. This trade represents a 11.90% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 169,231 shares of company stock worth $108,239,954 in the last ninety days. 13.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Meta Platforms

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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