United Capital Management of KS Inc. Buys 873 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• United Capital Management of KS increased its Meta stake 5.4%, buying 873 shares to hold 16,927 shares valued at about $12.3 million at quarter-end.
• Meta reported quarterly EPS of $7.40, beating the $6.54 consensus, while revenue rose 26.1% year over year to $64.6 billion.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $833.12; Meta also pays an annualized dividend of $2.10 per share, a 0.3% yield.

United Capital Management of KS Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 16,927 shares of the social networking company's stock after buying an additional 873 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for approximately 1.6% of United Capital Management of KS Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. United Capital Management of KS Inc.'s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $12,275,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bill Few Associates Inc. boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bill Few Associates Inc. now owns 1,206 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $874,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. now owns 866 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $630,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Tenzing Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Tenzing Financial LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $726,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Uptown Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Uptown Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,273 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $717,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sheets Smith Wealth Management boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 594 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of META traded up $18.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $641.69. The stock had a trading volume of 15,115,862 shares, compared to its average volume of 24,035,764. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.64 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.28. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52 week low of $520.26 and a 52 week high of $779.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The company's fifty day moving average is $679.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $631.72.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 31.15% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The company had revenue of $64.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $63.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $7.25 earnings per share. Meta Platforms's quarterly revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms's payout ratio is 7.16%.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

Here's some of the latest news about META:

• Positive Sentiment: ETFs bought about $102.4 million of META shares on Nov. 11, indicating institutional demand that may have helped support the stock. 55 ETFs Add to Meta Platforms (META) on Nov. 11
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish technical analysis says META recently fell below its 200-day moving average, a signal that could encourage caution among momentum-focused investors. As Meta Platforms Continues To Weaken, A Bearish Trade May Be In Order
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage has raised concerns about Meta’s $27 billion AI data-center financing arrangement, while a UK regulator fined the company over repeated inaccuracies in WhatsApp Business data. These headlines add financial and regulatory risk to the investment picture. Meta's $27B Off-Balance-Sheet AI Deal Reminds Steve Eisman of Enron— Joseph Carlson Disagrees Meta fined by UK regulator over repeated inaccuracies in WhatsApp Business data

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Meta Platforms news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total transaction of $5,063,409.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,260,343.46. The trade was a 41.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing 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, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% 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 sold a total of 148,846 shares of company stock valued at $101,660,996 over the last three months. 13.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Meta Platforms from $865.00 to $850.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Moffett Nathanson decreased their target price on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $740.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Meta Platforms from $710.00 to $875.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $850.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $833.12.

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc. is a global technology company that develops social networking, messaging, and digital communication products. Its services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, which connect people and help businesses reach audiences around the world. The company also develops virtual and augmented reality products and technologies through its Reality Labs division, including Quest headsets and related software and services. Advertising is a central part of Meta's business, with its platforms providing tools for businesses to promote products and services.

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