VCI Wealth Management LLC Sells 978 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• VCI Wealth Management cut its Meta stake by 8.5%, selling 978 shares in the third quarter; it retained 10,584 shares worth about $7.68 million.
• Meta reported quarterly earnings of $7.40 per share, beating estimates of $6.54, while revenue rose 26.1% year over year to $64.6 billion.
• Institutional investors own 79.91% of Meta shares, and analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $833.12.

VCI Wealth Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 8.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 10,584 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 978 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for about 1.8% of VCI Wealth Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. VCI Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $7,675,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bill Few Associates Inc. grew its position in Meta Platforms by 1.3% in 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 position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.8% during the third 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 position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the second 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 position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the second 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 stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.8% during the second 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 currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta launched Spaces, a collaboration feature for its Muse AI agents, following the rollout of Muse Voice. The new offerings may help strengthen user engagement and expand Meta’s consumer AI ecosystem. Meta introduces Spaces
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings commentary points to AI supporting Meta’s advertising operations, reinforcing the potential for the company’s AI investments to generate revenue. Takeaways from recent earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta paused planned updates to its terms and is keeping existing rules in place. The move avoids an immediate policy change, though the underlying issues remain unresolved. Meta pauses planned terms updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Plans for new nonvoting Class C shares have been described as effectively creating a 2-for-1 split. A split changes the number of shares, but does not by itself change the company’s underlying value; the structure preserves Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control. Is Meta Platforms next for a stock split?
• Negative Sentiment: Meta and other platforms sued to block California restrictions on social-media features for users under 16. The case adds regulatory uncertainty and potential legal costs. Platforms sue over California teen social-media law
• Negative Sentiment: Meta warned that political backlash and possible limits on data-center construction could complicate its AI expansion. Its $15 billion senior-notes offering also highlights the scale of financing required for investment. Data-center expansion concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Reported ETF net selling and insider share sales may add short-term pressure, although the disclosed insider transaction was made under a pre-arranged trading plan. ETFs are net sellers of Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of META stock opened at $610.15 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a twelve month low of $520.26 and a twelve month high of $779.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $674.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $632.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.56 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.28.

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

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a dividend of $0.5250 per share. 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 presently 7.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $955.00 to $855.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Monness Crespi & Hardt reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $875.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. DZ Bank reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Arete Research boosted their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $735.00 to $806.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $930.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $833.12.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were 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 owned 828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $462,024. This represents a 90.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 151,090 shares of company stock worth $103,150,807. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

Founded in 2004 as Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow students, the company changed its name to Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building social technologies and immersive digital experiences.

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