Vista Investment Partners LLC Decreases Position in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Key Points

• Vista Investment Partners cut its Meta Platforms position by 32.7% in the third quarter, selling 732 shares and retaining 1,508 shares valued at approximately $1.09 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 79.91% of Meta’s stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Meta has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $791.86, although individual targets range from $700 to $1,000.
• Meta shares recently traded at $717.22, while the company reported quarterly revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% year over year, despite missing analysts’ earnings-per-share estimate. Meta also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, representing a 0.3% annualized yield.

Vista Investment Partners LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 32.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,508 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 732 shares during the period. Vista Investment Partners LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $1,094,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Advantage Trust Co bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citizens Jmp boosted their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $885.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $886.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Meta Platforms from $796.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $791.86.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 0.6%

NASDAQ META traded down $4.09 on Thursday, hitting $717.22. 8,371,522 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,434,770. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $779.82. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $1.83 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.01, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $634.11 and a 200-day moving average of $618.50.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $7.14 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a $0.5250 dividend. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.91%.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, insider Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total transaction of $28,510,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $131,515,624.16. The trade was a 17.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $728.08, for a total transaction of $688,763.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 7,878 shares in the company, valued at $5,735,814.24. This trade represents a 10.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 148,222 shares of company stock valued at $101,033,627. 13.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: TD Cowen reaffirmed its “Buy” rating and set an $865 price target, implying substantial upside from recent levels. A broader analyst survey also shows a “Moderate Buy” consensus. Benzinga analyst rating report
• Positive Sentiment: Muse is gaining distribution: Meta’s Muse AI assistant launched on iPad shortly after its mobile debut and has topped app-download charts. The traction could strengthen Meta’s consumer AI strategy, although investors still need evidence that usage will become habitual and economically valuable. Meta’s Muse launches on iPad
• Positive Sentiment: AI ecosystem opportunities are expanding: Meta is working with Sierra, Shopify, Stripe, Walmart and others on an open protocol allowing AI agents to interact with businesses. The initiative could support future commerce and advertising use cases. Meta and Sierra AI agent protocol
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive stock sales were planned: COO Javier Olivan sold shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transactions reduce his holdings but do not necessarily signal a change in management’s outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Manus raises independent capital: The AI startup’s parent raised more than $500 million after Meta abandoned its proposed acquisition. The funding validates Manus but also highlights that Meta no longer owns the potential asset. Manus raises more than $500 million after Meta exit
• Negative Sentiment: Florida is escalating youth-safety litigation: The state’s attorney general is seeking restrictions that could disable or limit infinite-scroll features for users under 14. Such restrictions could reduce engagement, advertising inventory and product flexibility if adopted more broadly. Florida seeks limits on Meta’s teen features
• Negative Sentiment: AI spending is raising cash-flow concerns: Meta is doubling down on data centers and AI infrastructure, but unlike cloud providers it primarily expects returns through its own apps rather than external cloud revenue. Investors are therefore focused on whether the spending will produce measurable advertising, engagement or AI monetization gains. Meta AI infrastructure cash-flow analysis

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company operates a global family of apps that includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, enabling users to connect, communicate, share content and discover communities.

Meta generates most of its business through digital advertising displayed across its platforms. Its products serve individuals, creators, businesses and organizations in markets around the world, while its advertising tools help businesses reach audiences based on factors such as interests, activity and demographics.

Through its Reality Labs division, Meta develops virtual and augmented reality hardware, software and services, including the Meta Quest line of headsets and related experiences.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.