Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) COO Sells 946 Shares of Company Stock

Key Points

• Meta COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares at an average price of $728.08, generating $688,763.68. The transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, leaving him with 7,878 shares.
• Meta shares fell 2.4% to $721.31, while the company reported quarterly revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% year over year, but earnings per share of $6.18 missed analyst expectations.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $791.86; however, Meta faces legal and macroeconomic risks alongside uncertainty over monetizing its expanding AI initiatives.

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, October 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $728.08, for a total value of $688,763.68. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 7,878 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,735,814.24. This trade represents a 10.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Javier Olivan also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, October 5th, Javier Olivan sold 629 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $728.08, for a total value of $457,962.32.
• On Monday, September 28th, Javier Olivan sold 629 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $748.91, for a total transaction of $471,064.39.
• On Monday, September 28th, Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $750.42, for a total transaction of $709,897.32.
• On Monday, September 21st, Javier Olivan sold 629 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $680.27, for a total transaction of $427,889.83.
• On Monday, September 21st, Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $680.27, for a total transaction of $643,535.42.
• On Monday, September 14th, Javier Olivan sold 629 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $657.73, for a total transaction of $413,712.17.
• On Monday, September 14th, Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $657.73, for a total transaction of $622,212.58.
• On Tuesday, September 8th, Javier Olivan sold 2,516 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $616.44, for a total transaction of $1,550,963.04.
• On Tuesday, September 8th, Javier Olivan sold 2,838 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $616.71, for a total transaction of $1,750,222.98.
• On Monday, August 10th, Javier Olivan sold 434 shares of Meta Platforms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $602.70, for a total transaction of $261,571.80.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of META stock traded down $17.57 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $721.31. 13,177,225 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,484,221. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82. The stock's 50 day moving average is $631.39 and its 200-day moving average is $617.69. 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 $1.84 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.19.

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

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher analyst target: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Meta to $1,000 from $796 while maintaining an Overweight rating, citing enthusiasm for the company’s Muse AI product cycle. The broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with 44 of 57 analysts recommending a buy or strong buy. Why this analyst expects Meta stock to hit $1,000
• Positive Sentiment: Muse expands rapidly: Meta launched a dedicated iPad app for its Muse AI assistant shortly after its mobile debut. Muse has topped app-download charts, strengthening the case that Meta is gaining consumer traction in personal AI, although sustained usage and monetization remain unproven. Meta's Muse launches on iPad
• Positive Sentiment: New AI business opportunities: Meta and Sierra are developing the Personal Agent Protocol with companies including Shopify, Stripe and Walmart. The standard could help Meta establish a role in AI-powered commerce and customer interactions. Separately, investor Dan Niles suggested Meta could eventually build a public cloud business to monetize its large AI infrastructure investments. Meta and Sierra launch protocol for AI agents
• Neutral Sentiment: AMD warrant clarification: Reports indicate Meta would not automatically receive 160 million AMD shares simply because AMD’s stock crossed $600. The details of the warrant agreement are more limited than some interpretations suggested, reducing concern about a massive equity giveaway but offering no immediate catalyst. AMD crossed $600, so does Meta get AMD shares?
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and macro risks: New Mexico is seeking a potential penalty of up to $40 billion, with a court ruling expected this month. Higher interest rates and concerns about an economy strained by expensive borrowing may also pressure richly valued technology stocks. New Mexico seeks up to $40 billion from Meta

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Meta Platforms by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 901 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $653,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 72.4% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 300 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $218,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Canandaigua National Trust Co of Florida purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 3rd quarter valued at $698,000. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.0% in the third quarter. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC now owns 2,673 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,938,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares during the period. Finally, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.3% in the third quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. now owns 6,241 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $4,526,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on META shares. Wedbush increased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $595.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $865.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $763.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Citigroup reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $791.86.

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.

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