Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Insider Sells $13,504,600.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Meta insider Christopher Cox sold 20,000 shares for approximately $13.5 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, reducing his ownership by 8.18% to 224,516 shares.
• Meta shares recently traded at $682.31, while the company reported $60.8 billion in quarterly revenue, up 28% year over year, but earnings per share of $6.18 missed analysts’ $7.19 estimate.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Meta rated “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $788.88; the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share.

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) insider Christopher Cox sold 20,000 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $675.23, for a total value of $13,504,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 224,516 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $151,599,938.68. The trade was a 8.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:META traded up $9.00 on Thursday, hitting $682.31. The stock had a trading volume of 15,881,519 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,988,018. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $605.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $609.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a twelve month low of $520.26 and a twelve month high of $790.80. The company has a market capitalization of $1.74 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $7.14 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's payout ratio is 7.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on META. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $770.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Bank of America decreased their target price on Meta Platforms from $835.00 to $810.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Erste Group Bank upgraded Meta Platforms from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $788.88.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Custom AI chips could materially reduce costs. Bank of America estimates Meta could save approximately $8.5 billion in 2027 by shifting AI workloads from third-party chips to its own MTIA processors. Meta reportedly plans to deploy the MTIA 450, or Arke, in the first half of 2027, followed by the MTIA 500, or Astrid, later in the year. Meta Can Save $8.5 Billion in 2027 by Using Its Own MTIA Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Meta One and Muse offer new recurring-revenue opportunities. Meta’s paid Meta One subscription bundles enhanced features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, while the Muse AI agent is gaining attention as a potential new consumer and commerce platform. Reports indicate Meta One has reached 15 million subscriptions and trials, supporting the view that Meta is diversifying beyond advertising. Meta Tests AI as the Upsell for Free Social Media
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish ahead of Meta Connect. Bank of America reaffirmed its buy outlook, while Rosenblatt maintained a buy rating with an $886 price target. Citi also identified next week’s developer conference as a potential near-term catalyst. Meta Event Next Week Could Spark Stock Gains, Says Citi
• Neutral Sentiment: Camera-free smart glasses could broaden Meta’s hardware appeal. Meta reportedly plans to introduce camera-free glasses this fall, potentially addressing privacy concerns surrounding its existing camera-equipped Ray-Ban products, though the revenue impact remains uncertain. Meta Plans to Launch Camera-Free Smart Glasses
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and regulatory risks remain. A German court ruled Meta liable for fraudulent third-party advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, ordering damages and content removal. Separately, BMO flagged expanding global age-verification requirements as a regulatory risk for Meta’s platforms. German Court Rules Meta Liable for Fake Ads
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling provides a modest sentiment headwind. COO Javier Olivan sold shares worth roughly $1.04 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Because the sales were scheduled in advance, they do not necessarily signal deteriorating business expectations.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 18.6% in the second quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 18,777 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $10,577,000 after purchasing an additional 2,939 shares during the last quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 33.6% during the second quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 3,031 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,707,000 after buying an additional 763 shares during the last quarter. Abbot Financial Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 53.5% during the 2nd quarter. Abbot Financial Management Inc. now owns 2,845 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,603,000 after buying an additional 991 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 17.4% in the 1st quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 18,000 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $10,299,000 after acquiring an additional 2,670 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WMS Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at about $876,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company's principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.

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