Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Price Target Cut to $765.00 by Analysts at Wells Fargo & Company

Key Points

• Wells Fargo cut its price target on Meta from $856 to $765 while maintaining an "overweight" rating, a target that implies roughly a 34.7% upside from the prior close.
• Shares fell about 1.9% to $568.04; Meta beat quarterly expectations (EPS $8.88 vs. $8.16, revenue $59.89B, +23.8% YoY) and trades at a market cap near $1.44T with a PE of 24.19.
• Despite a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average analyst target of $843.57, insiders have sold ~161,448 shares (~$103.3M) in the last 90 days.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $856.00 to $765.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the social networking company's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price target indicates a potential upside of 34.67% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Arete Research reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Meta Platforms from $840.00 to $880.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $900.00 price target on Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $920.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $810.00 to $885.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $843.57.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:META traded down $11.19 on Thursday, hitting $568.04. 3,137,443 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,819,964. The firm's 50-day moving average is $640.94 and its 200 day moving average is $662.64. The company has a market capitalization of $1.44 trillion, a PE ratio of 24.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.31. Meta Platforms has a 1-year low of $479.80 and a 1-year high of $796.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a current ratio of 2.60.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $8.16 by $0.72. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 30.08% and a return on equity of 38.61%. The firm had revenue of $59.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $58.33 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $8.02 EPS. The company's revenue was up 23.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Meta Platforms will post 26.7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 926 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $605.38, for a total transaction of $560,581.88. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 13,335 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,072,742.30. This represents a 6.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 580 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $632.02, for a total value of $366,571.60. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,427 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,797,952.54. The trade was a 11.58% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 161,448 shares of company stock valued at $103,333,788. 13.61% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Trust Co of the South grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Trust Co of the South now owns 1,850 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $1,359,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the period. Sentinel Pension Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Sentinel Pension Advisors LLC now owns 915 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $672,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. Alpine Bank Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.3% during the third quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management now owns 4,301 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $3,159,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.2% during the third quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 454 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank Sioux Falls grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank Sioux Falls now owns 2,001 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $1,321,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $775 but kept an Overweight rating and called META a top pick, signaling buy-side conviction despite near-term headwinds. Morgan Stanley Trims PT
• Positive Sentiment: China’s commerce ministry said it supports law-abiding transnational tech deals after reports of a review of a Meta deal—this reduces near-term regulatory uncertainty for cross-border investments. China Supports Transnational Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Meta and Corning began construction to expand U.S. optical cable manufacturing to support Meta’s AI data-center buildout—evidence of durable, long-term capex commitments and supply-chain localization. Corning & Meta Expand Cable Capacity
• Positive Sentiment: Product and AI momentum: Meta launched new Ray‑Ban prescription smart glasses and is forming an elite AI lab for recommendations — both support engagement and longer-term monetization upside. Ray‑Ban Smart Glasses Meta Elite AI Lab
• Neutral Sentiment: Layoffs continue (168 roles in Washington state) — could lower near-term opex but also signal restructuring and product/VR challenges. Meta Layoffs in Washington
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary (Zacks, Seeking Alpha, retail press) highlights AI monetization upside and long-term growth potential — supportive but varies by conviction and timing. Seeking Alpha on AI Monetization
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risks remain the biggest near-term overhang: recent rulings in New Mexico and a California jury verdict found Meta liable for harms to teens, creating precedent that could invite thousands of similar suits and meaningful damages or regulatory pushback. TechCrunch on Legal Rulings MarketBeat Legal Impact

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc NASDAQ: META, formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.

Meta's core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.

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