Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Bank of America Analyst Says

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) had its price target hoisted by analysts at Bank of America from $810.00 to $885.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the social networking company’s stock. Bank of America‘s target price points to a potential upside of 32.34% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on META. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $900.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. DA Davidson set a $825.00 target price on Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Wedbush dropped their price target on Meta Platforms from $920.00 to $880.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 19th. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $875.00 to $835.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Finally, Citizens Jmp reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $900.00 target price (up from $750.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $828.93.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 0.6%

META stock opened at $668.73 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $646.63 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $695.85. Meta Platforms has a twelve month low of $479.80 and a twelve month high of $796.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.69 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.54, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 30.89% and a return on equity of 39.35%. The company had revenue of $59.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $58.33 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $8.02 earnings per share. Meta Platforms’s revenue was up 23.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Meta Platforms will post 26.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 2,610 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Saturday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.46, for a total value of $1,590,690.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,784 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,962,956.64. The trade was a 21.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 11,690 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.31, for a total transaction of $6,935,793.90. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 2,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,432,843.65. The trade was a 82.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 40,113 shares of company stock valued at $24,621,042. Insiders own 13.61% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.4% in the second quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 3,506 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $2,587,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 2,223 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $1,641,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co of the South increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.8% in the third quarter. Trust Co of the South now owns 1,850 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,359,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the period. Sentinel Pension Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.6% during the third quarter. Sentinel Pension Advisors LLC now owns 915 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $672,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 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 period. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and strong guidance — Meta reported $8.88 EPS and ~$59.9B revenue, beating estimates, and guided Q1 revenue above Street consensus; the print supports the thesis that AI is already lifting ad monetization. CNBC: Meta beats on top, bottom lines, gives stronger-than-expected forecast
• Positive Sentiment: After‑hours rally and momentum — the beat + guidance sent META sharply higher in extended trading as traders priced faster growth and improving ad engagement metrics (Reels, ad impressions). Finbold: Here’s why Meta stock is soaring
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst reaction & upgrades — several firms refreshed price targets and reiterated Outperform/Buy calls after the results, supporting near‑term investor confidence. Seeking Alpha: Meta: Set For New Highs In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Product & revenue diversification tests — Meta is testing paid tiers for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp; potential long‑term upside but unclear near‑term impact on ad revenue. CNET: Meta confirms testing of premium subscriptions
• Neutral Sentiment: Supplier deals validate AI buildout — a multiyear Corning fiber‑optic deal (up to ~$6B) signals real infrastructure expansion that supports future AI capacity but also locks in spending. CNBC: Corning deal
• Negative Sentiment: Huge 2026 capex guide — management forecasted a dramatic rise in AI capex (roughly $115B–$135B), a front‑loaded spend that introduces margin and cash‑return uncertainty despite management’s view that operating income will hold. Reuters: Capex rise
• Negative Sentiment: Reality Labs drag — the XR unit posted ~ $6.02B operating loss in Q4 and prior reporting shows multi‑billion cash burns, keeping margin pressure and execution risk on the table. CNBC: Reality Labs loss
• Negative Sentiment: Minor insider selling — COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares (small relative to holdings), a note some investors track but not a major red flag. SEC filing: Insider sale

About Meta Platforms

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.