Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Position Raised by Simplicity Wealth LLC

Simplicity Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 10.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 28,261 shares of the social networking company’s stock after buying an additional 2,707 shares during the quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $20,494,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of META. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 4.0% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 92,033,963 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $51,841,811,000 after purchasing an additional 3,510,123 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,038,035 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $12,036,491,000 after purchasing an additional 2,673,494 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 12,836,063 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $7,230,426,000 after purchasing an additional 162,909 shares during the period. Amundi grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 18.1% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 11,858,972 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $6,784,873,000 after buying an additional 1,815,017 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 10,429,812 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $5,964,745,000 after buying an additional 404,948 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In related news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total value of $4,379,184.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $462,024. The trade was a 90.46% decrease in their position. 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 ninety days, insiders sold 150,015 shares of company stock valued at $102,464,300. 13.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 2.0%

NASDAQ META opened at $624.52 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $668.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $632.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.59 trillion, a PE ratio of 21.29, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. The company had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $63.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 31.15% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The firm’s revenue was up 26.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.25 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is presently 7.16%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

META has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Meta Platforms from $710.00 to $875.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $920.00 to $940.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, President Capital upgraded shares of Meta Platforms from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $660.00 to $897.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $833.12.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AMD partnership strengthens AI infrastructure: Advanced Micro Devices plans to invest $1 billion in Meta’s stock while collaborating on multi-generation Instinct processors, CPUs and gigawatt-scale data-center deployments. The agreement could diversify Meta’s chip supply and improve computing efficiency. Advanced Micro Devices’ Meta Platforms Partnership Goes Beyond a $1 Billion Investment
• Positive Sentiment: Advertising engine remains a key support: Recent analysis highlighted rising ad prices, stronger impressions and AI-driven improvements to ad conversions and Reels engagement. Analysts remain optimistic that Meta’s AI tools, including Muse, can support long-term revenue and earnings growth. Meta’s Pullback Just Changed the AI Risk/Reward
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and AI upside: Daiwa Securities raised its Meta price target to $779 from $687, while other commentary characterized the recent pullback as an attractive entry point and cited potential gains from AI-powered commerce and advertising. Daiwa Securities Adjusts Price Target on Meta Platforms to $779
• Neutral Sentiment: New consumer AI products broaden Meta’s options: Meta launched Style Sketch, an AI fashion app that creates outfit ideas from users’ clothing, following the launch of the AI pet app Waddle World. These experiments could increase engagement, but their revenue potential remains unproven. Meta quietly launches an AI fashion app called Style Sketch
• Negative Sentiment: AI financing raises dilution and cash-flow concerns: Meta’s roughly $95 billion capital-raising plan, including common and convertible preferred shares, provides funding for AI infrastructure but increases shareholder dilution. Quarterly capital expenditures also pushed free cash flow negative, potentially limiting buybacks and dividends. Meta Just Priced a Stock Sale at $625 a Share
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and regulatory pressure continues: Meta delayed new commercial terms for publishers after objections and faces a major U.S. trial over alleged social-media harms to young users. These matters could create additional costs and reputational risk. Meta delays indefinitely its rollout of new commercial terms
• Negative Sentiment: Muse execution remains uncertain: Meta removed an Instagram ad promoting Muse’s ability to identify unfollowers, underscoring product-positioning and user-trust risks as the company expands its AI services. Meta took down its ad touting Muse

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’s principal platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads, which enable users to connect, communicate, share content, and discover products and services.

Meta also operates Reality Labs, its division focused on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies. Reality Labs develops products such as Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and related software and experiences, along with research and hardware intended to support immersive computing.