Trek Financial LLC Acquires 941 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Trek Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 13.7% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 7,795 shares of the social networking company’s stock after acquiring an additional 941 shares during the period. Trek Financial LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $5,653,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. True Freedom Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.6% during the third quarter. True Freedom Investing LLC now owns 6,276 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $4,551,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Financial Group LLC IL increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 18.8% during the third quarter. Pinnacle Financial Group LLC IL now owns 551 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Security Financial Services INC. raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Security Financial Services INC. now owns 1,127 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $818,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC now owns 6,518 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $4,727,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dala Group LLC increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 5.0% during the third quarter. Dala Group LLC now owns 562 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $407,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

META traded up $5.07 on Friday, hitting $610.15. 15,673,971 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,359,418. The company has a 50 day moving average of $674.97 and a 200-day moving average of $632.16. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $779.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.56 trillion, a PE ratio of 20.80, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $63.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $7.25 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

META has been the topic of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $710.00 to $875.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $750.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $820.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $700.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $833.12.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In related news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total value of $21,359,386.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $462,024. This represents a 90.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 151,090 shares of company stock worth $103,150,807. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta launched Spaces, a collaboration feature for its Muse AI agents, following the rollout of Muse Voice. The new offerings may help strengthen user engagement and expand Meta’s consumer AI ecosystem. Meta introduces Spaces
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings commentary points to AI supporting Meta’s advertising operations, reinforcing the potential for the company’s AI investments to generate revenue. Takeaways from recent earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta paused planned updates to its terms and is keeping existing rules in place. The move avoids an immediate policy change, though the underlying issues remain unresolved. Meta pauses planned terms updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Plans for new nonvoting Class C shares have been described as effectively creating a 2-for-1 split. A split changes the number of shares, but does not by itself change the company’s underlying value; the structure preserves Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control. Is Meta Platforms next for a stock split?
• Negative Sentiment: Meta and other platforms sued to block California restrictions on social-media features for users under 16. The case adds regulatory uncertainty and potential legal costs. Platforms sue over California teen social-media law
• Negative Sentiment: Meta warned that political backlash and possible limits on data-center construction could complicate its AI expansion. Its $15 billion senior-notes offering also highlights the scale of financing required for investment. Data-center expansion concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Reported ETF net selling and insider share sales may add short-term pressure, although the disclosed insider transaction was made under a pre-arranged trading plan. ETFs are net sellers of Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a global technology company that develops social networking, messaging, and digital communication products. Its services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, which connect people and help businesses reach audiences around the world.

The company also develops virtual and augmented reality products and technologies through its Reality Labs division, including Quest headsets and related software and services. Advertising is a central part of Meta’s business, with its platforms providing tools for businesses to promote products and services.

Founded in 2004 as Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow students, the company changed its name to Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building social technologies and immersive digital experiences.