Erste Group Bank Downgrades Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) to Hold

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) was downgraded by research analysts at Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on META. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $850.00 price objective (up from $800.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Wedbush increased their price target on Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price target on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $930.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. DA Davidson upped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $845.54.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of Meta Platforms stock traded down $11.96 on Thursday, hitting $567.27. 1,941,999 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 15,818,256. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a current ratio of 2.60. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $640.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $662.64. Meta Platforms has a 52 week low of $479.80 and a 52 week high of $796.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.43 trillion, a P/E ratio of 24.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.31.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.16 by $0.72. The company had revenue of $59.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $58.33 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 30.08% and a return on equity of 38.61%. Meta Platforms’s quarterly revenue was up 23.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $8.02 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Meta Platforms will post 26.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 56,571 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $644.70, for a total transaction of $36,471,323.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 8,089 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $631.24, for a total transaction of $5,106,100.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 2,841 shares in the company, valued at $1,793,352.84. This trade represents a 74.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 161,448 shares of company stock valued at $103,333,788. Company insiders own 13.61% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of META. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 34,551 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $20,230,000 after buying an additional 570 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,456 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $5,537,000 after acquiring an additional 875 shares in the last quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 294.7% during the first quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd now owns 150,000 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $86,454,000 after acquiring an additional 112,000 shares in the last quarter. Dymon Asia Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $213,000. Finally, Capital & Planning LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $322,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by 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

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.