Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reiterated by Royal Bank Of Canada in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $770.00 price objective on the social networking company’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 0.95% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Meta Platforms from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $640.00 to $820.00 in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Scotiabank reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $600.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $780.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho set a $750.00 price objective on Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $800.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $798.78.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 2.5%

Shares of Meta Platforms stock traded up $18.62 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $762.72. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 8,873,382 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,283,869. Meta Platforms has a twelve month low of $520.26 and a twelve month high of $764.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $610.79 and a 200-day moving average of $611.16. The stock has a market cap of $1.94 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The business had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $7.14 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Meta Platforms will post 27.93 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at $3,875,854.26. This trade represents a 34.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $462,024. The trade was 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. Insiders have sold a total of 123,333 shares of company stock worth $80,795,845 over the last ninety days. 13.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in META. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Advantage Trust Co acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Muse is creating a new AI growth narrative. Meta’s personal AI agent reportedly reached the top of Apple’s U.S. free-app rankings, with early downloads approaching 900,000. At Meta Connect, CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined potential monetization through subscriptions, advertising, commerce and services for small businesses. Meta Maps Out Muse Monetization Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see substantial upside. KeyCorp raised its price target to $900 from $780, while Cantor Fitzgerald increased its target to $860 from $680; both maintained overweight ratings. Bank of America also reiterated a Buy rating. The upgrades reflect expectations that AI agents could become a major growth engine beyond advertising.
• Positive Sentiment: Meta expanded its AI hardware and commerce ecosystem. The company unveiled $1,299 Meta VR Glasses, the Muse Charm wearable and new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses. Muse’s integration with Shopify’s Shop Pay could allow Meta to earn transaction-related revenue as the agent facilitates purchases. Meta debuts VR Glasses and Muse Charm
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta Connect provided important product catalysts, but execution remains unproven. The new devices could increase Muse adoption and strengthen Meta’s distribution, though revenue contribution and consumer demand have yet to be established.
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking and market conditions are weighing on the stock. Meta has eased after a roughly 12% rally, while rising bond yields have pressured high-growth AI shares. Some traders are rotating toward more focused AI companies, and analysts are debating whether Meta’s heavy infrastructure spending could drive negative cash flow over the next two years.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive, privacy and regulatory risks remain. Amazon blocked Muse from shopping on its platform, while concerns about privacy, security and camera-equipped smart glasses could limit adoption. Meta also faces legal scrutiny, including deliberations in a New Mexico case. Meta’s New AI Agent Is an Instant Hit—and the Backlash Has Already Begun
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a modest cautionary signal. Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares and COO Javier Olivan sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. The transactions do not necessarily indicate a change in outlook, but they follow a sharp increase in META’s valuation.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company’s principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.