Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Acquired by Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC

Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 30.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,500 shares of the social networking company’s stock after purchasing an additional 810 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms comprises about 1.1% of Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $2,538,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Altura Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Altura Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 5,304 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $3,846,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the period. Garrett Wealth Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Garrett Wealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 3,582 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $2,598,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Tectonic Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 4,001 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $2,901,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 3.4% during the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 22,493 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $16,311,000 after buying an additional 736 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cross Staff Investments Inc boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 17.5% during the third quarter. Cross Staff Investments Inc now owns 678 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $491,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Benchmark reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. President Capital upgraded Meta Platforms from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $660.00 to $897.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Erste Group Bank upgraded Meta Platforms from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of America upped their price target on Meta Platforms from $810.00 to $845.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $865.00 to $850.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $833.12.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $624.52 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.59 trillion, a PE ratio of 21.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $779.82. The company has a 50-day moving average of $668.65 and a 200 day moving average of $632.39.

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

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total value of $2,002,514.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. This represents a 34.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 150,015 shares of company stock worth $102,464,300 over the last ninety days. 13.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

Meta Platforms Company Profile

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.