6,982 Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Sold by Profund Advisors LLC

Profund Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 99,696 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 6,982 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms makes up about 2.1% of Profund Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Profund Advisors LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $72,298,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in META. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 18.6% during the second quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 18,777 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $10,577,000 after acquiring an additional 2,939 shares in the last quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 33.6% during the second quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 3,031 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,707,000 after purchasing an additional 763 shares in the last quarter. William John Sempolinski purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,107,000. Sone Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 38.2% during the 2nd quarter. Sone Capital Management LLC now owns 16,059 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $9,046,000 after buying an additional 4,440 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lakewood Capital Management LP boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 63.7% in the 2nd quarter. Lakewood Capital Management LP now owns 115,985 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $65,333,000 after purchasing an additional 45,130 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on META shares. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $850.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $860.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Moffett Nathanson decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $740.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $800.00 price target (down from $850.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, DZ Bank restated a “buy” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $833.12.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through 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 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 151,090 shares of company stock valued at $103,150,807. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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 Trading Up 0.8%

Meta Platforms stock traded up $5.07 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $610.15. 15,673,971 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,359,418. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $1.56 trillion, a PE ratio of 20.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $674.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $632.16. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $520.26 and a 12-month high of $779.82.

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

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

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

About Meta Platforms

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.