Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) Stock Now Rated “Moderate Buy” by Wall Street Brokerages

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fifty-seven analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, forty-seven have issued a buy recommendation and three have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $833.12.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $775.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Pivotal Research lifted their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $930.00 to $960.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Meta Platforms from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $580.00 to $685.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $886.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total transaction of $28,510,400.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 184,516 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $131,515,624.16. This trade represents a 17.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the business’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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly 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. 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. Insiders sold a total of 151,090 shares of company stock valued at $103,150,807 in the last three months. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. MSH Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.6% in the 3rd quarter. MSH Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,330 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $2,415,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC now owns 14,190 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $10,291,000 after purchasing an additional 524 shares during the last quarter. Clearwater Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 2.1% during the third quarter. Clearwater Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,523 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $1,105,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Shah Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 15.1% during the third quarter. Shah Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,157 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $3,014,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Grp LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 12.8% during the third quarter. Wellington Grp LLC now owns 6,586 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $4,776,000 after purchasing an additional 745 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $610.15 on Friday. Meta Platforms has a 52-week low of $520.26 and a 52-week high of $779.82. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $674.97 and a 200-day moving average of $632.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.56 trillion, a PE ratio of 20.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 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 data on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $63.34 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.25 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms will post 29.01 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued 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 currently 7.16%.

More Meta Platforms News

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

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.