Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Shares Down 1.8% – Time to Sell?

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)’s share price traded down 1.8% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $644.81 and last traded at $648.69. 12,746,971 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 3% from the average session volume of 12,432,818 shares. The stock had previously closed at $660.62.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s hire of C.J. Mahoney as chief legal officer should strengthen the company’s regulatory and legal bench at a critical time, which investors typically view as positive for execution and regulatory navigation. Meta hires Microsoft exec, former Trump deputy as chief legal officer
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and commentary pieces continue to highlight Meta as a core AI beneficiary within the “Magnificent 7,” reinforcing the narrative of durable revenue and AI‑driven ad/engagement upside. This supports a longer‑term bullish thesis. How to Trade the Magnificent 7 Stocks in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish writeups argue the recent pullback makes Meta’s valuation more attractive and expect AI integration and the Manus deal to drive engagement and monetization — a factor supporting buy‑side interest after the drop. Meta: Recent Pullback Is Your New Year’s Gift
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is pausing the international rollout of its Ray‑Ban Display smartglasses because U.S. demand has outstripped supply; high demand is positive for product-market fit, but the delay limits near‑term international revenue expansion. Meta delays Ray-Ban Display glasses global rollout due to inventory limits, U.S. demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis estimating very large 2026 capex (~$111B) highlights heavy ongoing investment in AI/infra; investors will watch whether spending boosts long‑term growth or pressures near‑term margins and free cash flow. Meta: My $111B CapEx Estimate For 2026, And Why Overbuild Fears Are Overstated
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting Meta as a potential “sleeper” AI winner and price forecasts maintain investor interest but are forward‑looking and contingent on execution. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) Price Prediction and Forecast 2026-2030 for January 7
• Negative Sentiment: Chinese authorities are reviewing Meta’s ~$2B acquisition of AI startup Manus for potential technology controls, introducing regulatory risk that could delay or constrain the deal’s value and create geopolitical execution risk for Meta’s AI strategy. China reviews Meta’s purchase of AI startup Manus, FT reports

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $875.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $720.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $950.00 to $910.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $840.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $822.22.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.98 and a quick ratio of 1.98. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $643.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $704.73. The company has a market cap of $1.64 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.29.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The social networking company reported $7.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.74 by $0.51. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 39.35% and a net margin of 30.89%.The business had revenue of $51.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $6.03 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 26.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 26.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is currently 9.28%.

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In related news, COO Javier Olivan sold 2,610 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Saturday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.46, for a total value of $1,590,690.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 9,784 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,962,956.64. This trade represents a 21.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 6,875 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Saturday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.46, for a total value of $4,190,037.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 88,370 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,857,980.20. The trade was a 7.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 41,038 shares of company stock worth $25,533,240. 13.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Goldstone Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 44.4% in the third quarter. Goldstone Financial Group LLC now owns 3,752 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 1,153 shares during the period. Spirepoint Private Client LLC grew its position in Meta Platforms by 2.7% during the second quarter. Spirepoint Private Client LLC now owns 4,080 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $3,011,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 10.4% in the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 55,431 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $43,790,000 after buying an additional 5,224 shares in the last quarter. CW Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 27.8% during the 2nd quarter. CW Advisors LLC now owns 176,762 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $130,467,000 after acquiring an additional 38,432 shares during the period. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 210,526 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $155,387,000 after acquiring an additional 20,912 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.