Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Stock Falls 1.6% on Insider Selling

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)’s share price was down 1.6% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $721.30 and last traded at $726.9120. 19,087,686 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 8% from the average daily volume of 17,595,760 shares. The stock had previously closed at $738.79.

Specifically, COO Javier Olivan sold 629 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $748.91, for a total value of $471,064.39. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 1,118 shares in the company, valued at $837,281.38. The trade was a 36.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $750.42, for a total transaction of $709,897.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 8,824 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,621,706.08. This represents a 9.68% 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. In other news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total value of $21,359,386.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on META shares. Tigress Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $945.00 price objective (down from $995.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. CICC Research lowered their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $773.00 to $700.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 24th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $865.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Moffett Nathanson decreased their price objective on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $740.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $787.86.

More Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse personal AI agent reportedly surpassed 5 million downloads, reinforcing optimism that the company can build a large AI business and potentially monetize its user base. Analysts and commentators also continue to describe Meta as a leading contender in the personal-AI market. Zuckerberg’s Free AI Agent Hit 5 Million Downloads
• Positive Sentiment: Meta is expanding its Muse AI tools for small businesses, linking them to advertising, sales and business operations. The initiative could improve ad targeting and create new revenue opportunities as AI adoption grows. Meta Expands Muse for Small Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Meta received favorable attention from analysts, including an upgrade that previously helped drive the stock higher. Its VR glasses support is also benefiting partners such as Unity Software, suggesting continued ecosystem momentum. Meta Stock Jumps Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Nebius reportedly signed a potential $27 billion AI-capacity agreement with Meta. The deal could secure computing resources for AI, but it also highlights the significant capital spending required to support Meta’s AI ambitions. Nebius Group Signs AI Capacity Deal With Meta
• Negative Sentiment: New Mexico prosecutors asked a judge to impose between $35 billion and $40 billion in penalties after a jury found Meta misled Facebook users about data privacy. The potential liability is the most immediate risk to the stock, although the final amount and appeals process remain unresolved. New Mexico Wants Meta to Pay Up to $40 Billion
• Negative Sentiment: OpenAI’s launch of its competing Dots AI agent raises concerns that Meta’s early Muse momentum could face intensifying competition from OpenAI, Google and Apple. OpenAI Follows Meta Into Personal Agents

Meta Platforms Trading Up 0.1%

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $622.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $615.28. The firm has a market cap of $1.85 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.34, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.5250 per share. 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 7.91%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $69,502,379,000 after purchasing an additional 105,154,977 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter valued at about $22,152,075,000. Corient Private Wealth LP lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 723.1% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 8,801,764 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $4,957,946,000 after buying an additional 7,732,446 shares during the period. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth about $2,948,486,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 488.1% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,466,595 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $3,608,445,000 after buying an additional 4,537,076 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company operates a global family of apps that includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, enabling users to connect, communicate, share content and discover communities.

Meta generates most of its business through digital advertising displayed across its platforms. Its products serve individuals, creators, businesses and organizations in markets around the world, while its advertising tools help businesses reach audiences based on factors such as interests, activity and demographics.

Through its Reality Labs division, Meta develops virtual and augmented reality hardware, software and services, including the Meta Quest line of headsets and related experiences.