Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report)’s stock price traded down 2% during trading on Wednesday. The stock traded as low as $627.97 and last traded at $628.77. Approximately 15,194,843 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 16% from the average session volume of 18,139,441 shares. The stock had previously closed at $641.39.
Meta Platforms News Summary
These are some of the META news items that stood out recently:
- Neutral Sentiment: A comparison with Microsoft describes Meta as having more visible consumer-AI returns and stronger capital efficiency, while Microsoft has an advantage in enterprise distribution and monetization. It highlights Meta’s AI opportunity but does not establish a clear near-term catalyst. Microsoft vs. Meta: Enterprise AI Distribution Against Monetization Speed
- Negative Sentiment: The UK regulator fined Meta over repeated inaccuracies in WhatsApp Business data, adding regulatory and reputational pressure. Meta fined by UK regulator over WhatsApp Business data inaccuracies
- Negative Sentiment: United Airlines’ reported ban on AI agents booking flights challenges a touted use case for Meta’s Muse agent, raising questions about adoption and commercialization. United Airlines bars AI agents from booking tickets
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several brokerages have recently issued reports on META. UBS Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $920.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $810.00 to $845.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Meta Platforms from $920.00 to $940.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted 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. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $886.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $833.12.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms Stock Performance
The stock has a market cap of $1.64 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $679.23 and its 200-day moving average is $631.88.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. The company had revenue of $64.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $63.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The firm’s revenue was up 26.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $7.25 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.16%.
Insider Activity
In other Meta Platforms news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the company’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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total value of $5,063,409.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,260,343.46. The trade was a 41.09% decrease in their position. 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 150,973 shares of company stock worth $103,128,307 in the last quarter. 13.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Advantage Trust Co bought a new position in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 116.7% in the third quarter. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. now owns 52 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms in the first quarter valued at about $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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.
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