Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Acquired by First Community Trust NA

First Community Trust NA grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,460 shares of the social networking company’s stock after purchasing an additional 770 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms makes up about 2.3% of First Community Trust NA’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. First Community Trust NA’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $6,860,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Watchman Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Watchman Group Inc. now owns 5,091 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $2,913,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Penney Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.9% during the first quarter. Penney Financial LLC now owns 399 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $228,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.0% in the first quarter. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,519 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $869,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC now owns 985 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $564,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tenzing Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the second quarter. Tenzing Financial LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $726,000 after buying an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

META has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Meta Platforms from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $920.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Citizens Jmp upped their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $885.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, Arete Research lifted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $735.00 to $806.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $791.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total value of $4,379,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer owned 828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $462,024. This represents a 90.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total transaction of $5,063,409.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares in the company, valued at $7,260,343.46. The trade was a 41.09% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 146,647 shares of company stock worth $99,886,901. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 1.9%

NASDAQ META traded down $14.29 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $724.59. 6,681,911 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,448,250. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.85 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.31, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $779.82. The company has a 50 day moving average of $631.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $617.69. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $7.14 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is 7.91%.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $1,000 from $796 and maintained an Overweight rating, citing investor enthusiasm for Meta’s Muse AI product cycle. The target is bullish, although the analyst’s model reportedly anticipates a difficult period before the target becomes achievable. Why this analyst expects Meta stock to hit $1,000
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse AI assistant is reportedly leading app-download charts, reinforcing the company’s consumer AI momentum. Investors are also watching evidence that Muse can influence shopping behavior and create new commercial opportunities beyond advertising. Meta’s Muse assistant tops app charts
• Positive Sentiment: Meta and Sierra announced the Personal Agent Protocol, an open standard intended to let AI agents interact with businesses. Participation from companies including Shopify, Stripe, Walmart and Genesys could improve adoption and strengthen Meta’s position in emerging agent-driven commerce. Meta and Sierra launch protocol for AI agents
• Neutral Sentiment: Fifty-seven analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, with 44 buys, 10 holds and three strong buys. However, broad analyst support may already be reflected in Meta’s elevated valuation after its recent rally. Meta receives a Moderate Buy consensus
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain uncertain whether Muse’s download surge will translate into sustained daily usage and a profitable business model. Free access is helping adoption, but monetization and retention have not yet been established. Meta’s Muse assistant tops app charts
• Negative Sentiment: A New Mexico case could expose Meta to a penalty of up to $40 billion, creating a significant legal overhang ahead of an expected ruling this month. Meta’s heavy AI investment requirements and a recent quarterly EPS miss also raise execution concerns. New Mexico wants Meta to pay up to $40 billion

Meta Platforms Profile

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.