Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Position Raised by First Community Trust NA

First Community Trust NA grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 8.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,460 shares of the social networking company’s stock after acquiring an additional 770 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms comprises 2.3% of First Community Trust NA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. First Community Trust NA’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $6,860,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $69,502,379,000 after purchasing an additional 105,154,977 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 92,033,963 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $51,841,811,000 after buying an additional 3,510,123 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 14.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,038,035 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $12,036,491,000 after purchasing an additional 2,673,494 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 18,200,469 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $12,013,948,000 after buying an additional 1,046,715 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 12,836,063 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $7,230,426,000 after acquiring an additional 162,909 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on META. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $800.00 target price (down from $850.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $930.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. HSBC dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $905.00 to $830.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Evercore lifted their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $860.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, China Renaissance decreased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $700.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $791.86.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In related news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 828 shares in the company, valued at $462,024. This trade represents a 90.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 146,647 shares of company stock valued at $99,886,901 over the last quarter. 13.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Meta Platforms Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:META traded down $14.29 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $724.59. 6,681,911 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,448,250. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $631.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $617.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.85 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 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, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last released its earnings results 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). The business had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.14 earnings per share. 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.91%.

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.