Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Raises Position in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 69.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 99,735 shares of the social networking company’s stock after purchasing an additional 40,878 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for 0.9% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $72,326,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Eastern Bank raised its stake in Meta Platforms by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 151,949 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $110,190,000 after buying an additional 8,029 shares during the last quarter. Violich Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 4.1% in the third quarter. Violich Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,845 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $4,239,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the period. Silverleafe Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms during the third quarter valued at $341,000. Miller Global Investments LLC increased its position in Meta Platforms by 4.7% during the third quarter. Miller Global Investments LLC now owns 2,831 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $2,053,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Polaris Financial Partners bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the third quarter valued at about $7,818,000. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s advertising business delivered its strongest monthly stock performance in three years. Analysts see additional upside if ad growth, pricing and AI-driven monetization continue to support a higher 2027 valuation. Meta Stock Could Have Another Big Run Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analysis awarded Meta a Buy rating, arguing that its large user base and advertising cash flow can fund AI investments. Revenue growth of 28% year over year has outpaced user growth, indicating better monetization through higher ad prices and engagement. Meta Platforms: The AI Spending Looks Crazy; The Economics Don’t
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary on Meta’s Muse AI launch suggests the technology could become a major catalyst for commerce and advertising, with one forecast envisioning a path toward $1,000 per share. The outlook is speculative but adds to the positive AI narrative. Meta Muse: Sparking the AI Revolution
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta executives are scheduled to testify before New York City officials about AI risks and possible legislation. The hearing could increase regulatory scrutiny, though no immediate financial impact was announced. AI Executives Set to Testify at NYC Council Hearing
• Negative Sentiment: Meta, TikTok and X are challenging Ofcom’s demands for information under the United Kingdom’s online-safety regime. The dispute highlights potential compliance costs and regulatory exposure. Meta, TikTok and X Challenge UK Watchdog
• Negative Sentiment: Meta’s planned AI infrastructure spending—estimated at $130 billion to $145 billion by 2026—raises execution and return-on-investment risks. Investors need evidence that AI monetization will justify the unusually large capital commitments. Meta AI Spending Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Several lawsuits could create substantial liabilities and reduce Meta’s ability to spend on chips and data centers, presenting a direct risk to its AI strategy. Meta AI Plans Could Be Crippled by Lawsuits
• Negative Sentiment: Investor Steve Weiss said he reduced his Meta position as the 10-year Treasury yield approached 5.26%. Higher yields can pressure valuations for high-growth technology stocks and make Meta’s future cash flows less attractive. Analyst Sells Cisco and Trims Meta

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total value of $2,002,514.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,271 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan Li sold 9,196 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $7,260,343.46. This represents 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 146,647 shares of company stock worth $99,886,901. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Phillip Securities raised shares of Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $795.00 to $750.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Wedbush upped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $595.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. DZ Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $720.00 to $580.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $787.86.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

META traded up $15.57 on Monday, hitting $743.65. 7,719,451 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,491,527. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $625.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $615.98. 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, Inc. has a one year low of $520.26 and a one year high of $779.82. The firm has a market cap of $1.89 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.19.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $7.14 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 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 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.