Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 45.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,524 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 2,140 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up about 1.1% of Reyes Financial Architecture Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 10th largest position. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc.’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $1,830,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of META. Watchman Group Inc. grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 0.3% in the first 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 grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Penney Financial LLC now owns 399 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $228,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.0% during the 1st 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. Bill Few Associates Inc. increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bill Few Associates Inc. now owns 1,206 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $874,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Value Partners Investments Inc. increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. now owns 866 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $630,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company’s stock.
Meta Platforms Trading Down 1.9%
Shares of META opened at $630.56 on Tuesday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82. The company has a market capitalization of $1.61 trillion, a PE ratio of 21.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $664.68 and a two-hundred day moving average of $632.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 1.90.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $63.34 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The business’s revenue was up 26.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $7.25 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.86 EPS for the current year.
Meta Platforms Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were given a dividend of $0.5250 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is 7.16%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
META has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $1,000.00 to $995.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Susquehanna raised their price target on Meta Platforms from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Arete Research boosted their price target on Meta Platforms from $735.00 to $806.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Barclays upped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $780.00 to $880.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Tigress Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $945.00 price objective (down from $995.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $833.12.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Meta Platforms
Insider Activity
In other news, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total transaction of $28,510,400.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at $131,515,624.16. This represents a 17.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at 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 firm’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 directly 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. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 148,440 shares of company stock valued at $101,456,300 in the last three months. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.
Key Meta Platforms News
Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Meta plans to invest heavily in AI infrastructure, proprietary models, personal “superintelligence,” AI assistants such as Muse, and smart glasses. Analysts say the spending could accelerate new product launches and create additional monetization opportunities. Meta’s $95 Billion AI Push Could Accelerate New Product Launches
- Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remain bullish, citing Meta’s strong advertising business, user engagement, international revenue growth and relatively low valuation. The company recently reported quarterly revenue of $64.6 billion, up 26% year over year, while earnings exceeded expectations. Analysts Stand by Meta’s AI Push
- Positive Sentiment: Investors could eventually benefit if AI improves ad targeting, engagement and new product revenue. Some research argues that Meta’s core Family of Apps business remains attractively valued despite current AI and Reality Labs losses. Meta Platforms: Muse May Be Metaverse 2.0
- Neutral Sentiment: Meta announced approximately $35 billion of equity offerings and plans to raise as much as $95 billion overall, including up to $60 billion through an at-the-market program involving new nonvoting Class C shares. The proceeds are intended to fund AI infrastructure and long-term growth. Meta Announces $95 Billion Stock Offering
- Neutral Sentiment: The financing plan includes a new share class and a mandatory convertible preferred offering that could carry a 6%–6.5% dividend yield, changing Meta’s capital structure while limiting immediate cash funding needs. The New Meta Convertible Stock Offering
- Negative Sentiment: The planned stock issuance creates dilution risk and signals that Meta’s AI buildout will require substantial external capital. Investors are also concerned that aggressive spending could compress margins and weaken free cash flow before AI investments generate returns.
- Negative Sentiment: Meta’s elevated capital-expenditure outlook, combined with a reported $9.89 billion legal charge, has intensified concerns about near-term earnings quality, cash flow and execution risk. Meta Q3 Legal Charge and Capital Expenditures
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’s principal platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads, which enable users to connect, communicate, share content, and discover products and services.
Meta also operates Reality Labs, its division focused on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies. Reality Labs develops products such as Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and related software and experiences, along with research and hardware intended to support immersive computing.
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