Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Sold by VestGen Advisors LLC

VestGen Advisors LLC reduced its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 8.7% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 39,352 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 3,734 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms accounts for approximately 0.9% of VestGen Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest position. VestGen Advisors LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $28,537,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in META. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 18.6% in the second quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 18,777 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $10,577,000 after acquiring an additional 2,939 shares in the last quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 33.6% in the 2nd quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 3,031 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,707,000 after purchasing an additional 763 shares during the period. William John Sempolinski purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,107,000. Sone Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 38.2% during the 2nd quarter. Sone Capital Management LLC now owns 16,059 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $9,046,000 after purchasing an additional 4,440 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lakewood Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 63.7% during the 2nd quarter. Lakewood Capital Management LP now owns 115,985 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $65,333,000 after purchasing an additional 45,130 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

META has been the subject of several research reports. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $600.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Citic Securities dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $718.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Yorkville Ives started coverage on Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $900.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $833.12.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $621.03 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $672.41 and a 200 day moving average of $632.16. The stock has a market cap of $1.59 trillion, a P/E ratio of 21.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.28. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $520.26 and a 12 month high of $779.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 31.15% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $63.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $7.25 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were given a $0.5250 dividend. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.16%.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s bond sale attracted orders reportedly reaching $58 billion, a sign of robust investor appetite for the company’s debt. That demand may have helped support the stock despite concerns about Big Tech’s AI spending. Article: Meta stock rises as $20B bond sale attracts strong investor demand
• Positive Sentiment: Meta completed a $15 billion, five-part U.S. bond sale. The successful issuance gives the company capital to support its investment plans, while recent earnings-call coverage highlighted ad growth and adoption of its Muse AI tools. Article: Meta raises $15 billion in five-part US bond sale Article: META Q3 Earnings Call Put Spotlight on Muse Growth and AI Spending
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta and Snap settled claims related to alleged harm to young users from social media; financial terms were not disclosed. The settlements avert the scheduled trial, but do not resolve broader scrutiny of platform design. Article: Snap Settled a Social Media Addiction Suit
• Negative Sentiment: The bond financing underscores the cost of Meta’s AI ambitions. Reports indicate borrowing costs rose, while the company is ramping up spending on data centers and AI models—raising questions about returns and pressure on future cash flow. Article: Apple Shares Slip, Meta Debt Costs Rise Article: Meta seeks to raise up to $25 billion in debt sale as AI spending jumps
• Negative Sentiment: Meta postponed new business terms after backlash over potential web scraping, and reports of its AI crawler overwhelming a small business website add to reputational and policy risks. Article: Meta delays new business terms after outcry over potential web scraping of news sites

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Monday, October 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $640.00, for a total transaction of $605,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 5,040 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,225,600. This trade represents a 15.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 149,515 shares of company stock valued at $102,183,520 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

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.