Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC Has $7.61 Million Stock Position in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 35.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,363 shares of the social networking company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,712 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms comprises approximately 1.6% of Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $7,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors increased its position in Meta Platforms by 0.4% in the second quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 3,506 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $2,587,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 2,223 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,641,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. now owns 1,075 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $794,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Trust Co of the South raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.8% during the third quarter. Trust Co of the South now owns 1,850 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $1,359,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sentinel Pension Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.6% in the third quarter. Sentinel Pension Advisors LLC now owns 915 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $672,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of META opened at $661.46 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $656.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $695.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52-week low of $479.80 and a 52-week high of $796.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a current ratio of 2.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.67 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.28.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.16 by $0.72. The firm had revenue of $59.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $58.33 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 30.08% and a return on equity of 38.61%. The business’s revenue was up 23.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $8.02 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 26.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is presently 8.94%.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Javier Olivan sold 2,610 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Saturday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $609.46, for a total value of $1,590,690.60. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 9,784 shares in the company, valued at $5,962,956.64. The trade was a 21.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 6,875 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Saturday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $609.46, for a total value of $4,190,037.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 88,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $53,857,980.20. This represents a 7.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 39,594 shares of company stock worth $24,325,407. 13.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst & media bullishness around Meta’s AI leadership and product traction reinforces upside potential — commentators (e.g., Jim Cramer) highlight Meta’s progress in automating model development, which supports the view that Meta can scale AI more efficiently. Meta Platforms (META) CEO Zuckerberg Has “Figured Out How to Have AI Make AI,” Says Jim Cramer
• Positive Sentiment: Bull case pieces argue Meta is monetizing AI strongly (ad redistribution, Reels engagement, models like Lattice/GEM), underpinning revenue and margins upside if execution continues. Meta: Buy The AI Revolution
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s elevated 2026 capex guide and extension of MTIA from inference to training signal sustained hyperscaler demand for AI infrastructure — positive for long‑term AI revenue capture and for partners/suppliers. Meta Soars After-Hours Forecasting Fastest Growth Since 2021
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed institutional moves: some funds (e.g., First Eagle) trimmed positions while others boosted stakes (Alecta, Davis), reflecting both profit‑taking and conviction — a wash for longer‑term ownership trends. First Eagle Investment Management Trims Meta Platforms Stake
• Neutral Sentiment: ESG/energy moves (new PPA for Skull Creek solar) reduce power/operational risk long‑term but are non‑revenue and increase near‑term capital/contract commitments. Zelestra Expands Relationship with Meta — Skull Creek Solar PPA
• Negative Sentiment: Broad market pressure: a broad Big Tech sell‑off tied to fears of an AI spending bubble has removed over $1 trillion from sector values, pressuring META alongside peers as investors de‑risk. Big Tech sees over $1 trillion wiped from stocks as fears of AI bubble ignite sell-off
• Negative Sentiment: Sell‑side caution: Needham warns of 10–15% downside citing valuation and capex risk — analyst caution can amplify short‑term selling if investors fear margin pressure from rising AI spend. Why Needham Warns That Meta Platforms Stock Could Be Headed for 10%-15% Downside
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/regulatory risk: reports questioning the legality of Meta’s data collection and renewed scrutiny around research/data practices (e.g., Moltbook comparisons to 2017 experiments) raise reputational and compliance concerns in key markets. Why Meta Platforms’ data collection is illegal Moltbook furor reminiscent of 2017 Facebook research experiment
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: small, regular sales by COO Javier Olivan have been disclosed — modest on their own but can feed narratives of near‑term profit taking. SEC Filing – Javier Olivan sale

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on META. Wedbush upped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Citizens Jmp reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $900.00 price objective (up previously from $750.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Monday, November 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $900.00 target price on Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Benchmark cut Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Pivotal Research lowered their price target on Meta Platforms from $930.00 to $910.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $847.40.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.

Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.