Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Stock Price Up 2.3% – Time to Buy?

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) rose 2.3% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $653.88 and last traded at $653.69. Approximately 11,190,007 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 30% from the average daily volume of 16,035,173 shares. The stock had previously closed at $639.30.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Blockbuster AMD AI deal validates Meta’s AI buildout — Meta agreed to deploy up to ~6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs (potentially $60–$100B over time) and could take an equity stake, reducing supplier concentration and locking in multi‑year capacity that supports growth expectations. AMD clinches second mega chip supply deal
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and other brokers reiterate constructive view — BofA kept Buy ratings on META (and AMD), saying the AMD agreement strengthens Meta’s long‑term positioning despite higher capex. That analyst backing helps underpin investor confidence after the headline deal. Meta-AMD AI deal boosts scale but extends high capex cycle, analysts say
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamentals and engagement remain strong — Bullish research highlights accelerating user/ARPU trends and Threads engagement as incremental growth drivers, supporting upside to ad monetization as Meta layers AI features. Meta Platforms: The Growth Machine That Keeps On Giving
• Neutral Sentiment: Stablecoin/payments plans under study — Reports say Meta is exploring stablecoin‑based payments across its apps in H2‑2026; a longer‑term monetization opportunity but dependent on partners and regulatory approvals. Meta Hopes to Launch Stablecoin Payments Project This Year
• Neutral Sentiment: White House convening on data‑center power costs — Meta is among hyperscalers invited to a government meeting aimed at reining in electricity costs for AI/data centers — relevant to operating costs but not an immediate earnings catalyst. White House to host Big Tech in pledge to rein in power costs
• Neutral Sentiment: Renewable power deal for US data center capacity — Meta signed an 80‑MW solar offtake in Pennsylvania to support operations; ESG/operationally positive but small short‑term financial impact. MN8 Energy Supports Meta’s U.S. Data Center Operations
• Negative Sentiment: Massive capex outlook remains a headwind — Markets remain focused on Meta’s 2026 capex guidance (roughly $115–$135B) and the spending implied by dual deals with Nvidia and AMD; higher capital intensity could pressure free cash flow and raise dilution/valuation concerns. Why Is Meta Platforms Stock Underperforming?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale and governance signal — CFO Susan Li sold ~18,789 shares (~$12.2M), reducing her position ~21% — routine filers can amplify investor nervousness when combined with other headwinds. SEC filing: Susan J. Li sale
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and reputational risks — Recent court filings show internal concern that end‑to‑end encryption could hamper child‑safety reporting, keeping regulatory and litigation risk on the front pages. Meta executive warned Facebook Messenger encryption plan was ‘so irresponsible’
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/market warnings — Some traders and commentators flag technical patterns that could presage a correction, a reminder that momentum from deal headlines can reverse if fundamentals or macro sentiment shift. Meta stock on the verge of a brutal bear cycle, warns expert

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America increased their price target on Meta Platforms from $810.00 to $885.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $785.00 to $820.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $840.00 to $880.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore boosted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $875.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $844.44.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 2.3%

The company has a market cap of $1.65 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.28. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $656.11 and its 200-day moving average is $687.24. The company has a current ratio of 2.60, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.16 by $0.72. The firm had revenue of $59.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $8.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 26.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is presently 8.94%.

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In other news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 8,089 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $631.24, for a total transaction of $5,106,100.36. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 2,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,793,352.84. This represents a 74.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 18,789 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $650.00, for a total value of $12,212,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 68,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,777,200. This represents a 21.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 46,580 shares of company stock worth $30,048,498. 13.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Westchester Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Meta Platforms during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. RHL Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Niles Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Meta Platforms

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.