Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Downgraded by Erste Group Bank to “Hold”

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) was downgraded by equities researchers at Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $900.00 price target (up from $870.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $849.00 to $856.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $810.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Wedbush lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-eight have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $845.54.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:META traded down $11.96 during trading on Thursday, reaching $567.27. 1,941,999 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 15,818,256. The stock has a market cap of $1.43 trillion, a P/E ratio of 24.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.31. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average of $640.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $662.64. Meta Platforms has a 52-week low of $479.80 and a 52-week high of $796.25.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 2,461 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Sunday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $639.77, for a total value of $1,574,473.97. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 12,108 shares in the company, valued at $7,746,335.16. This represents a 16.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 56,571 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $644.70, for a total value of $36,471,323.70. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 161,448 shares of company stock valued at $103,333,788. 13.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms

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

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $775 but kept an Overweight rating and called META a top pick, signaling buy-side conviction despite near-term headwinds. Morgan Stanley Trims PT
• Positive Sentiment: China’s commerce ministry said it supports law-abiding transnational tech deals after reports of a review of a Meta deal—this reduces near-term regulatory uncertainty for cross-border investments. China Supports Transnational Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Meta and Corning began construction to expand U.S. optical cable manufacturing to support Meta’s AI data-center buildout—evidence of durable, long-term capex commitments and supply-chain localization. Corning & Meta Expand Cable Capacity
• Positive Sentiment: Product and AI momentum: Meta launched new Ray‑Ban prescription smart glasses and is forming an elite AI lab for recommendations — both support engagement and longer-term monetization upside. Ray‑Ban Smart Glasses Meta Elite AI Lab
• Neutral Sentiment: Layoffs continue (168 roles in Washington state) — could lower near-term opex but also signal restructuring and product/VR challenges. Meta Layoffs in Washington
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary (Zacks, Seeking Alpha, retail press) highlights AI monetization upside and long-term growth potential — supportive but varies by conviction and timing. Seeking Alpha on AI Monetization
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risks remain the biggest near-term overhang: recent rulings in New Mexico and a California jury verdict found Meta liable for harms to teens, creating precedent that could invite thousands of similar suits and meaningful damages or regulatory pushback. TechCrunch on Legal Rulings MarketBeat Legal Impact

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.