Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Price Target Raised to $950.00

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) had its price target lifted by Canaccord Genuity Group from $930.00 to $950.00 in a research note published on Friday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Canaccord Genuity Group currently has a buy rating on the social networking company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. CICC Research decreased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $773.00 to $700.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Wednesday. Roth Capital decreased their target price on Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $600.00 price target (down from $700.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $785.90.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

NASDAQ:META opened at $751.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Meta Platforms has a twelve month low of $520.26 and a twelve month high of $779.82. The company has a fifty day moving average of $615.16 and a 200-day moving average of $612.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.91 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). The company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The firm’s revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $7.14 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms will post 27.93 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.91%.

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In related news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $680.27, for a total value of $643,535.42. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 9,770 shares in the company, valued at $6,646,237.90. This represents a 8.83% decrease in their position. The transaction 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, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their position. 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 123,333 shares of company stock valued at $80,795,845 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of META. RHL Group LLC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms during the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Muse momentum remains the main bullish catalyst. Early reviews, rising user traction and Meta’s new early-access program for upcoming Muse features are reinforcing expectations that the AI assistant could become a major consumer product and future revenue stream. Meta opens early access program for new Muse features
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising price targets. Deutsche Bank, TD Cowen, Canaccord Genuity and other firms lifted targets and maintained bullish ratings, citing Muse’s potential to expand Meta beyond advertising through subscriptions, commerce and AI services. Meta price targets raised as Muse gains momentum
• Positive Sentiment: AI hardware could broaden Muse’s distribution. Meta is integrating Muse into Ray-Ban AI glasses and introducing additional wearable and VR products, creating potential new hardware, services and commerce opportunities.
• Neutral Sentiment: Friday’s decline appears largely technical. After rising roughly 36% during September and approaching a $2 trillion market value, Meta faced profit-taking and a pullback from recent highs. Bullish options activity suggests some traders continue to view the weakness as a buying opportunity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Large capital spending remains a key debate. Investors are encouraged by Meta’s AI strategy but remain uncertain whether heavy spending on infrastructure and Reality Labs will generate sufficient returns.
• Negative Sentiment: New Mexico litigation adds regulatory risk. A jury found that Meta misled state residents in a case related to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, potentially increasing legal costs and scrutiny. Meta misled consumers in New Mexico jury case
• Negative Sentiment: A Muse security vulnerability was identified. Meta is adding clearer safety warnings after a vulnerability reportedly could expose sensitive user information, raising concerns about trust and adoption of its AI agent. Meta bolsters Muse safety warning after vulnerability
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and monetization obstacles remain. Amazon blocked Muse from accessing its platform, while privacy concerns around camera-equipped glasses and skepticism toward new AI hardware could limit Meta’s growth plans.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a cautionary signal. Christopher Cox sold 40,000 shares and COO Javier Olivan sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. The transactions do not necessarily indicate reduced confidence, but they add to concerns after the stock’s rapid advance.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company’s principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.