Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock: Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC Lowers Position

Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC cut its stake in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 69.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 457 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 1,030 shares during the period. Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Verity Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 3rd quarter valued at $233,000. Ascent Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 54,608 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $39,600,000 after buying an additional 1,107 shares in the last quarter. Caldwell Trust Co boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Caldwell Trust Co now owns 11,088 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $8,041,000 after buying an additional 553 shares during the period. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC now owns 12,953 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $9,393,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Team Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 3rd quarter worth $143,000. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $641.37 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 1.90. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $676.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $632.30. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82. The firm has a market cap of $1.64 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.28.

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

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is 7.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In other news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total value of $5,063,409.56. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,260,343.46. The trade was a 41.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total value of $2,002,514.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at $3,875,854.26. This represents a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 149,398 shares of company stock worth $102,134,435. Insiders own 13.42% of the company’s stock.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan added Meta to its Analyst Focus List as a preferred internet stock, citing the strength of AI-powered advertising and potential new monetization opportunities. The endorsement helped lift shares. Article: Meta stock surges over 5% today: here’s why
• Positive Sentiment: Meta released Muse Ember, a lightweight, cost-efficient AI model built for agent tasks such as coding and document processing. Investors may see it as a step toward expanding AI capabilities efficiently. Article: Meta releases Muse Ember
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is expanding AI age-estimation technology globally on Instagram to identify teen users and apply Teen Account protections. The rollout could help address safety concerns, but comes amid multiple lawsuits alleging harm to teens. Article: Meta expands Instagram’s AI age-guessing tech globally
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concerns remain about the scale of Meta’s AI investment: a recent analysis noted that free cash flow turned negative last quarter. Heavy spending could weigh on returns if AI monetization does not keep pace. Article: Meta Platforms Stock: Is it a Steal of a Deal at $650?

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on META shares. President Capital upgraded Meta Platforms from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $660.00 to $897.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $780.00 to $880.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Moffett Nathanson dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $740.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Arete Research upped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $735.00 to $806.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their target price on Meta Platforms from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $833.12.

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a global technology company that develops social networking, messaging, and digital communication products. Its services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, which connect people and help businesses reach audiences around the world.

The company also develops virtual and augmented reality products and technologies through its Reality Labs division, including Quest headsets and related software and services. Advertising is a central part of Meta’s business, with its platforms providing tools for businesses to promote products and services.

Founded in 2004 as Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow students, the company changed its name to Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building social technologies and immersive digital experiences.