GoalVest Advisory LLC Raises Holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 1,355.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,671 shares of the social networking company’s stock after buying an additional 56,502 shares during the period. Meta Platforms accounts for about 2.3% of GoalVest Advisory LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. GoalVest Advisory LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $43,997,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in META. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $69,502,379,000 after purchasing an additional 105,154,977 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 92,033,963 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $51,841,811,000 after buying an additional 3,510,123 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 52,806,712 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $34,734,628,000 after buying an additional 878,396 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at about $22,152,075,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 14.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,038,035 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $12,036,491,000 after acquiring an additional 2,673,494 shares during the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

META has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. China Renaissance decreased their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $700.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $710.00 to $875.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $780.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Citizens Jmp increased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $885.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $787.86.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other news, CFO Susan J. Li sold 9,196 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total value of $5,063,409.56. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,260,343.46. The trade was a 41.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 3,348 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $600.97, for a total transaction of $2,012,047.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 9,498 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,708,013.06. The trade was a 26.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 151,882 shares of company stock valued at $103,032,319 in the last quarter. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:META traded up $4.95 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $730.88. The stock had a trading volume of 6,135,019 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,507,283. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $622.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $615.28. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market capitalization of $1.86 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.19.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The business had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $7.14 earnings per share. Meta Platforms’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.5250 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.91%.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Muse adoption is strengthening Meta’s AI narrative. Meta’s free AI agent reportedly surpassed 5 million downloads, while the company is expanding Muse for small businesses with tools tied to advertising, sales and operations. The company is also pursuing e-commerce integrations, including cooperation with Walmart. Zuckerberg’s Free AI Agent Hit 5 Million Downloads
• Positive Sentiment: Investors see a path from AI investment to revenue growth. Analysts and commentators say Meta may benefit as the market shifts from rewarding AI infrastructure spending to companies already using AI to improve advertising efficiency. Meta’s advertising business is described as performing strongly, and the company’s September rally reflects optimism about AI-driven growth. Meta Could Be the AI Trade’s Come-From-Behind Winner
• Positive Sentiment: Meta is securing additional AI capacity. Nebius reportedly signed a $27 billion AI-capacity agreement with Meta, signaling continued demand for computing resources and Meta’s willingness to support its AI ambitions. The commitment could help Muse and other AI products scale, although it also increases spending requirements. Nebius Group Signs $27B AI Capacity Deal With Meta Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Competition and execution are becoming the next test. OpenAI launched Dots, an “always-on” AI agent that directly competes with Muse. Analysts say sustained upside now depends on Muse’s ability to monetize users while avoiding privacy problems. Meta has disputed a claim that Muse accessed private messages without permission. Meta Platforms: Things May Get Ugly
• Negative Sentiment: New Mexico is seeking as much as $40 billion in privacy penalties. Following a jury finding that Meta misled Facebook users about data privacy, the state asked a judge to impose $35 billion to $40 billion in penalties. The final amount is unresolved, but the potential liability represents a significant overhang. New Mexico Wants Meta to Pay Up to $40 Billion
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and AI spending leave little room for disappointment. Meta shares rose sharply in September, but investors still need evidence that Muse will generate attractive returns. A broader concern is that surging AI infrastructure supply could pressure computing prices, raising questions about the returns on Meta’s large capital commitments. One Number Could Tell Us Where Meta Stock Goes Next

Meta Platforms Company Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company operates a global family of apps that includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, enabling users to connect, communicate, share content and discover communities.

Meta generates most of its business through digital advertising displayed across its platforms. Its products serve individuals, creators, businesses and organizations in markets around the world, while its advertising tools help businesses reach audiences based on factors such as interests, activity and demographics.

Through its Reality Labs division, Meta develops virtual and augmented reality hardware, software and services, including the Meta Quest line of headsets and related experiences.