Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock: Talbot Financial LLC Lowers Position

Talbot Financial LLC lowered its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 13.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,222 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 3,606 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up 1.2% of Talbot Financial LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest position. Talbot Financial LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $16,840,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Horizons Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms during the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Advantage Trust Co bought a new stake in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $697.52 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $662.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $629.10. The stock has a market cap of $1.78 trillion, a PE ratio of 26.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The social networking company reported $7.40 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%. The business had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $63.34 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $7.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 26.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $900.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Monness Crespi & Hardt increased their target price on Meta Platforms from $730.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $830.00 to $780.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Meta Platforms from $860.00 to $762.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane decreased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $955.00 to $855.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $811.24.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $707.20, for a total transaction of $669,011.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 5,986 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,233,299.20. This trade represents a 13.65% 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 149,906 shares of company stock worth $102,347,409. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and earnings exceeded expectations. Meta reported record quarterly revenue of approximately $64.6 billion, up 26% year over year and above the roughly $63.3 billion consensus estimate. Earnings of $7.40 per share also surpassed analyst expectations near $6.54. The results highlighted continued strength in advertising volume, pricing and monetization. Meta Platforms Tops Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Muse is gaining meaningful traction. Meta said its AI assistant Muse has more than 10 million users, with shopping among the leading activities. Investors see the product as a potential way to increase engagement, improve recommendations and generate additional advertising and commerce revenue across Meta’s roughly 3.5 billion-user ecosystem. Meta Says Muse Has Over 10M Users
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts view the core business and AI returns favorably. Commentary following the report cited strong ad efficiency, higher engagement and healthy adjusted operating margins, supporting bullish views that Meta’s AI investments are beginning to contribute to the advertising business. Meta Q3 Strong Growth Makes This a Strong Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is expanding AI funding while trying to manage cash pressure. Third-quarter capital expenditures reached about $34.9 billion, and the company raised the low end of its annual spending outlook. A new nonvoting Class C share is intended to help fund the AI buildout without reducing Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control, but it introduces potential dilution and reinforces concerns about heavy future investment. Meta to Issue New Class of Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Legal liabilities remain a major overhang. A $9.9 billion charge tied to a teen social-media lawsuit weighed on reported profit, while a New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay $25 billion in a separate privacy case. Meta plans to appeal, but the judgment increases regulatory, financial and reputational risks. Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion to New Mexico
• Negative Sentiment: AI profitability is not yet established. Zuckerberg said Muse carries very high computing costs, and Reality Labs could lose approximately $15 billion next year. These losses may limit free cash flow and keep investors sensitive to whether AI growth ultimately produces returns exceeding the cost of the buildout. Meta CEO Says Muse and Reality Labs Are Unprofitable
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling added a modest cautionary signal. COO Javier Olivan sold shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Because the transactions were scheduled in advance, they are not necessarily a judgment on Meta’s outlook, but they reduce his direct ownership. SEC Insider Ownership Filing

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc is a technology company that develops social networking, messaging, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products. The company’s principal platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads, which enable users to connect, communicate, share content, and discover products and services.

Meta also operates Reality Labs, its division focused on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies. Reality Labs develops products such as Meta Quest virtual reality headsets and related software and experiences, along with research and hardware intended to support immersive computing.