Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) Receives $847.98 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fifty-three analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, forty-one have given a buy rating and five have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $848.50.

META has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Meta Platforms from $880.00 to $920.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Meta Platforms from $840.00 to $880.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Meta Platforms from $875.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $872.00 price target (up previously from $830.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, January 29th.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and forward guide strengthened the bull case: Meta beat on revenue and EPS and its guidance prompted upgrades and bullish analyst notes, supporting near‑term upside. Meta Platforms Posted Its Fastest Growth Guide in Years—Now What?
• Positive Sentiment: AI monetization and user metrics are improving: Seeking Alpha highlights AI-driven ad redistributions (Lattice/GEM), daily active users up ~7% to 3.58B, ad impressions +18% and Reels watch time +30% — signals that AI is already boosting engagement and ad revenue. Meta: Buy The AI Revolution
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional support: Several funds have added to Meta (e.g., Davis Selected Advisers, Alecta), and brokers have raised targets or reiterated buys—helps sustain buying momentum after the beat. Alecta Pensionsforsakring, Omsesidigt boosts Meta Platforms stake
• Neutral Sentiment: CapEx is rising as Meta scales AI infrastructure: Meta guided to much higher 2026 capex (investing in MTIA and data centers) — strategic for growth but capital‑intensive; impact on margins depends on monetization pace. Soaring Hyperscaler CapEx Signals Good Things Ahead for Broadcom
• Neutral Sentiment: ESG / renewable moves: Meta expanded a PPA for the Skull Creek solar plant — supports sustainability goals but has no immediate revenue impact. Zelestra Expands Relationship with Meta in the US (Skull Creek PPA)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: COO Javier Olivan disclosed multiple small sales (recently 517 shares), which is minor in size but can feed short‑term profit‑taking narratives. SEC Filing – Javier Olivan sale
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk in key markets: India’s top court questioned WhatsApp’s data‑sharing with Meta entities — any reimposed restrictions or fines could hurt growth/engagement in a large market. India’s top court questions WhatsApp data sharing
• Negative Sentiment: Cost and margin worries: Elevated AI and data‑center spending has investors debating trade‑off between near‑term margin pressure and long‑term gains; some profit‑taking followed the recent rally. Meta: Still A ‘Buy,’ But Nearing The End Of Its Run As Expenses Mount

Insider Activity

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $714.60, for a total transaction of $369,448.20. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 9,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,870,879. This represents a 5.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Jennifer Newstead sold 519 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $658.69, for a total value of $341,860.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 28,658 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,876,738.02. This trade represents a 1.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 39,594 shares of company stock worth $24,325,407 over the last ninety days. 13.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Westchester Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Bare Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $670.21 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a current ratio of 2.60. Meta Platforms has a one year low of $479.80 and a one year high of $796.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.69 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.52, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.28. The company’s fifty day moving average is $656.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $695.54.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.16 by $0.72. The business had revenue of $59.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $58.33 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 30.08% and a return on equity of 38.61%. The business’s revenue was up 23.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $8.02 EPS. Analysts forecast that Meta Platforms will post 26.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a $0.525 dividend. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is 8.94%.

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.