Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stock Sold by Vista Investment Partners LLC

Vista Investment Partners LLC cut its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 32.7% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,508 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 732 shares during the quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $1,094,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Meta Platforms by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Peterson Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,020 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $739,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. increased its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.6% in the third quarter. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. now owns 2,434 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $1,765,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 39.3% in the third quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. now owns 96,774 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $70,179,000 after purchasing an additional 27,298 shares in the last quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 86.9% during the 3rd quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 114 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ayalon Insurance Comp Ltd. increased its holdings in Meta Platforms by 48.6% during the 3rd quarter. Ayalon Insurance Comp Ltd. now owns 21,400 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $15,519,000 after acquiring an additional 7,000 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ META traded down $4.09 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $717.22. 8,371,522 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,434,770. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $634.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $618.50. The company has a market capitalization of $1.83 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52-week low of $520.26 and a 52-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.

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). Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $60.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $7.14 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were issued 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 currently 7.91%.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: TD Cowen reaffirmed its “Buy” rating and set an $865 price target, implying substantial upside from recent levels. A broader analyst survey also shows a “Moderate Buy” consensus. Benzinga analyst rating report
• Positive Sentiment: Muse is gaining distribution: Meta’s Muse AI assistant launched on iPad shortly after its mobile debut and has topped app-download charts. The traction could strengthen Meta’s consumer AI strategy, although investors still need evidence that usage will become habitual and economically valuable. Meta’s Muse launches on iPad
• Positive Sentiment: AI ecosystem opportunities are expanding: Meta is working with Sierra, Shopify, Stripe, Walmart and others on an open protocol allowing AI agents to interact with businesses. The initiative could support future commerce and advertising use cases. Meta and Sierra AI agent protocol
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive stock sales were planned: COO Javier Olivan sold shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transactions reduce his holdings but do not necessarily signal a change in management’s outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Manus raises independent capital: The AI startup’s parent raised more than $500 million after Meta abandoned its proposed acquisition. The funding validates Manus but also highlights that Meta no longer owns the potential asset. Manus raises more than $500 million after Meta exit
• Negative Sentiment: Florida is escalating youth-safety litigation: The state’s attorney general is seeking restrictions that could disable or limit infinite-scroll features for users under 14. Such restrictions could reduce engagement, advertising inventory and product flexibility if adopted more broadly. Florida seeks limits on Meta’s teen features
• Negative Sentiment: AI spending is raising cash-flow concerns: Meta is doubling down on data centers and AI infrastructure, but unlike cloud providers it primarily expects returns through its own apps rather than external cloud revenue. Investors are therefore focused on whether the spending will produce measurable advertising, engagement or AI monetization gains. Meta AI infrastructure cash-flow analysis

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. DZ Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $710.00 to $875.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. President Capital upgraded Meta Platforms from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $660.00 to $897.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-four have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $791.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Meta Platforms news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were 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 directly owned 6,271 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. The trade was a 34.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan Li sold 9,196 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total transaction of $5,063,409.56. Following the sale, the chief financial officer 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 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 148,222 shares of company stock worth $101,033,627 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

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 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.