Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Earns Overweight Rating from KeyCorp

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)‘s stock had its “overweight” rating reissued by KeyCorp in a report released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $900.00 price objective on the social networking company’s stock. KeyCorp’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 17.97% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $720.00 to $580.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $800.00 price objective (down from $850.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and set a $810.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $945.00 price target (down from $995.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $796.51.

Meta Platforms Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of META traded up $19.97 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $762.93. 19,426,664 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,496,889. The company has a market capitalization of $1.94 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.19. 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 business has a 50 day moving average of $644.04 and a 200 day moving average of $621.26. Meta Platforms has a 1-year low of $520.26 and a 1-year high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The firm had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $7.14 EPS. Meta Platforms’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms will post 27.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total value of $21,359,386.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 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 that occurred on Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $728.08, for a total value of $688,763.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 7,878 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,735,814.24. This trade represents a 10.72% decrease in their position. 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. Insiders have sold 148,222 shares of company stock worth $101,033,627 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.5% in the third quarter. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. now owns 2,530 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,835,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. First County Bank CT lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 19.1% in the third quarter. First County Bank CT now owns 3,019 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $2,189,000 after buying an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Steel Grove Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 0.9% during the third quarter. Steel Grove Capital Advisors LLC now owns 43,835 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $31,788,000 after acquiring an additional 399 shares during the last quarter. Level Financial Advisors boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 2.2% during the third quarter. Level Financial Advisors now owns 820 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $595,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jericho Financial LLP grew its stake in Meta Platforms by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Jericho Financial LLP now owns 12,795 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $9,279,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta introduced Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, its first frontier AI models, designed for personal assistants and professional agents that can maintain long-term memory and complete complex, multi-step tasks. Meta says the models are competitive with offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic, strengthening its position in the AI race. Meta releases its first frontier model, Muse Wonder
• Positive Sentiment: Third-party app data reportedly showed early Muse user-retention rates comparable with ChatGPT, helping reinforce the possibility that Meta can build a meaningful standalone AI product and eventually generate subscription revenue. Muse access is being offered through monthly plans priced at $20 and $100. Why Meta Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street support has strengthened. Truist issued a Street-high $1,000 price target tied to AI adoption and advertising improvements, while KeyCorp and Rosenblatt reaffirmed bullish ratings with targets of $900 and $886, respectively. Analysts also cite AI-driven ad growth and improved ad conversions as additional support. Social Media Stocks Rally as Truist Sets $1,000 Meta Target
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Quest ecosystem received a commercial boost as Virtuix became an official Meta reseller and launched Omni One bundles with Quest headsets. Virtuix said orders increased approximately threefold following its Quest launch, potentially supporting demand for Meta’s virtual-reality hardware ecosystem. Virtuix Deepens Meta Partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta will report third-quarter results after the market closes on October 21. Investors will focus on revenue guidance of $61 billion to $64 billion, AI-related spending of approximately $130 billion to $145 billion, advertising growth, and evidence that Muse adoption is translating into revenue. Meta to Announce Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the enthusiasm, Meta’s valuation is elevated after its recent rally, and analysts warn that heavy AI infrastructure costs could pressure margins. The stock is also near its 52-week high, increasing the risk of profit-taking if Muse growth or quarterly results disappoint. Meta Platforms Rises 12% in 3 Months

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.