Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Given New $730.00 Price Target at BMO Capital Markets

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) had its price objective raised by equities research analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $710.00 to $730.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “market perform” rating on the social networking company’s stock. BMO Capital Markets’ target price indicates a potential upside of 9.16% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on Meta Platforms from $720.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $800.00 price target for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $828.93.

Meta Platforms Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $668.73 on Thursday. Meta Platforms has a 12-month low of $479.80 and a 12-month high of $796.25. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $646.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $695.85. The company has a market capitalization of $1.69 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.16 by $0.72. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 39.35% and a net margin of 30.89%.The firm had revenue of $59.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $58.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $8.02 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 23.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Meta Platforms will post 26.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, insider Jennifer Newstead sold 519 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $658.69, for a total transaction 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $665.00, for a total transaction of $343,805.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 10,132 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,737,780. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 40,113 shares of company stock worth $24,621,042 over the last quarter. Insiders own 13.61% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meta Platforms

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of META. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Meta Platforms by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 34,551 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $20,230,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,456 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $5,537,000 after purchasing an additional 875 shares in the last quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 294.7% in the 1st quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd now owns 150,000 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $86,454,000 after purchasing an additional 112,000 shares during the period. Kooman & Associates boosted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 2.8% during the second quarter. Kooman & Associates now owns 544 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $402,000 after buying an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Global Advisors LLC grew its position in Meta Platforms by 41.7% during the second quarter. Eagle Global Advisors LLC now owns 28,955 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $21,371,000 after buying an additional 8,527 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and strong guidance — Meta reported $8.88 EPS and ~$59.9B revenue, beating estimates, and guided Q1 revenue above Street consensus; the print supports the thesis that AI is already lifting ad monetization. CNBC: Meta beats on top, bottom lines, gives stronger-than-expected forecast
• Positive Sentiment: After‑hours rally and momentum — the beat + guidance sent META sharply higher in extended trading as traders priced faster growth and improving ad engagement metrics (Reels, ad impressions). Finbold: Here’s why Meta stock is soaring
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst reaction & upgrades — several firms refreshed price targets and reiterated Outperform/Buy calls after the results, supporting near‑term investor confidence. Seeking Alpha: Meta: Set For New Highs In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Product & revenue diversification tests — Meta is testing paid tiers for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp; potential long‑term upside but unclear near‑term impact on ad revenue. CNET: Meta confirms testing of premium subscriptions
• Neutral Sentiment: Supplier deals validate AI buildout — a multiyear Corning fiber‑optic deal (up to ~$6B) signals real infrastructure expansion that supports future AI capacity but also locks in spending. CNBC: Corning deal
• Negative Sentiment: Huge 2026 capex guide — management forecasted a dramatic rise in AI capex (roughly $115B–$135B), a front‑loaded spend that introduces margin and cash‑return uncertainty despite management’s view that operating income will hold. Reuters: Capex rise
• Negative Sentiment: Reality Labs drag — the XR unit posted ~ $6.02B operating loss in Q4 and prior reporting shows multi‑billion cash burns, keeping margin pressure and execution risk on the table. CNBC: Reality Labs loss
• Negative Sentiment: Minor insider selling — COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares (small relative to holdings), a note some investors track but not a major red flag. SEC filing: Insider sale

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.