Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Insider Christopher Cox Sells 20,000 Shares

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) insider Christopher Cox sold 20,000 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $675.23, for a total transaction of $13,504,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 224,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $151,599,938.68. This represents a 8.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of META stock traded up $9.00 on Thursday, hitting $682.31. The stock had a trading volume of 15,881,519 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,988,018. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a twelve month low of $520.26 and a twelve month high of $790.80. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $605.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $609.16. The firm has a market cap of $1.74 trillion, a P/E ratio of 25.70, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). The business had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $7.14 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.91%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meta Platforms

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. RHL Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Advantage Trust Co acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: Custom AI chips could materially reduce costs. Bank of America estimates Meta could save approximately $8.5 billion in 2027 by shifting AI workloads from third-party chips to its own MTIA processors. Meta reportedly plans to deploy the MTIA 450, or Arke, in the first half of 2027, followed by the MTIA 500, or Astrid, later in the year. Meta Can Save $8.5 Billion in 2027 by Using Its Own MTIA Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Meta One and Muse offer new recurring-revenue opportunities. Meta’s paid Meta One subscription bundles enhanced features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, while the Muse AI agent is gaining attention as a potential new consumer and commerce platform. Reports indicate Meta One has reached 15 million subscriptions and trials, supporting the view that Meta is diversifying beyond advertising. Meta Tests AI as the Upsell for Free Social Media
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish ahead of Meta Connect. Bank of America reaffirmed its buy outlook, while Rosenblatt maintained a buy rating with an $886 price target. Citi also identified next week’s developer conference as a potential near-term catalyst. Meta Event Next Week Could Spark Stock Gains, Says Citi
• Neutral Sentiment: Camera-free smart glasses could broaden Meta’s hardware appeal. Meta reportedly plans to introduce camera-free glasses this fall, potentially addressing privacy concerns surrounding its existing camera-equipped Ray-Ban products, though the revenue impact remains uncertain. Meta Plans to Launch Camera-Free Smart Glasses
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and regulatory risks remain. A German court ruled Meta liable for fraudulent third-party advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, ordering damages and content removal. Separately, BMO flagged expanding global age-verification requirements as a regulatory risk for Meta’s platforms. German Court Rules Meta Liable for Fake Ads
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling provides a modest sentiment headwind. COO Javier Olivan sold shares worth roughly $1.04 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Because the sales were scheduled in advance, they do not necessarily signal deteriorating business expectations.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

META has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $815.00 to $725.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Meta Platforms to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Monness Crespi & Hardt lowered their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $890.00 to $730.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Meta Platforms from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $788.88.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company’s principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.