Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Earns “Buy” Rating from TD Cowen

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by stock analysts at TD Cowen in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $865.00 target price on the social networking company’s stock. TD Cowen’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 20.32% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on META. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Monness Crespi & Hardt boosted their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $730.00 to $830.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $955.00 to $855.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Loop Capital lifted their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $740.00 to $955.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $763.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Three equities 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $791.86.

Meta Platforms Stock Down 0.3%

NASDAQ META traded down $2.42 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $718.89. The stock had a trading volume of 9,552,115 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,441,277. The stock has a market cap of $1.83 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.19. Meta Platforms has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $634.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $618.50.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last posted 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). The business had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $7.14 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Meta Platforms will post 27.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Meta Platforms

In other news, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 27,474 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. 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 sold 148,222 shares of company stock valued at $101,033,627 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meta Platforms

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of META. Horizons Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Advantage Trust Co bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

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.