Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Bought by WoodTrust Financial Corp

WoodTrust Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 378.2% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 11,587 shares of the social networking company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,164 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms makes up about 1.0% of WoodTrust Financial Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. WoodTrust Financial Corp’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $8,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Shipley& Co Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Shipley& Co Ltd now owns 13,992 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $10,147,000 after buying an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 1,139 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $826,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 787 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $571,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the period. McNaughton Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 3.0% during the third quarter. McNaughton Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,414 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $2,476,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vilga Financial Planning LLC boosted its stake in Meta Platforms by 5.5% during the third quarter. Vilga Financial Planning LLC now owns 1,601 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $1,161,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $718.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.83 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.07, a PEG ratio of 1.26 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $640.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $620.09. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a twelve month low of $520.26 and a twelve month high of $779.82.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last issued its quarterly 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The business’s 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 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.94 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on META. Arete Research lifted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $735.00 to $806.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and issued a $810.00 target price on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Meta Platforms from $720.00 to $580.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Loop Capital raised their price objective on Meta Platforms from $740.00 to $955.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $791.86.

More Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Advertising remains the core bullish argument. Meta’s revenue increased 28% year over year to $60.8 billion in fiscal second-quarter 2026, and micro-drama content is emerging as a potential source of incremental advertising demand. Why Meta is winning the micro drama wars
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Meta’s AI-driven growth. TD Cowen reaffirmed a Buy rating with an $865 price target, while Wells Fargo sees a path toward a substantially higher valuation if AI improves ad performance and creates new revenue streams. Meta Could Hit $1,000, Says Wells Fargo
• Positive Sentiment: Meta is expanding its AI ecosystem. The company’s Muse agent, enterprise AI platform and AI-enabled smart-glasses strategy could provide new commerce, productivity and hardware opportunities beyond traditional social-media advertising. Meta’s decision to ban ByteDance and TikTok advertising in several markets also intensifies its competitive positioning. Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Decision to Pull the Trigger on Meta’s A.I. Agent
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s AI investment is producing both growth and financial strain. Revenue growth is strong, but free cash flow fell to $784 million from $8.55 billion a year earlier as data-center and AI infrastructure spending surged. Investors need evidence that Muse and other AI projects can eventually generate returns. Meta’s Sales Jumped 28% While Free Cash Flow Shrank
• Negative Sentiment: Muse faces adoption and monetization obstacles. Jefferies found that roughly one-third of tested websites blocked the agent, while Amazon reportedly blocked it, potentially delaying Meta’s plans to earn transaction fees from AI-powered commerce. Analysts also question whether the service can become profitable at scale. Meta’s Muse AI agent blocked by one-third of websites tested
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and reputational risks remain a drag. Florida is pursuing restrictions on teen access and infinite-scroll features, while criticism surrounding the film The Social Reckoning and Meta’s handling of harmful AI-generated content could increase scrutiny. A planned-transaction sale by COO Javier Olivan adds a modest insider-selling concern. Meta Stock Falls as Florida Asks a Court to Switch Off Infinite Scroll for Teens

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In related news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $728.08, for a total value of $688,763.68. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 7,878 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,735,814.24. The trade was a 10.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through 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 dated Thursday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $777.44, for a total transaction of $21,359,386.56. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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.

About Meta Platforms

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.