25,000 Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Shares Sold by Markel Group Inc.

Markel Group Inc. reduced its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 10.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 209,163 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 25,000 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms comprises approximately 1.2% of Markel Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Markel Group Inc.’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $151,681,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in META. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 18.6% in the second quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 18,777 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $10,577,000 after purchasing an additional 2,939 shares in the last quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc increased its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 33.6% in the second quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 3,031 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,707,000 after purchasing an additional 763 shares during the last quarter. William John Sempolinski acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,107,000. Sone Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 38.2% during the second quarter. Sone Capital Management LLC now owns 16,059 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $9,046,000 after buying an additional 4,440 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lakewood Capital Management LP lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 63.7% during the second quarter. Lakewood Capital Management LP now owns 115,985 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $65,333,000 after buying an additional 45,130 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan added Meta to its Analyst Focus List as a preferred internet stock, citing the strength of AI-powered advertising and potential new monetization opportunities. The endorsement helped lift shares. Article: Meta stock surges over 5% today: here’s why
• Positive Sentiment: Meta released Muse Ember, a lightweight, cost-efficient AI model built for agent tasks such as coding and document processing. Investors may see it as a step toward expanding AI capabilities efficiently. Article: Meta releases Muse Ember
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is expanding AI age-estimation technology globally on Instagram to identify teen users and apply Teen Account protections. The rollout could help address safety concerns, but comes amid multiple lawsuits alleging harm to teens. Article: Meta expands Instagram’s AI age-guessing tech globally
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concerns remain about the scale of Meta’s AI investment: a recent analysis noted that free cash flow turned negative last quarter. Heavy spending could weigh on returns if AI monetization does not keep pace. Article: Meta Platforms Stock: Is it a Steal of a Deal at $650?

Meta Platforms Trading Up 5.1%

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $641.37 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.64 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.28. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 1.90. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $676.23 and a 200 day moving average of $632.30.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The social networking company reported $7.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.86. Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 31.15%. The company had revenue of $64.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $63.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $7.25 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 29.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were given a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.16%.

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 946 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $614.15, for a total value of $580,985.90. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 4,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,514,330.10. This represents a 18.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 149,398 shares of company stock valued at $102,134,435. 13.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on META shares. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $763.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Phillip Securities raised Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $795.00 to $750.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Monness Crespi & Hardt reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $875.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $895.00 to $905.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $833.12.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc is a global technology company that develops social networking, messaging, and digital communication products. Its services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, which connect people and help businesses reach audiences around the world.

The company also develops virtual and augmented reality products and technologies through its Reality Labs division, including Quest headsets and related software and services. Advertising is a central part of Meta’s business, with its platforms providing tools for businesses to promote products and services.

Founded in 2004 as Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow students, the company changed its name to Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building social technologies and immersive digital experiences.