Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Position Lifted by Leuthold Group LLC

Leuthold Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 30,592 shares of the social networking company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,036 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms comprises about 2.5% of Leuthold Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Leuthold Group LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $22,466,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bare Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. WFA Asset Management Corp increased its position in Meta Platforms by 42.6% during the second quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 67 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $59,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jennifer Newstead sold 519 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $624.14, for a total value of $323,928.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 31,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,506,247.42. This represents a 1.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Susan J. Li sold 6,418 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Sunday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $639.77, for a total value of $4,106,043.86. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 73,346 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $46,924,570.42. This trade represents a 8.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 20,738 shares of company stock worth $13,362,921. 13.61% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $644.78 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $656.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $690.96. The company has a market cap of $1.63 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.44, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a current ratio of 2.60. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a one year low of $479.80 and a one year high of $796.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.16 by $0.72. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 30.08% and a return on equity of 38.61%. The company had revenue of $59.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $58.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $8.02 earnings per share. Meta Platforms’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 26.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is currently 8.94%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on META shares. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $800.00 price objective (up from $770.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Argus reissued a “buy” rating and set a $800.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Meta Platforms from $785.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $844.29.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major NVIDIA multiyear deal — Meta signed a multigenerational agreement to buy millions of NVIDIA GPUs and adopt NVIDIA CPUs, networking and rack designs, strengthening its AI roadmap and securing long‑term supply for data‑center buildout. This deal underpins the rally as it reduces Meta’s hardware risk and accelerates product timelines. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Big investors leaning into the AI thesis — Reports (including 13F mentions) show some prominent funds increasing Meta exposure on the AI infrastructure/advertising opportunity, adding conviction to the upside. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Product roadmap shifts — Meta is refocusing Horizon Worlds toward mobile (less VR) and will shut down Messenger’s standalone website; these are strategic pivots that change execution risk but have limited immediate revenue impact. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by senior executives — Multiple SEC filings show sizable recent sales by CFO Susan Li and COO Javier Olivan (and a director sale), which can create near‑term supply and market signaling concerns. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Staff equity cut to fund AI — Financial Times/Reuters report Meta trimmed annual equity awards by ~5% for most staff to reallocate dollars to AI buildout, highlighting cost tradeoffs and potential morale/retention implications. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Huge 2026 CapEx and margin risk — Coverage notes Meta’s elevated 2026 capex plan (reported guidance in the $115–$135B range) to build AI infrastructure; that spending fuels growth potential but increases short‑term margin and execution risk. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/regulatory overhang — CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a landmark youth‑addiction trial that could influence future regulation, moderation costs, or advertising dynamics if outcomes impose new constraints. Read More.

About Meta Platforms

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.