Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund Purchases 1,081 Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. $META

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) by 0.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 271,120 shares of the social networking company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,081 shares during the quarter. Meta Platforms comprises 2.1% of Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $196,611,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of META. Advantage Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Susan Li sold 9,196 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total transaction of $5,063,409.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,260,343.46. The trade was a 41.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $558.00, for a total transaction of $4,379,184.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer owned 828 shares in the company, valued at $462,024. This represents a 90.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 149,398 shares of company stock valued at $102,134,435. 13.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $610.15 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a twelve month low of $520.26 and a twelve month high of $779.82. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $674.97 and its 200-day moving average is $632.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.56 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.80, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.28.

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

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued 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 was Monday, September 21st. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.16%.

More Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Meta launched Spaces, a collaboration feature for its Muse AI agents, following the rollout of Muse Voice. The new offerings may help strengthen user engagement and expand Meta’s consumer AI ecosystem. Meta introduces Spaces
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings commentary points to AI supporting Meta’s advertising operations, reinforcing the potential for the company’s AI investments to generate revenue. Takeaways from recent earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta paused planned updates to its terms and is keeping existing rules in place. The move avoids an immediate policy change, though the underlying issues remain unresolved. Meta pauses planned terms updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Plans for new nonvoting Class C shares have been described as effectively creating a 2-for-1 split. A split changes the number of shares, but does not by itself change the company’s underlying value; the structure preserves Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control. Is Meta Platforms next for a stock split?
• Negative Sentiment: Meta and other platforms sued to block California restrictions on social-media features for users under 16. The case adds regulatory uncertainty and potential legal costs. Platforms sue over California teen social-media law
• Negative Sentiment: Meta warned that political backlash and possible limits on data-center construction could complicate its AI expansion. Its $15 billion senior-notes offering also highlights the scale of financing required for investment. Data-center expansion concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Reported ETF net selling and insider share sales may add short-term pressure, although the disclosed insider transaction was made under a pre-arranged trading plan. ETFs are net sellers of Meta Platforms

Analysts Set New Price Targets

META has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on Meta Platforms from $930.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $955.00 to $855.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. China Renaissance lowered their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $700.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $750.00 to $820.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Meta Platforms presently has an average 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.