Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Given Overweight Rating at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)‘s stock had its “overweight” rating reiterated by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $920.00 price target on the social networking company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 29.41% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on META. Citic Securities cut their price target on Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $718.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Daiwa Securities Group reduced their price objective on Meta Platforms from $790.00 to $687.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Arete Research upped their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $735.00 to $806.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $720.00 to $580.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, China Renaissance reduced their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $700.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-six have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $808.88.

Meta Platforms Stock Performance

META traded down $25.80 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $710.92. The company had a trading volume of 9,601,811 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,460,666. The business has a 50-day moving average of $653.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of $625.27. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Meta Platforms has a 1 year low of $520.26 and a 1 year high of $779.82. The company has a market cap of $1.81 trillion, a P/E ratio of 26.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.19.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($1.01). The company had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The company’s revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Meta Platforms will post 27.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 7,848 shares of the business’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 sale, the chief technology officer owned 828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $462,024. The trade was a 90.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total transaction of $2,002,514.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 6,271 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,875,854.26. This trade represents a 34.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 149,797 shares of company stock worth $102,180,385 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Advantage Trust Co acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the first quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Schuylkill Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Meta Platforms News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven advertising growth could support an earnings beat. Bank of America forecasts third-quarter revenue of $63.8 billion, above the $63.3 billion consensus estimate, citing continued benefits from artificial intelligence in Meta’s advertising business. The bank maintained a Buy rating and an $810 price target. Meta expected to beat revenue forecasts as AI boosts advertising, says Bank of America
• Positive Sentiment: New AI products and the Apple partnership strengthen Meta’s technology narrative. Meta released the open-weight Muse Spark model for coding and AI-agent tasks, while Apple is helping developers run the model locally on high-end Mac computers. The developments may expand adoption and improve Meta’s competitive position in AI. Meta releases open-weight Muse Spark model for coding, agentic tasks
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan reaffirmed its Overweight rating with a $920 price target, implying substantial upside, while Bank of America also reiterated its bullish view after Meta introduced additional AI models. JPMorgan reaffirms Meta Overweight rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta-backed Jio Platforms plans an IPO of up to $3.2 billion in India. The offering could highlight the value of Meta’s strategic investment, although it is not expected to materially change Meta’s near-term results. Meta- and Google-backed Jio Platforms IPO
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs cut its Meta price target from $860 to $762. Although Goldman retained a Buy rating, the reduced target signals less perceived upside and appears to have pressured the shares. Goldman Sachs lowers expectations for Meta
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that more than $130 billion in planned AI infrastructure spending is weighing on free cash flow, while Reality Labs losses and a potential roughly $10 billion legal charge add to earnings and cash-return risks. Meta: The Muse Rally Has Priced In The Good News Before Q3
• Negative Sentiment: Senators are questioning Meta’s claimed $6.6 billion in research tax credits related to AI data centers, creating potential regulatory and tax uncertainty. Senators question Meta AI data-center tax credits

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.