Meta Platforms’ (META) “Overweight” Rating Reiterated at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)‘s stock had its “overweight” rating reaffirmed by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $920.00 price objective on the social networking company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 27.72% from the stock’s previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $900.00 price target on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Tuesday. Tigress Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $945.00 price target (down from $995.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $895.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Meta Platforms from $796.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Roth Capital decreased their target price on Meta Platforms from $820.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-six have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $808.88.

Meta Platforms Trading Down 2.2%

META stock traded down $16.37 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $720.35. 5,204,674 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,439,414. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23. Meta Platforms has a fifty-two week low of $520.26 and a fifty-two week high of $779.82. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $653.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $625.27. The company has a market capitalization of $1.84 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.14, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.19.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a return on equity of 33.18% and a net margin of 29.83%. The business had revenue of $60.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $7.14 EPS. Meta Platforms’s revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Meta Platforms will post 27.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Meta Platforms

In related news, insider Christopher K. Cox sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $712.76, for a total value of $28,510,400.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 184,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $131,515,624.16. The trade was a 17.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Aaron Anderson sold 3,240 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $618.06, for a total value of $2,002,514.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 6,271 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,875,854.26. This represents a 34.07% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 149,797 shares of company stock worth $102,180,385 over the last three months. Insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. TB Alternative Assets Ltd. grew its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 2.3% during the third quarter. TB Alternative Assets Ltd. now owns 104,435 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $75,734,000 after buying an additional 2,395 shares in the last quarter. Trail Ridge Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the third quarter worth $230,000. Michael J. Porro & Co. Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms in the third quarter worth $251,000. North Capital Inc. raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.0% in the third quarter. North Capital Inc. now owns 2,408 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $1,836,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Paragon Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 41.7% in the third quarter. Paragon Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,034 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $2,200,000 after acquiring an additional 893 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI product momentum continues. Meta released the open-weight Muse Spark model for coding and AI-agent tasks, while a partnership with Apple will allow developers to run the model locally on high-end Mac computers. The developments could strengthen Meta’s position in generative AI and expand future monetization opportunities. Meta releases open-weight Muse Spark model
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains broadly constructive. JPMorgan reaffirmed its overweight rating with a $920 target, while Bank of America maintained a buy rating and an $810 target, citing progress from Meta’s newer AI models. Meta is also preparing for its third-quarter report, with investors focused on revenue, advertising trends, AI spending, and cash flow. Meta Q3 earnings estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta’s strategic reach is expanding. Meta- and Google-backed Jio Platforms plans a major Indian IPO, potentially highlighting the value of Meta’s international technology and investment relationships. WhatsApp also added guest calling for people who do not have accounts, which may support business adoption but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Jio Platforms IPO
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution concerns are weighing on sentiment. Goldman Sachs cut its Meta price target from $860 to $762, citing rising operating expenses. Investors are also concerned that more than $130 billion in AI infrastructure spending is reducing free cash flow, while Reality Labs losses and a potential large legal charge add pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and selling signals add uncertainty. A Brazilian judge ordered Meta to treat runoff candidates equally, and U.S. senators questioned Meta’s use of $6.6 billion in research tax credits for AI data centers. Insider sales by Meta’s COO under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan are not necessarily bearish, but may contribute to caution. Brazil judge order

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.