Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Given New $850.00 Price Target at Mizuho

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) had its price objective lifted by Mizuho from $815.00 to $850.00 in a report published on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the social networking company’s stock.

META has been the topic of a number of other reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $872.00 price objective (up from $830.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $795.00 to $754.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Erste Group Bank lowered Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Wedbush dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $920.00 to $880.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their target price on Meta Platforms from $840.00 to $880.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $847.98.

Meta Platforms Trading Up 10.4%

META opened at $738.31 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Meta Platforms has a twelve month low of $479.80 and a twelve month high of $796.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.86 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $649.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $696.14.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.16 by $0.72. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 30.08% and a return on equity of 39.91%. The firm had revenue of $59.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $58.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $8.02 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Meta Platforms will post 26.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 580 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $618.28, for a total transaction of $358,602.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 5,587 shares in the company, valued at $3,454,330.36. This trade represents a 9.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $665.00, for a total value of $343,805.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 10,132 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,737,780. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 40,113 shares of company stock valued at $24,621,042. Company insiders own 13.61% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meta Platforms

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of META. Westchester Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the third quarter worth $26,000. Bare Financial Services Inc bought a new position in Meta Platforms in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at about $42,000. Knuff & Co LLC bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Key Capital Management INC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Meta Platforms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and strong guidance — Meta reported $59.9B revenue and $8.88 EPS (both above estimates) and guided Q1 revenue to $53.5B–$56.5B, signaling continued ad strength and giving investors confidence the AI investments are starting to lift monetization. CNBC: Meta beats on top, bottom lines, gives stronger-than-expected forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street upgrades and target increases — Multiple firms raised price targets and ratings after the print, reflecting renewed analyst conviction in revenue upside and AI tailwinds (several targets now imply double‑digit upside). MarketBeat: Meta Soars After-Hours
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/market momentum — Analysts and technical commentators note the stock reclaimed key levels and is showing breakout momentum after earnings, which supports further near‑term buying. FXEmpire: Technical Breakout Signals Higher Prices
• Neutral Sentiment: Local PR / community investment — Meta committed $50M to develop a Sac State downtown center; positive for brand and local relations but unlikely to move fundamentals materially. BizJournals: Meta commits $50M to Sac State downtown center
• Neutral Sentiment: Product tests to diversify revenue — Meta is testing premium subscription tiers across Instagram/Facebook/WhatsApp; potential upside long term but unclear near‑term revenue impact. CNET: Meta confirms testing of premium subscriptions
• Negative Sentiment: Huge 2026 CapEx ramp announced — Management expects 2026 capital expenditures of roughly $115B–$135B to build AI infrastructure, a front‑loaded commitment that raises questions about near‑term returns and margin pressure. Reuters: Meta expects annual capital expenditures to rise
• Negative Sentiment: Reality Labs remains a drag — The XR/Reality Labs unit posted an operating loss (~$6.02B in Q4) and prior reporting shows large cash burn, highlighting ongoing margin risk. CNBC: Reality Labs posts $6.02B loss
• Negative Sentiment: XR cash burn and uncertainty — Reporting that Reality Labs burned ~$19B recently (and has had layoffs) is a reminder that Meta’s non‑ad investments are costly and uncertain. TechCrunch: Meta burned $19B on VR
• Negative Sentiment: Small insider sale — COO Javier Oliván sold 517 shares (disclosed); amount is modest but some investors note insider sales when evaluating sentiment. SEC filing: Oliván insider sale

Meta Platforms Company Profile

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.