Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Given New $900.00 Price Target at Truist Financial

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) had its price objective upped by Truist Financial from $875.00 to $900.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the social networking company’s stock.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on META. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Meta Platforms from $910.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Benchmark lowered shares of Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $800.00 price objective for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Meta Platforms presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $847.98.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ META opened at $738.31 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $649.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $696.14. Meta Platforms has a fifty-two week low of $479.80 and a fifty-two week high of $796.25. The company 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 1.98.

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

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 517 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 10,132 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,737,780. This trade represents a 4.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 580 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director directly owned 5,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,454,330.36. The trade was a 9.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 40,113 shares of company stock valued at $24,621,042 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 13.61% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 3,908 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $2,580,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the period. Eagle Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,782,000. FARMERS & MERCHANTS TRUST Co OF LONG BEACH lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. FARMERS & MERCHANTS TRUST Co OF LONG BEACH now owns 3,637 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $2,401,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 5,355 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $3,535,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Index Fund Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Index Fund Advisors Inc. now owns 6,194 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $4,088,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company’s stock.

More Meta Platforms News

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

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.