Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Shares Down 2.8% on Insider Selling

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) traded down 2.8% during mid-day trading on Monday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $636.00 and last traded at $637.25. 8,545,671 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 48% from the average session volume of 16,340,884 shares. The stock had previously closed at $655.66.

Specifically, CTO Andrew Bosworth sold 8,089 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $631.24, for a total transaction of $5,106,100.36. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 2,841 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,793,352.84. This represents a 74.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 580 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $639.18, for a total value of $370,724.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 5,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,200,374.26. The trade was a 10.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In other news, COO Javier Olivan sold 629 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $639.18, for a total transaction of $402,044.22. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 2,942 shares in the company, valued at $1,880,467.56. The trade was a 17.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Analyst Ratings Changes

META has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $872.00 price target (up previously from $830.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Meta Platforms from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Meta Platforms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $850.00 target price (up previously from $800.00) on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Evercore raised their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $875.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $844.44.

More Meta Platforms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.525/share (payable Mar. 26); Goldman Sachs lists Meta among top growth picks — this boosts yield and buyback/dividend narrative that can support the stock. Meta (META) Strengthens Investor Appeal With Dividend Payout and Platform Expansion Efforts
• Positive Sentiment: Billionaire and institutional buying headlines (e.g., Bill Ackman, David Tepper coverage) are being cited by media — signals of high-profile conviction that can attract momentum buyers. A Billionaire Just Bet Big on This AI Stock. Should Investors Follow Suit?
• Positive Sentiment: Industry-level tailwind: Bridgewater projects ~ $650B of AI capex among big tech in 2026 — validates Meta’s heavy AI investment as part of a broad secular cycle that could expand ad/compute monetization over time. Big Tech to invest about $650 billion in AI in 2026, Bridgewater says
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and analyst features (Jim Cramer, MarketBeat, Motley Fool) highlight Meta’s long-term AI/cloud ambitions and relative valuation within the “Magnificent Seven” — supportive for medium/long-term holders but not immediate catalysts. Jim Cramer Believes Meta’s (META) Developing Its Own Cloud Business
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern about funding model: coverage highlights hyperscalers (including Meta) increasingly using debt to finance AI buildouts — shifts risk profile and worries some investors about rising leverage and capital allocation. How the AI debt binge shattered hyperscalers’ ‘unspoken contract’ with investors
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reports Meta continues to borrow billions for AI despite strong free cash flow — reinforces investor unease that spending pace and financing choices could pressure margins or returns. Meta Rakes It In, Yet Still Borrows Billions for AI
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal risk: India’s Supreme Court will review appeals by Meta/WhatsApp over a ~₹213 crore penalty related to privacy policy — an active legal overhang in a key growth market. Indian Supreme Court To Hear Meta, WhatsApp Pleas Against ₹213 Crore Penalty Over Privacy Policy
• Negative Sentiment: Minor insider selling disclosed (director sale ~ $370k) — not large enough alone to move fundamentals but adds to mixed sentiment. Insider Selling: Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Director Sells $370,724.40 in Stock

Meta Platforms Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.61 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 2.60, a current ratio of 2.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $656.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $688.15.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The social networking company reported $8.88 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.16 by $0.72. The company had revenue of $59.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $58.33 billion. Meta Platforms had a net margin of 30.08% and a return on equity of 38.61%. Meta Platforms’s revenue was up 23.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $8.02 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 26.7 EPS for the current year.

Meta Platforms Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms’s payout ratio is 8.94%.

Institutional Trading of Meta Platforms

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in META. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 34,551 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $20,230,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,456 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $5,537,000 after buying an additional 875 shares in the last quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms by 294.7% during the 1st quarter. Headwater Capital Co Ltd now owns 150,000 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $86,454,000 after acquiring an additional 112,000 shares during the last quarter. Dymon Asia Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $213,000. Finally, Capital & Planning LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $322,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.