Javier Olivan Sells Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc.

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) COO Javier Olivan recently sold 413 shares of the company's stock on Friday, October 18th. The sale was executed at an average price of $580.65 per share, culminating in a total transaction value of $239,808.45. After this transaction, Olivan retains ownership of 11,120 shares, which are approximately valued at $6,456,828. Notably, this sale reflects a 0.00% change in his ownership stake in the company. The details of this transaction have been officially disclosed within a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which can be reviewed by interested parties.

In recent weeks, Javier Olivan has made multiple transactions involving Meta Platforms stock. On October 11th, he sold 413 shares for an average price of $584.83, totaling $241,534.79. On October 4th, another 413 shares were sold at an average price of $583.73 for a value of $241,080.49. Prior to these, the COO sold shares on September 27th, trading 413 shares at an average price of $570.00, worth $235,410.00. Additionally, on September 20th, he divested another 413 shares for an average price of $560.00, resulting in a total of $231,280.00. Similarly, on September 13th, he sold 413 shares at an average price of $520.57 for a total of $214,995.41. These sales continued with exchanges on September 6th (average price $522.00), August 30th (average price $521.35), and August 23rd (average price $536.92), demonstrating a pattern of consistent selling activity.

Current Performance of Meta Platforms Stock

On October 18th, NASDAQ META experienced a slight increase in stock price, rising by 1.2 % or $6.85, bringing the price to $582.01. The trading volume on that day reached 8,523,116 shares, while the average trading volume is typically around 15,139,533 shares. The stock has shown a moving average of $547.72 over the past 50 days, and a longer-term average of $509.22 over 200 days. Over the past year, Meta Platforms has seen a low of $279.40 and a high of $602.95. The company's market capitalization stands at approximately $1.48 trillion, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 33.43 and a price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.45, indicating its growth relative to earnings. Furthermore, performance metrics such as a current ratio of 2.83, quick ratio of 2.83, and a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12 highlight financial stability.

Earnings Report Highlights

Meta Platforms released its latest earnings results on July 31st, reporting an earnings per share (EPS) of $5.16, exceeding analysts' expectations of $4.70 by $0.46. The return on equity was recorded at 34.16%, accompanied by a net margin of 34.34%. Revenue for the quarter amounted to $39.07 billion, surpassing the anticipated figure of $38.26 billion and marking a 22.1% increase compared to the same period last year.

Dividend Information

Recently, the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, which was paid out on September 26th to stockholders recorded by September 16th. This equates to an annualized dividend of $2.00 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 0.34%. The dividend payout ratio is currently at 11.49%.

Analyst Ratings

Meta Platforms has recently been the subject of numerous evaluations by analysts. Following a review on October 2nd, Wells Fargo & Company has lifted its price target to $652.00 and given an "overweight" rating. Additionally, analysts from Bank of America have upped their target from $563.00 to $630.00 and rated it a "buy". Meanwhile, Wedbush maintained an "outperform" rating while setting a target of $600.00. On October 17th, TD Cowen raised their target price to $675.00, categorizing it as a "buy". The consensus ratings show that while two analysts suggest selling, three recommend holding, thirty-five advocate for buying, and two categorize it as a strong buy, leading to an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $619.20.

Institutional Holdings

Several institutional investors have adjusted their stakes in Meta Platforms recently. Gradient Investments LLC increased its ownership by 8.9% in the last quarter, now holding 72,587 shares valued at approximately $36.6 million. Meanwhile, Baillie Gifford & Co. raised their position by 14.0%, holding over 6 million shares worth nearly $2.96 billion. Other notable modifications include ERn Financial LLC's 59% increase in holdings, raising their ownership to 1,652 shares valued around $802,000. Overall, institutional and hedge fund ownership of Meta Platforms stock accounts for 79.91% of total shares.

About Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc. is chiefly involved in developing technology and services that foster connections among individuals. It operates primarily through two segments: Family of Apps and Reality Labs. The Family of Apps segment offers popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, which facilitate communication, sharing, and connectivity among users globally.

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