Insider Selling: Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Insider Sells $333,836.37 in Stock

Core Insights - Meta Platforms, Inc. reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $7.25, exceeding analysts' expectations of $6.74 by $0.51, with revenue of $51.24 billion, surpassing forecasts of $49.34 billion [4] - The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525, translating to an annualized dividend of $2.10 and a yield of 0.3% [5] - Insider Jennifer Newstead sold 519 shares at an average price of $643.23, resulting in a total transaction value of $333,836.37, which represents a 1.72% decrease in her ownership [2] Financial Performance - Meta's market capitalization stands at $1.66 trillion, with a PE ratio of 29.10 and a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 [3] - The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.98, and a current ratio of 1.98 [3] - The stock has a 52-week low of $479.80 and a high of $796.25, with a 50-day simple moving average of $659.76 and a 200-day average of $707.30 [3] Analyst Ratings - BNP Paribas set an "outperform" rating with a target price of $800, while Zacks downgraded the stock from "strong-buy" to "hold" [7] - Sanford C. Bernstein and Raymond James Financial both reiterated "outperform" ratings but adjusted their price targets down to $870 and $825, respectively [7] - The consensus rating for Meta is "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $818.59, supported by four "Strong Buy," thirty-nine "Buy," and seven "Hold" ratings [7] Insider Trading - Jennifer Newstead has made multiple sales of Meta shares recently, with the most recent transaction on December 16th, selling 519 shares at an average price of $643.23 [2][6] - Previous sales included transactions at prices ranging from $591.60 to $753.00, indicating a pattern of insider selling [6] Institutional Holdings - Hedge funds and institutional investors own approximately 79.91% of Meta's stock, with several firms recently increasing their stakes [8] - Notable new positions include Westchester Capital Management and Bare Financial Services, indicating continued interest from institutional investors [8] Regulatory Environment - Meta faces regulatory challenges, particularly in Europe, where Austria's Supreme Court ruled its personalized ad model unlawful, potentially impacting revenue and compliance [12] - Positive sentiment exists regarding U.S. federal actions on AI, which may benefit large tech firms like Meta by simplifying compliance [12]