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On Wednesday, Benchmark analysts revised their price target for Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:META) to $640, a significant decrease from the previous $820, while maintaining a Buy rating on the stock. Currently trading at $500.28, Meta commands a market capitalization of $1.26 trillion and sports a P/E ratio of 20.18x. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock is currently trading near its Fair Value. The adjustment comes ahead of Meta’s first-quarter earnings report scheduled for Wednesday, April 30, after the market closes.
The analysts expressed caution regarding Meta’s near-term prospects due to a weakening global demand environment. Despite these concerns, they remain optimistic about the company’s long-term competitive advantages, such as its increasing share of the U.S. digital market and its ability to allocate capital effectively for the benefit of equity investors. InvestingPro data reveals impressive fundamentals, with the company achieving a 21.94% revenue growth and maintaining industry-leading gross margins of 81.68%. InvestingPro subscribers have access to 12 additional key insights about Meta’s performance and prospects.
The report noted that Meta’s stock is currently trading at 1.03 times the forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of the S&P 500, which is at the lower end of its range over the last twelve months. The analysts are looking for specific updates on the upcoming earnings call, including the impact of reduced advertising from China-based advertisers, the effects of a weakening U.S. dollar on demand, a review of long-term capital expenditure and dividend policies in light of the tepid demand, and insights into Meta’s retail media strategy and its recent performance.
In their commentary, the analysts highlighted the importance of these factors in reassessing Meta’s valuation, leading to the reduced discounted cash flow (DCF)-based price target. Despite the lowered price target, the Buy rating suggests that Benchmark still sees potential value in Meta’s shares over the longer term.
In other recent news, Meta Platforms is facing significant legal scrutiny as the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against the company commenced, focusing on its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. Despite the legal challenges, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Deepak Mathivanan has maintained an Overweight rating on Meta Platforms with a price target of $624, indicating confidence in the company’s stock. Meanwhile, the European Union has imposed fines of 200 million euros on Meta and 500 million euros on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), with an EU spokesperson defending these as proportionate to the severity of the infringements. Additionally, the EU has expressed its commitment to enforcing digital regulations on tech giants, including Apple and Meta, regardless of their leadership or location. Apple also saw its shares increase in premarket trading following U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement about reducing tariffs on China, which could benefit the company’s supply chain. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), another prominent company, experienced a rise in shares as CEO Elon Musk announced a shift in focus away from U.S. government involvement to concentrate more on Tesla. The "Magnificent Seven" stocks, including Apple, Tesla, Meta, and others, have shown positive movement in recent premarket trading sessions. These developments highlight ongoing regulatory and market dynamics affecting major tech companies.
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