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Investing.com - Citizens JMP analyst reiterated a Market Outperform rating and $750.00 price target on Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) on Friday. The stock currently trades at $727.24, near its 52-week high of $747.90, with analysts’ targets ranging from $525 to $935. According to InvestingPro analysis, Meta appears slightly overvalued at current levels.
The firm maintained its positive outlook on Meta following data showing Instagram’s global time spent growth accelerated in June, rising to 11.9% year-over-year, which represents a 100 basis point improvement from May.
This growth acceleration came despite tougher one-year and two-year comparisons for the social media platform, according to the research note.
In the United States specifically, Instagram’s growth showed even stronger performance, accelerating to 17.4% year-over-year in June.
Citizens JMP noted that Instagram’s comparison metrics will ease significantly from July through the end of the year, suggesting the platform is successfully consolidating short-form video engagement.
In other recent news, Meta Platforms has faced a range of developments. The company has seen a significant shift in its artificial intelligence division, as a former researcher criticized the division’s culture and organizational structure in an internal essay. This critique comes amid Meta’s ongoing overhaul of its AI efforts, which includes numerous external hires. In a strategic move, Meta invested $3.5 billion to acquire a 3% stake in EssilorLuxottica, signaling a deeper partnership in developing smart glasses technology. This investment led BofA Securities to raise its price target for Meta to $765, maintaining a Buy rating. Meanwhile, Baird increased its price target for Meta to $740, citing new AI-powered products and integration with the Advantage+ advertising platform as significant revenue opportunities. Citizens JMP reiterated a Market Outperform rating with a $750 price target, emphasizing Instagram’s continued dominance among young adults. Cantor Fitzgerald maintained an Overweight rating with an $807 price target, despite potential EU fines related to Meta’s advertising model compliance with the Digital Markets Act. These developments highlight Meta’s strategic maneuvers and ongoing challenges in the market.
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