In its latest earnings release, Meta Platforms delivered revenue of $51.24 billion for the third quarter, up 26.2% year-over-year, driven by a 14% increase in ad impressions and a 10% rise in average ad price. The company posted earnings per share of $7.25, topping consensus estimates by $0.51, and achieved a net margin of 30.9% along with a 39.4% return on equity. Meta highlighted ongoing advances in its AI-powered ad targeting and content recommendation algorithms across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, attributing much of the revenue gain to heightened engagement among its 3.5 billion daily active users.

Having initiated its first-ever dividend in 2024, Meta paid a quarterly distribution of $0.525 per share on December 23, with an ex-dividend date of December 15 and a record date of December 15. This annualizes to a $2.10 dividend, representing a yield of approximately 0.3% and reflecting a conservative payout ratio of 9.28%. Management emphasized the dividend as a complement to share repurchases, noting that growing free cash flow from strong operating cash conversion—exceeding 90% in recent quarters—positions the company to sustain both capital returns and continued investment in AI and infrastructure.

During the recent SEC filings for Q3, several institutions significantly altered their Meta holdings. Citrine Capital LLC boosted its position by 242.9%, acquiring an additional 1,698 shares to reach 2,397 shares total, making Meta its 14th largest holding. In contrast, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC reduced its stake by 9.9%, selling 65,383 shares to end the quarter with 593,570 shares. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its position by 2.1%, adding 21,587 shares to hold 1,044,801 shares. Collectively, institutional investors now own 79.91% of Meta’s outstanding shares, underscoring broad confidence in the company’s AI-driven growth trajectory.