Meta Platforms (META) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Meta Platforms (META) closed the most recent trading day at $610.72, moving -1.16% from the previous trading session. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.16%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.25%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.06%.The social media company's shares have seen a decrease of 3.47% over the last month, not keeping up with the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 0.39% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.7%.Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Meta Platforms in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on January 29, 2025. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $6.76, reflecting a 26.83% increase from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $46.98 billion, indicating a 17.13% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.Furthermore, it would be beneficial for investors to monitor any recent shifts in analyst projections for Meta Platforms. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 0.14% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. As of now, Meta Platforms holds a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Looking at valuation, Meta Platforms is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 24.23. This represents a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 28.07.We can also see that META currently has a PEG ratio of 1.21. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Internet - Software industry held an average PEG ratio of 2.1.The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 25, positioning it in the top 10% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks