Piper Sandler Cuts Meta Platforms (META) Price Target to $850

On October 22, 2026, Piper Sandler maintained its Overweight rating on Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) while adjusting its price target from $875.00 down to $850.00. The note comes as Wall Street tracks ongoing developments across the technology sector. Meta closed at $646.96 on the day of the rating update.

META Meta Platforms, Inc.

$694.25 ▲ +7.02% year to date

1M 3M YTD

Daily close · Oct 20, 2026

Piper Sandler's Call on Meta Platforms

Piper Sandler reiterated its Overweight rating on the social media giant while lowering its target to $850.00 from $875.00 on October 22, 2026. The firm joins a wave of updates from major financial institutions on the same day. Barclays maintained an Overweight rating while lifting its target to $880.00 from $780.00. RBC Capital kept an Outperform rating and raised its target from $770.00 to $800.00. Wells Fargo maintained an Overweight rating with a target moving from $1,000.00 down to $995.00. Citizens reiterated a Market Outperform rating with an unchanged target of $885.00. Scotiabank maintained a Sector Perform rating while bumping its target from $600.00 to $650.00. The broader consensus on the stock stands at a strong buy from 58 analysts, with a mean price target of $817.87.

Other Institutional Activity in Meta Platforms

Institutional investors continue to adjust their holdings in the social media giant. SBI Securities reduced its position by 2,795 shares, ending the period with 47,664 shares valued at about $34.56 million. Axxcess Wealth Management trimmed its stake by 24,710 shares, holding 29,410 shares worth roughly $21.33 million at the report date.

Meta Platforms, Inc. Stock Down 6.8%

Meta shares recently traded around $653.91 as of October 22, 2026, sitting above the 200-day moving average of $632.62 and below the 50-day moving average of $661.46. The stock trades near the middle of its 52-week range, which spans from a low of $520.26 to a high of $779.82. The company carries a market capitalization of roughly $1.78 trillion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.80.

Recent Earnings

Meta Platforms reported $228.25 billion in trailing twelve-month revenue and earnings of $29.31 per share. The company generated a net profit margin of 29.8% and a return on equity of 29.8%.

Dividend

Meta pays an annual dividend rate of $2.10 per share, translating to a dividend yield of 0.3% with a payout ratio of 7.9%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms, Inc.

Chief Operating Officer Javier Olivan completed multiple transactions ahead of the rating update. Olivan sold 1,575 shares on September 28, 2026, another 1,575 shares at $728.08 on October 5, 2026, 1,575 shares at $728.10 on October 12, 2026, and 1,575 shares under a planned trading arrangement at $707.20 on October 19, 2026.

About Meta Platforms

Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Meta Platforms builds applications and technologies that allow people to connect through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality headsets, and artificial intelligence glasses. The company operates through two main segments, the Family of Apps and Reality Labs, connecting billions of users worldwide and driving major investments in digital advertising and emerging computing platforms.

Bottom Line

Piper Sandler's decision to maintain its Overweight stance highlights ongoing institutional confidence even as analysts recalibrate price targets across the board. Investors will monitor upcoming earnings reports and future institutional filings to gauge how Meta manages its growth initiatives in digital advertising and hardware.