Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) Stock Analysis — Fair Value, Risk & Moat Rating
NMS · Communication Services · Internet Content & Information
Is Meta Platforms, Inc. a safe investment right now?
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s Altman Z-Score of 8.92 places it in the safe zone. Our fair value estimate is $573.40 (Overvalued). Moat rating: 3.7/5 stars.
Could Meta Platforms, Inc. go bankrupt? Altman Z-Score analysis
Z-Score of 8.92 is above 3.0, indicating the company is financially healthy by this metric.
- Below 1.8 — Distress Zone (high bankruptcy risk)
- 1.8 to 3.0 — Gray Zone (elevated uncertainty)
- Above 3.0 — Safe Zone (financially healthy)
What drives META's Z-Score?
| Component | Formula | Value | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A · Working Capital / Total Assets | WC / TA | 0.1827 | 1.2 | 0.22 |
| B · Retained Earnings / Total Assets | RE / TA | 0.3311 | 1.4 | 0.46 |
| C · EBIT / Total Assets | EBIT / TA | 0.238 | 3.3 | 0.79 |
| D · Market Cap / Total Liabilities | MCap / TL | 11.512 | 0.6 | 6.91 |
| E · Revenue / Total Assets | Rev / TA | 0.5491 | 1.0 | 0.55 |
How has META's financial health changed over time?
| Year | Z-Score | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 18.97 | Safe |
| 2023 | 15.5 | Safe |
| 2024 | 13.26 | Safe |
| 2025 | 8.92 | Safe |
Source: Calculated from META's latest 10-K filing on SEC EDGAR.
What is Meta Platforms, Inc. actually worth?
How we calculated this
| Input | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Predicted EPS (α) | $23.50 | Proprietary blend of reported actuals (4Q actual) + analyst consensus, weighted by α |
| Last Year EPS | $23.86 | Annual report (SEC EDGAR) |
| Analyst Consensus EPS (This Year) | $29.59 | 60 analysts consensus |
| Trailing P/E | 28.7x | Current market pricing |
| Fair P/E (β discount) | 24.4x | Trailing PE adjusted by value discount factor β, hard-capped |
| Earnings Trend (γ) | Stable | Directional signal: predicted vs trailing EPS |
Wall Street Reference: Analyst consensus target price is $855.11 (60 analysts). This is shown for reference only and is not used in our valuation model.
Source: Earnings data from SEC EDGAR filings. Market data via Yahoo Finance.
Does Meta Platforms, Inc. have a durable competitive advantage?
Moat rating: 3.7/5.
What makes up META's moat score?
ROIC Stability
ROIC variability over the past decade. Score: 4/5.
Gross Margin Trend
Gross margin trajectory over the past decade. Score: 4/5.
Switching Costs
Estimated customer lock-in based on margin level. Score: 3/5.
How stable is META's return on invested capital?
| Year | ROIC | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 21.4% | — |
| 2023 | 27.9% | Rising |
| 2024 | 33.8% | Rising |
| 2025 | 31.6% | Declining |
Source: ROIC calculated from SEC EDGAR filings.
Is Meta Platforms, Inc.'s dividend safe?
Can Meta Platforms, Inc. afford its dividend?
Payout ratio is 8.9%. FCF covers the dividend 0.0x. 3 consecutive years of payments.
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s key financial metrics
| Metric | Latest | 1Y Ago | 3Y Ago | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $201.0B | $164.5B | $116.6B | Rising |
| Net Income | $60.5B | $62.4B | $23.2B | Rising |
| Free Cash Flow | $46.1B | $54.1B | $19.3B | Rising |
| Gross Margin | 82.0% | 81.7% | 78.3% | Stable |
Recent events that affect our META analysis
META earnings report scheduled
Upcoming report. Consensus EPS estimate: $6.74. Revenue estimate: $55.56B. Our current Fair Value: $573.40 — a significant beat or miss could shift this estimate.
META analyst consensus: 91% bullish (58 of 64 analysts)
11 Strong Buy, 47 Buy, 6 Hold, 0 Sell, 0 Strong Sell. Consensus target: $855.11 (26.7% upside). Compare with our independent Fair Value: $573.40.
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META paid $0.5250/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 8.9%.
META filed annual report (10-K)
Annual filing with full-year financials. Our Altman Z-Score, Moat, and Fair Value models are derived from this data. View on SEC EDGAR →
META beat EPS estimates by 8.0%
Reported EPS: $8.88 vs estimate $8.22. Earnings strength supports our Fair Value of $573.40 (15.0% below current price).
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META paid $0.5250/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 8.9%.
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META filed quarterly report (10-Q)
Quarterly update with interim financials. May signal changes to earnings trajectory and balance sheet health. View on SEC EDGAR →
META missed EPS estimates by 84.3%
Reported EPS: $1.05 vs estimate $6.71. Our Fair Value of $573.40 may face downward pressure if the trend continues.
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META paid $0.5250/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 8.9%.
META filed quarterly report (10-Q)
Quarterly update with interim financials. May signal changes to earnings trajectory and balance sheet health. View on SEC EDGAR →
META beat EPS estimates by 21.0%
Reported EPS: $7.14 vs estimate $5.90. Earnings strength supports our Fair Value of $573.40 (15.0% below current price).
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META paid $0.5250/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 8.9%.
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META filed quarterly report (10-Q)
Quarterly update with interim financials. May signal changes to earnings trajectory and balance sheet health. View on SEC EDGAR →
META beat EPS estimates by 23.1%
Reported EPS: $6.43 vs estimate $5.22. Earnings strength supports our Fair Value of $573.40 (15.0% below current price).
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META paid $0.5250/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 8.9%.
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META filed annual report (10-K)
Annual filing with full-year financials. Our Altman Z-Score, Moat, and Fair Value models are derived from this data. View on SEC EDGAR →
META beat EPS estimates by 18.7%
Reported EPS: $8.02 vs estimate $6.76. Earnings strength supports our Fair Value of $573.40 (15.0% below current price).
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
META filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
Common questions about Meta Platforms, Inc.
What is Meta Platforms, Inc. stock price today?
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) stock price is $674.72 as of the latest market close, traded on the NASDAQ exchange.
What does Meta Platforms, Inc. do?
Meta Platforms, Inc. engages in the development of products that enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) headsets, and AI glasses in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL).
What is Meta Platforms, Inc. market cap?
Meta Platforms, Inc. has a market capitalization of $1.71T, classifying it as a mega-cap stock in the Communication Services sector.
What sector and industry is META in?
Meta Platforms, Inc. operates in the Communication Services sector, specifically within the Internet Content & Information industry. It trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol META.
Is META stock overvalued or undervalued?
Based on our valuation model, Meta Platforms, Inc. trades 17.7% above our fair value estimate — potentially overvalued.
- FairValueLabs Fair Value: $573.40
- Current Price: $674.72
- Valuation Zone: Overvalued
What is META stock forecast and analyst target price?
Based on 60 Wall Street analysts, the consensus price target for Meta Platforms, Inc. is $855.11, implying upside of 26.7% from the current price.
- Analyst High Target: $1015.00
- Analyst Low Target: $614.00
Note: Analyst targets are shown for reference and are not used in our valuation model.
Is Meta Platforms, Inc. revenue and earnings growing?
Here are the analyst consensus growth estimates for Meta Platforms, Inc.:
- Revenue growth (current year est.): 24.8%
- EPS growth (current year est.): 26.0%
- Revenue growth (next year est.): 18.5%
- EPS growth (next year est.): 16.2%
What are Meta Platforms, Inc.'s key financial metrics?
| Metric | Latest | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $201.0B | Rising |
| Net Income | $60.5B | Rising |
| Free Cash Flow | $46.1B | Rising |
| Gross Margin | 82.0% | Stable |
What is META's P/E ratio?
The price-to-earnings ratio measures how much investors pay per dollar of earnings:
- Trailing P/E (last 12 months): 28.7x
- Forward P/E (next 12 months est.): 18.8x
- FairValueLabs Fair P/E: 24.4x
How volatile is META stock?
Meta Platforms, Inc. has a beta of 1.31, meaning it is somewhat more volatile than the broader market. A beta above 1.0 indicates higher price swings relative to the S&P 500, while below 1.0 suggests more stability.
How much cash and debt does Meta Platforms, Inc. have?
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s balance sheet shows:
- Total Cash: $81.59B
- Total Debt: $85.08B
- Net Cash Position: $-3.49B
A positive net cash position means the company holds more cash than debt, reducing financial risk.
What is Meta Platforms, Inc.'s free cash flow?
Meta Platforms, Inc. generated $23.43B in trailing twelve-month free cash flow (from $115.80B in operating cash flow). Free cash flow represents the cash available for dividends, buybacks, and debt reduction after all capital expenditures.
Does Meta Platforms, Inc. pay a dividend, and is it safe?
Yes, Meta Platforms, Inc. pays a regular dividend. Here are the key metrics:
- Dividend Yield: 0.3%
- Payout Ratio: 8.9%
- Consecutive Years Paid: 3
- 5-Year Dividend Growth: 0.0%
- FairValueLabs Safety Grade: C
Is Meta Platforms, Inc. at risk of going bankrupt?
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s Altman Z-Score is 8.92, placing it in the safe zone (above 3.0) — bankruptcy risk is low. The Z-Score uses five balance sheet ratios to predict bankruptcy probability within two years.
Does Meta Platforms, Inc. have a durable competitive advantage?
Meta Platforms, Inc. scores 3.7/5 stars (Solid moat · eroding) in our moat analysis:
- ROIC Stability: 4/5
- Gross Margin Trend: 4/5
- Switching Costs: 3/5
A score above 3.5 suggests meaningful pricing power and a defensible market position.
What is META's return on equity (ROE)?
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s return on equity is 30.2%. ROE measures how efficiently a company generates profits from shareholder equity. An ROE above 15% is generally considered strong, while below 10% may signal inefficiency.
How do I buy META stock?
META shares can be purchased through any brokerage account that provides access to the NASDAQ. Common steps:
- Open an account with a broker (e.g., Fidelity, Schwab, Interactive Brokers)
- Search for ticker symbol META
- Place a market or limit order for your desired number of shares
This is not investment advice. Always do your own research before buying any stock.
Is META a value stock or speculative?
FairValueLabs classifies Meta Platforms, Inc. as Value Investment. It exhibits consistent profitability, reasonable valuation, and financial stability — characteristics of a traditional value investment.
Who is the CEO of Meta Platforms, Inc.?
The current CEO of Meta Platforms, Inc. is Mr. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg.
What is META's earnings per share (EPS)?
Earnings per share measures the company's profit allocated to each outstanding share:
- Trailing EPS (last 12 months): $23.48
- Forward EPS (next 12 months est.): $35.86
- Analyst consensus EPS (this year): $29.59
- Analyst consensus EPS (next year): $34.38
Other Communication Services companies analyzed by FairValueLabs
FairValueLabs Disclaimer
All valuations, scores, ratings, and classifications on this page are produced by the FairValueLabs internal valuation system. They do not represent actual market value, guaranteed outcomes, or professional investment advice. These are analytical estimates for educational and research purposes only.
This is not financial advice. All data is sourced from SEC EDGAR public filings. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Last updated: Apr 22, 2026. Data sources: SEC EDGAR (financial statements), Yahoo Finance (market data, analyst consensus). Data may not reflect the most recent quarter.
META analysis methodology: How we calculate fair value, Z-Scores, and moat ratings