Meta Platforms (META) Laps the Stock Market: Here's Why

Meta Platforms (META) closed the most recent trading day at $664.45, moving +2.3% from the previous trading session. The stock exceeded the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.79% for the day. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.14%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.38%. The stock of social media company has risen by 10.02% in the past month, leading the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 0.85% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.87%.Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Meta Platforms in its upcoming release. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $8.15, signifying a 1.62% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $58.37 billion, indicating a 20.63% upward movement from the same quarter last year. Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $23.43 per share and revenue of $198.75 billion. These totals would mark changes of -1.8% and +20.82%, respectively, from last year. It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Meta Platforms. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential. Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model. 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. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.16% higher. Meta Platforms is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Valuation is also important, so investors should note that Meta Platforms has a Forward P/E ratio of 27.72 right now. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 28.76 of its industry. Investors should also note that META has a PEG ratio of 1.68 right now. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. META's industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.87 as of yesterday's close. The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 60, this industry ranks in the top 25% of all industries, numbering over 250. The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within 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. Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5. Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>Want 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 ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks