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Why the Market Dipped But Meta Platforms (META) Gained Today

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Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $762.50, moving +2.63% from the previous trading session. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.02% loss on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.35%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.15%.

Shares of the social media company have appreciated by 11.62% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 3.58%, and the S&P 500's gain of 2.05%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Meta Platforms in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on October 21, 2026. The company is expected to report EPS of $6.39, down 11.86% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $63.18 billion, up 23.3% from the prior-year quarter.

Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $31.38 per share and revenue of $254.04 billion, indicating changes of +33.59% and +26.41%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Meta Platforms. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.82% decrease. Meta Platforms is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

Valuation is also important, so investors should note that Meta Platforms has a Forward P/E ratio of 23.68 right now. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 20.7.

It's also important to note that META currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.15. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Internet - Software industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.19.

The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 79, which puts it in the top 33% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.

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