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Cryptocurrencies have been getting crushed in recent months. And because of this, Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN), is under serious pressure. The top U.S. crypto brokerage and exchange operator reported a 35% year-over-year revenue decline and a $430 million net loss in the first quarter

According to legendary investor Warren Buffett, you should "be greedy when others are fearful." It's an ethos I've taken to heart with the stock market enduring two big pullbacks since the beginning of 2020. Over the past 29 months, I've added nearly three dozen new holdings to m

The magnitude of uncertainties couldn't be great for Meta Platforms (FB) stock, with Sheryl Sandberg departing the company ahead of an ambitious push into the metaverse.

Sandberg has also reportedly sold around $1.7 billion worth of FB stock over the past decade. Indeed, the legendary executive's departure is not a vote of confidence as CEO Mark Zuckerberg looks to pivot his firm to become a major player in the virtual worlds of the future.

Indeed, the metaverse remains abstract to most consumers who've yet to put on a virtual-reality headset. Meta's Horizon Worlds is off to a great start, with incredible growth since its launch — the platform surpassed 300,000 users in February. However, questions linger as to how considerable investment spending will translate into returns for investors over the long haul.

On TipRanks, FB scores a 7 out of 10 on the Smart Score spectrum. This indicates a potential for the stock to perform in-line with the broader market.

Meta Going All-In on the Metaverse?

On June 9, Meta is poised to make it official, as its ticker symbol changes to "META" from "FB." It's the beginning of a new era, one that could see a low-to-mid teens price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple be the new normal for the stock.

Rising interest rates and a distaste for forward-looking growth have made FB stock a giant question mark. It's hard to factor in distant metaverse investments into a financial model, making the evaluation of the firm the most difficult it's ever been. Undoubtedly, investors need to trust Zuckerberg at this critical pivot point.

For now, the metaverse is a wildcard that may or may not pan out how Zuckerberg expects it to. Despite making it official, with the new name and ticker symbol, Meta is still a social-media company, with Facebook and Instagram doing most of the lifting.

Further, competitive pressures could mount on social, as the company wanders into new frontiers that could eat into cash flows from the social-media Family of Apps business. It will be tough to keep metaverse spending up if Facebook and Instagram can't stay cash cows.

With waning DAUs (Daily Active Users) over at Facebook and intensifying competition from the likes of TikTok, things look ugly for the Family of Apps as we march slowly and steadily into a potential recession.

Despite the profound uncertainties exacerbated by Sandberg's departure, I remain bullish on the stock. The valuation is unprecedently depressed, with the FAANG stock now trading at 14.7 times trailing earnings as of Monday's close.

Although Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen doesn't see FB stock recovering until Zuckerberg leans out as well, I do view the risk/reward as incredibly attractive, regardless of who's at the helm by year's end.

Could a Recession Further Pressure Facebook and the Family of Apps?

Though it seems like a consumer-facing recession could weigh even more heavily on DAUs of Facebook (could Instagram be next to fumble the ball at the hands of TikTok?), it's important to remember that the firm's social-media products don't cost the consumer anything, other than their data.

If anything, a recession could cause an increase in social media usage, as consumers cut into their budgets, gravitating away from pricier forms of entertainment like Netflix (NFLX).

Arguably, Facebook and Instagram may prove more resilient, come the next recession. Though recent trends aren't promising, I think rising competition is to blame. Zuckerberg didn't just point the finger at TikTok; he's ready to go on the offensive with Reels to bolster user growth and engagement.

Indeed, Reels has been up to a rocky start. However, it is getting better in due time. Given Facebook's track record of one-upping rivals with similar offerings, I think that TikTok could have a problem on its hands, as Zuckerberg sets its sights on its user base.

Ultimately, I think Reels is a magnificent response to TikTok. That said, investors and analysts will need to be patient and give Zuckerberg the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps a recession-driven spike in social-media consumption and Reels can help reel FB stock out of the gutter.

Wall Street's Take

According to TipRanks’ analyst rating consensus, FB stock comes in as a Moderate Buy. Out of 35 analyst ratings, there are 26 Buy recommendations, eight Hold recommendations, and one Sell recommendation.

The average Meta Platforms price target is $276.88, implying an upside of 42.54%. Analyst price targets range from a low of $185.00 per share to a high of $370.00 per share.

The Bottom Line on Meta Stock

Sandberg's exit is a significant negative that could cause many to follow her lead by leaning out of the stock. Frances Haugen is no fan of Zuckerberg. Although the Street would applaud Zuck's departure, I do think that the stock is so depressed that it won't take much to move the needle higher, even as a recession nears.

The metaverse may not pay off as big as Zuck thinks. In any case, the Family of Apps alone is worth owning the stock at these depths.

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Meta Platforms (FB) closed the most recent trading day at $194.25, moving +1.82% from the previous trading session. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.31%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.05%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.14%.

Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc has named a company vice president as chief information security officer (CISO), the first person to fill that role at the social media company.

The Invesco S&P 500 GARP ETF is seeing unusually high volume in afternoon trading Monday, with over 257,000 shares traded versus three month average volume of about 122,000. Shares of SPGP were up about 0.3% on the day.

In this video, I will be talking about the announcement made by Meta Platforms' (NASDAQ: FB) Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, that she is leaving the company after 14 years -- and why this shouldn't scare you away from investing in the tech giant.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked President Joe Biden's administration to weigh in on whether the justices should hear a case on whether Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp can pursue a lawsuit accusing Israel's NSO Group of exploiting a bug in the messaging app to install spy software.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

As Apple Inc rolls out its usual stream of upgrades to operating systems for its iPhones, iPads and Macs at its annual software developer conference Monday, analysts and developers will be scouring between the lines for any hints about how a future mixed-reality headset might work.

Wall Street was set to open higher on Monday after a drop last week, with U.S.-listed shares of Chinese technology companies rallying on optimism around easing regulatory crackdowns and relaxing COVID-19 curbs in the world's second-largest economy.

Uncertainty has been the name of the game recently, as the stock market continues to face an immense amount of pressure from high inflation, rising interest rates, and economic impacts linked to the war between Russia and Ukraine. It comes as no surprise that technology stocks ha

Wall Street futures bounced on Monday, with U.S.-listed shares of Chinese technology companies leading the gains on optimism around easing regulatory crackdowns and relaxing COVID-19 curbs in the world's second-largest economy.

As Apple Inc rolls out its usual stream of upgrades to operating systems for its iPhones, iPads and Macs at its annual software developer conference Monday, analysts and developers will be scouring between the lines for any hints about how a future mixed-reality headset might work.

Social media giant Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: FB), earlier known as Facebook, will begin trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol META from June 9, replacing the current ticker FB. Shares of the company are down 43% amid a broader tech sell-off, and concerns about slowing advertising revenue due to rising competition from apps like TikTok and Apple’s (AAPL) iOS privacy policy changes.

That said, Meta continues to focus on its future growth and is investing billions of dollars in rebranding itself as a Metaverse tech company.

Wall’s Street’s Take

In reaction to Meta’s recent announcement of the departure of long-time COO Sheryl Sandberg in fall this year, Mizuho analyst James Lee acknowledged that Sandberg's “vision” in digital advertising and her experience in guiding the company through transitions, including mobile, video and stories, will be challenging to replace. That said, Lee believes that “the depth of Meta's bench should provide a smooth transition.”

The analyst opined that Meta’s “established infrastructure and technology” should help in its transition to products such as Instagram Reels and Metaverse-related opportunities. Lee reiterated a Buy rating on Meta Platforms with a $325 price target.

Overall, the Street is cautiously optimistic on the stock with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 26 Buys, eight Holds, and one Sell. The average Meta Platforms price target of $276.88 implies 45.13% upside potential from current levels.

Conclusion

Several analysts continue to be optimistic about Meta Platforms’ long-term growth story, despite the impact of near-term headwinds on its stock.

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There's no doubt about it: This has been a challenging year for the investing community. Since the curtain opened on 2022, the storied Dow Jones Industrial Average and benchmark S&P 500 have dipped into correction territory (a decline of more than 10%), while the technology-f

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After more than a decade of spearheading Facebook's most important initiatives, Sheryl Sandberg will soon relinquish her position as chief operating officer of Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: FB).

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