December 25, 2025 — A new batch of SEC filings is offering a clearer look at how professional money managers are positioning around Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) going into 2026. Several firms disclosed new stakes or sizeable increases in Meta during the third quarter, while other investors trimmed exposure—a split-screen picture that comes as Meta faces a new wave of European regulatory pressure tied to WhatsApp and rival AI chatbots, and as Wall Street debates whether Meta’s AI spending surge will translate into durable returns. [1]
Below is what’s new on Dec. 25, 2025, and why these filings matter for anyone tracking META stock, institutional ownership trends, and the next phase of Meta’s AI and WhatsApp strategy.
New 13F filings: who bought Meta stock, and who got bigger
A trio of disclosures published this week highlighted meaningful buying activity in Meta during Q3 2025—particularly among advisory and investment management firms that tend to build positions gradually rather than trade in and out.
Sound Income Strategies opens a new Meta position
One of the standout filings shows Sound Income Strategies LLC initiating a position in Meta. The firm reported buying 16,972 shares, valued at roughly $12.45 million (as reported in its filing coverage). [2]
A new position of this size often signals that a fund sees a favorable long-term setup—whether tied to earnings durability, AI-driven ad efficiency, or expectations for expanding monetization on platforms like WhatsApp.
FLPutnam dramatically increases its Meta holdings
Another filing shows FLPutnam Investment Management Co. increasing its stake by 73.6% during the third quarter, ending the period with 88,880 shares valued at approximately $65.27 million. The filing also indicated Meta represented about 1.0% of the firm’s portfolio and ranked among its larger holdings. [3]
That jump stands out because it reflects more than incremental rebalancing—at least based on the reported quarter-over-quarter change.
Red Door Wealth Management adds to its Meta stake
Red Door Wealth Management LLC reported increasing its Meta position by 26.9%, bringing holdings to 10,977 shares worth about $8.06 million at the end of the quarter. [4]
These three filings, taken together, show that—at least for some managers—Meta remained compelling enough in Q3 to justify new exposure or significantly larger allocations.
More Dec. 25 filings: additional buying, plus notable selling
Today’s (Dec. 25) filings coverage added more color: some firms continued to add, while others reduced exposure—illustrating how divided investors can be on the near-term balance between Meta’s earnings power and its rising AI investment bill.
Brighton Jones adds modestly
Brighton Jones LLC reported lifting its holdings by 3.0%, buying 1,153 additional shares and ending the quarter with 39,940 shares valued around $29.33 million. [5]
This is the profile of a “steady add”—the kind of move you often see when a manager maintains conviction but still manages position sizing and concentration risk.
Clarius Group trims its position
On the other side, Clarius Group LLC reported reducing its Meta stake by 24.0%, selling 3,978 shares and ending with 12,567 shares valued at about $9.23 million. [6]
Beech Hill Advisors cuts by more than a quarter
Beech Hill Advisors Inc. also disclosed a significant reduction—down 26.3%, after selling 3,154 shares to hold 8,830 shares worth roughly $6.49 million (as reported). [7]
What this mix suggests: even among professional investors, Meta is increasingly treated as a stock with two competing narratives:
- A dominant advertising and attention platform with improving AI tooling
- A company still facing margin and regulatory questions, especially around WhatsApp and its AI ambitions
A quick reminder: what 13F filings can (and can’t) tell you
These filings are useful—but easy to misread.
What they show:
- Positions held by managers at the end of the quarter (here, Q3 ending Sept. 30, 2025) [8]
What they don’t show:
- Trades made after Sept. 30
- The manager’s exact cost basis
- Whether the position is hedged via options or other exposures (depending on how a portfolio is structured)
In other words, a filing can confirm that institutional money was leaning in—or backing away—during Q3, but it’s not a real-time trading signal.
Why Meta still attracts big institutional attention
The steady stream of institutional activity makes sense when you look at the scale of Meta’s operating machine—and the levers it can pull.
Q3 2025: strong top-line growth, ad momentum, and massive scale
In its Q3 2025 results, Meta reported:
- Revenue of $51.24 billion, up 26% year-over-year
- Operating income of $20.54 billion and 40% operating margin
- Family Daily Active People (DAP) of 3.54 billion (average for Sept. 2025), up 8% year-over-year
- Ad impressions up 14% year-over-year and average price per ad up 10% [9]
Those operating metrics are a core reason many long-only managers remain attracted to Meta: the business is still demonstrating scale-driven growth in the advertising engine, even as it invests aggressively in AI infrastructure.
The tax charge nuance investors have been adjusting for
Meta also disclosed that its Q3 2025 income taxes included a one-time, non-cash charge of $15.93 billion, and that excluding that item, diluted EPS would have been $7.25 (versus the reported $1.05). [10]
This distinction matters because many market participants focus on normalized earnings power when they evaluate mega-cap tech.
Dividend: another pillar for “quality tech” positioning
Meta’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.525 per share, payable Dec. 23, 2025 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 15, 2025. [11]
For institutions that blend growth and capital return strategies, this is part of what helps Meta sit in both “AI growth” and “shareholder return” buckets at once.
The biggest headline risk hitting Meta right now: WhatsApp, AI chatbots, and Italy’s antitrust order
While filings spotlight investor positioning, today’s broader Meta conversation is being shaped by European regulatory scrutiny centered on WhatsApp and how AI chatbots can (or can’t) operate on the platform.
What happened
Italy’s antitrust authority ordered Meta to suspend certain WhatsApp contractual terms that regulators suspect could restrict rival AI chatbot providers—a move framed as potentially limiting competition and consumer choice. Meta criticized the decision and said it would appeal. [12]
What’s at stake for product strategy
Reporting tied to the case indicates the issue is closely connected to how WhatsApp’s business API could be used by third-party AI assistants—and whether Meta can limit those integrations while continuing to expand its own AI capabilities inside WhatsApp. [13]
A key point for investors: WhatsApp is widely viewed as one of Meta’s most important long-term monetization opportunities. Regulatory limits that affect how WhatsApp can be used—especially by businesses building AI-driven customer support—could influence Meta’s roadmap and competitive positioning.
The 2026 investor debate: AI spending, margins, and the “year of efficiency” question
Meta’s bulls and bears increasingly agree on one thing: AI infrastructure spending is the swing factor for how the next chapter is priced.
A MarketWatch analysis this week described 2025 as an AI spending heavy year for Meta, pointing to large-scale investment and growing investor sensitivity to how fast costs are rising relative to revenue—especially as depreciation from data center buildouts accumulates. [14]
Meanwhile, Baird’s Colin Sebastian has remained constructive but acknowledged bruised sentiment, reiterating an outperform rating while trimming a price target slightly (coverage of the note has been widely circulated across financial media). [15]
Why this matters alongside 13F activity:
Institutional investors don’t just buy “the story”—they buy the path. For Meta, the path investors want clarity on in 2026 looks like this:
- Can Meta keep ad performance strong enough to self-fund AI at massive scale? [16]
- Will WhatsApp monetization expand smoothly—or face regulatory friction as AI becomes embedded in business messaging? [17]
- Can Meta prove that “AI spend now” becomes “AI margin expansion later”? [18]
What to watch next for Meta stock and institutional ownership
With U.S. markets closed for Christmas, the next actionable developments for META watchers aren’t about daily price action—they’re about catalysts and clarity:
- More 13F disclosures and revisions
Filings continue to update how managers were positioned at quarter-end, and additional institutional ownership changes can sharpen the picture beyond the firms named this week. [19] - Meta’s response and appeal path in Italy (and parallel EU scrutiny)
Any escalation, timetable clarity, or broader European enforcement trend could influence sentiment around WhatsApp’s strategic flexibility. [20] - Guidance and tone around AI infrastructure and spending discipline
Investors are likely to keep pressing for stronger visibility into how AI costs translate into product advantage and monetization. [21]
Bottom line: On Dec. 25, 2025, the Meta narrative is being shaped by two forces at once: institutional investors actively adjusting exposure (as shown in multiple new 13F-related reports) and regulatory scrutiny that could affect WhatsApp’s AI ecosystem. Whether Meta is treated as a “buy-the-dip AI platform” or a “wait-for-visibility spending story” in early 2026 may depend less on headline revenue growth—and more on how convincingly the company can defend product strategy, manage AI investment intensity, and navigate Europe’s competition rules. [22]
References
1. www.marketbeat.com, 2. www.marketbeat.com, 3. www.marketbeat.com, 4. www.marketbeat.com, 5. www.marketbeat.com, 6. www.marketbeat.com, 7. www.marketbeat.com, 8. investor.atmeta.com, 9. investor.atmeta.com, 10. investor.atmeta.com, 11. investor.atmeta.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.investors.com, 14. www.marketwatch.com, 15. www.barrons.com, 16. investor.atmeta.com, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. www.marketwatch.com, 19. www.marketbeat.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.marketwatch.com, 22. www.marketbeat.com
