
META, previously known as Facebook, is a tech company based in California. With 2.91 billion users, Meta is best known for the development of Facebook, as well as owning Instagram and WhatsApp. The company runs its own payment systems, recently renamed as Meta Pay, as well as taking centre state in virtual reality.
How to buy shares in Meta Platforms
- Choose a platform. If you're a beginner, our share-dealing table below can help you choose.
- Open your account. You'll need your ID, bank details and national insurance number.
- Confirm your payment details. You'll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
- Search the platform for stock code: META in this case.
- Research Meta Platforms shares. The platform should provide the latest information available.
- Buy your Meta Platforms shares. It's that simple.
Our top picks for where to buy Meta Platforms shares:
Fees for buying 5x Meta Platforms shares with popular platforms
Both exchange rates and share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs presented here should be considered as a guide only. They do not incorporate stamp duty. Always refer to the platform itself for availability and pricing – which may differ from our information.
Platform | Customer rating | Platform fee | Min. initial deposit | Trading fee estimate | |
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★★★★★ | £0 - £9.99 | No minimum | £6.46 £1,101.41 total |
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★★★★★ | £0 | $50 | £5.47 £1,100.43 total |
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★★★★★ | £0 | £250 | £13.59 £1,108.54 total |
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Not yet rated | £0 | No minimum | £5.47 £1,100.43 total |
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★★★★★ | £0 | £1 | £22.90 £1,117.85 total |
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★★★★★ | £0 | No minimum | £1.09 £1,096.05 total |
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Full comparison of share dealing platforms
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Alternative ways to invest in Meta Platforms
Is it a good time to buy Meta Platforms stock?
Only you can make the decision on the time to leap. The gauge below shows real-time ratings that are based on 26 popular indicators such as moving averages, for specific time periods. It's not a recommendation but is simply technical analysis that can form part of your research.
Finder might not agree with the analysis and we take no responsibility. We also give no representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this page.
How did Meta Platforms perform in 2022?
Meta rebranded from Facebook in October 2021 to reflect the fact that it would be shifting to build the “metaverse”, a virtual world with augmented reality features.
In early February, Meta reported that it hadn’t grown its monthly users, had seen a decline in its profits and that it was expecting no growth in revenue. It estimated that measures from Apple to protect user privacy would cost the company $10 billion in ad revenue (£8.2 billion).
Last November, Meta laid off 13% of its workforce (11,000 employees), saying that it had been a mistake to increase investments so “aggressively”. The company had incorrectly predicted that the surge in e-commerce that it saw during the coronavirus pandemic would continue. Meta faces the same challenges in 2023 as similar tech stocks.
Invest in Meta Platforms shares
- Start investing from $50
- Pay no stamp duty on UK shares
- Commission-free trading. Other fees may apply.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Is Meta Platforms under- or over-valued?
Valuing a stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge value. Check out the Meta Platforms P/E ratio, PEG ratio and EBITDA
Meta Platforms's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 32x. In other words, Meta Platforms shares trade at around 32x recent earnings.
That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.
However, Meta Platforms's P/E ratio is best considered in relation to those of others within the internet content & information industry or those of similar companies.
- Apple (AAPL.US): 30.10
- Amazon-com (AMZN.US): 280.42
- Alphabet Inc Class A (GOOGL.US): 27.55
- Twitter (TWTR.US): 214.80
Meta Platforms's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 2.6345. Higher PEG ratios such as this can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value given the current rate of growth.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into Meta Platforms's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
However, it's sensible to consider Meta Platforms's PEG ratio in relation to those of similar companies.
- Apple (AAPL.US): 2.75
- Amazon-com (AMZN.US): 11.85
- Alphabet Inc Class A (GOOGL.US): 1.34
- Twitter (TWTR.US): 3.64
Meta Platforms's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping $42.5 billion (£34.3 billion).
The EBITDA is a measure of a Meta Platforms's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
To put that into context you can compare it against similar companies.
- Apple (AAPL.US): USD$123.8 billion
- Amazon-com (AMZN.US): USD$57.2 billion
- Alphabet Inc Class A (GOOGL.US): USD$87.5 billion
- Twitter (TWTR.US): USD$211 million
What's Meta Platforms's ESG track record?
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Meta Platforms.
Overall Meta Platforms ESG score
Meta Platforms's total ESG risk: 29.4
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Meta Platforms's overall score of 29.4 (as at 01/01/2019) is nothing to write home about – landing it in it in the 59th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Meta Platforms is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
To gain some more context, you can compare Meta Platforms's total ESG risk score against those of similar companies.
- Apple (AAPL.US): 26.15
- Amazon-com (AMZN.US): 33.42
- Alphabet Inc Class A (GOOGL.US): 20.35
- Twitter (TWTR.US): 25.25
Meta Platforms's environmental score: 0.07/100
Meta Platforms's social score: 13.68/100
Meta Platforms's governance score: 8.28/100
Meta Platforms's controversy score: 4/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. A high-profile company, Meta Platforms scored a 4 out of 5 for controversy – the second-lowest score possible, reflecting that Meta Platforms has a damaged public profile.
Wondering how that compares? Below are the controversy scores of similar companies.
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Frequently asked questions
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
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