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How to buy Meta Platforms (META) shares in the UK

Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta Platforms and its symbol to META. Here's how to own the stock.

Fact checked

In its annual report last on 3 February, Meta (formerly Facebook) issued a warning that it may need to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Europe due to some issues with transferring user data between countries. This is because of new legislation that European regulators are drawing up. Meta said that a new transatlantic data transfer framework needs to be adopted in order for it to be able to continue to offer the services.

How to buy shares in Meta Platforms

  1. Choose a platform. If you're a beginner, our share-dealing table below can help you choose.
  2. Open your account. You'll need your ID, bank details and national insurance number.
  3. Confirm your payment details. You'll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
  4. Search the platform for stock code: META in this case.
  5. Research Meta Platforms shares. The platform should provide the latest information available.
  6. Buy your Meta Platforms shares. It's that simple.
The whole process can take as little as 15 minutes. You'll need a smartphone or computer, an internet connection, your passport or driving licence and a means of payment.

What's in this guide?

  1. Can I buy shares in Meta Platforms?
  2. Compare share dealing platforms
  3. Performance over time
  4. Is Meta Platforms stock a buy or sell?
  5. Are Meta Platforms shares over-valued?
  6. Has coronavirus impacted Meta Platforms shares?
  7. Is Meta Platforms suitable for ethical investing?
  8. Meta Platforms shares summary
  9. Does Meta Platforms pay a dividend?
  10. How volatile are Meta Platforms shares?
  11. Other common questions

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 Platform fee Min. initial deposit Trading fee estimate
eToro Free Stocks logo £0 $10 £3.42
£687.83 total
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Capital at risk
Freetrade logo £0 £1 £3.08
£687.48 total
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Capital at risk
Fineco logo £0 No minimum £6.84
£691.25 total
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Capital at risk
IG Share Dealing logo £0 £250 £11.60
£696.00 total
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Capital at risk
Hargreaves Lansdown Fund and Share Account logo £0 £1 £18.79
£703.20 total
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Capital at risk
Degiro Share Dealing logo £0 £0.01 £0.68
£685.09 total
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Capital at risk
interactive investor Trading Account logo £9.99 per month No minimum £18.26
£702.66 total
Go to site
Capital at risk
Stake logo £0 £50 £3.42
£687.83 total
Go to site
Capital at risk
Halifax Share Dealing Account logo £36 per year £20 £18.06
£702.46 total
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Capital at risk

Full comparison of share dealing platforms

Meta Platforms share price (NASDAQ:META)

Use our graph to track the performance of META stocks over time.

Is it a good time to buy Meta Platforms stock?

The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.

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Invest in Meta Platforms shares with 0% commission

  • Start investing from as little as $10
  • Pay no stamp duty on UK shares
  • Join 25 million users who trust their investments with eToro
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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.

P/E ratio

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 12x. In other words, Meta Platforms shares trade at around 12x recent earnings.

That's relatively low compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The low P/E ratio could mean that investors are pessimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're under-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.

PEG ratio

Meta Platforms's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 0.9636. A PEG ratio below 1 can be interpreted as meaning the shares are not overvalued 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.

EBITDA

Meta Platforms's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping $52.1 billion (£42.4 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.

Environmental, social and governance 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.

Total ESG risk 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.

Environmental score

Meta Platforms's environmental score: 0.07/100

Social score

Meta Platforms's social score: 13.68/100

Governance score

Meta Platforms's governance score: 8.28/100

Controversy score

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.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary

Meta Platforms, Inc. was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.

Total ESG score 29.4
Total ESG percentile 59.14
Environmental score 0.07
Social score 13.68
Governance score 8.28
Level of controversy 4

Meta Platforms shares at a glance

Information last updated 2022-06-24.
Open$161.72
High$169.53
Low$161.32
Close$168.22
Previous close$158.75
Change$9.47
Change %5.9654%
Volume21,813,060
Information last updated 2022-06-23.
52-week range$155.44 - $384.33
50-day moving average$193.6762
200-day moving average$272.2488
Wall St. target price$295.68
PE ratio11.906
Dividend yield$0 (0%)
Earnings per share (TTM)$13.09

Do Meta Platforms shares pay dividends?

We're not expecting Meta Platforms to pay a dividend over the next 12 months. However, you can browse other dividend-paying shares in our guide.

You may also wish to consider:

Share price volatility

Over the last 12 months, Meta Platforms's shares have ranged in value from as little as $155.44 up to $384.33. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".

META.US volatility(beta: 1.38)Avg. volatility(beta: 1.00)LowHigh

Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NASDAQ average) beta is 1, while Meta Platforms's is 1.3761. This would suggest that Meta Platforms's shares are more volatile than the average for this exchange and represent, relatively-speaking, a higher risk (but potentially also market-beating returns).

To put Meta Platforms's beta into context you can compare it against those of similar companies.

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