Which company is the parent of Instagram and WhatsApp and trades under the symbol META?
Answer
Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms is the parent company of Instagram and WhatsApp and trades under the symbol META.
Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012. It acquired WhatsApp in 2014 in a transaction announced at a value of about $19 billion, later adjusted as the deal included cash, stock, and restricted shares. Both services remained recognizable brands after the acquisitions.
Facebook, Inc. changed its corporate name to Meta Platforms, Inc. in 2021. The change did not rename Instagram or WhatsApp; it identified the parent company behind a group of major social and communication products.
Meta's stock ticker is META on the Nasdaq exchange. A stock ticker identifies a publicly traded security, while a market-cap ranking compares the total value of outstanding shares. Those concepts are related but not interchangeable.