Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG – Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Freedom Capital from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.
Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on GOOG. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Alphabet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $370.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $395.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Truist Financial set a $385.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $362.73.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Alphabet
Alphabet Price Performance
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $2.43. Alphabet had a net margin of 37.92% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The business had revenue of $109.90 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $106.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.81 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Alphabet will post 12.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity
In related news, CAO Amie Thuener O’toole sold 955 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.00, for a total transaction of $284,590.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,918 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,955,564. This represents a 8.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider John Kent Walker sold 47,574 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $301.45, for a total transaction of $14,341,182.30. Following the transaction, the insider owned 13,227 shares in the company, valued at $3,987,279.15. The trade was a 78.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 191,053 shares of company stock valued at $58,845,206. 12.99% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Institutional Trading of Alphabet
A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in GOOG. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 120,253 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $22,901,000 after purchasing an additional 6,410 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Alphabet by 76.2% in the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 1,865,304 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $330,886,000 after acquiring an additional 806,681 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Alphabet in the second quarter worth about $658,000. Financial Advisors Network Inc. lifted its stake in Alphabet by 7.7% in the second quarter. Financial Advisors Network Inc. now owns 7,945 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $1,409,000 after acquiring an additional 565 shares during the period. Finally, Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. lifted its stake in Alphabet by 10.7% in the second quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 37,310 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $6,618,000 after acquiring an additional 3,616 shares during the period. 27.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about Alphabet
Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Alphabet won a classified AI contract with the U.S. Department of Defense — a validation of its secure/compute capabilities that could lead to high‑margin, strategic revenue and stronger ties with Washington. Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) Signs Classified AI Contract With US DoD
- Positive Sentiment: A top analyst raised a street‑high $515 price target, highlighting the value of Alphabet’s custom AI investments — signaling stronger buy‑side conviction and upward pressure on estimates. ‘This Is Bigger Than It Looks,’ Says Top Analyst on Alphabet Stock (GOOGL), Sets Street-High $515 Price Target
- Positive Sentiment: J.P. Morgan and other sell‑side upgrades following the Q1 beat (Cloud revenue +63%, backlog surge) are lifting sentiment and supporting higher price targets — a catalyst for continued inflows. Alphabet (GOOGL) Stock Surges as J.P. Morgan Declares It Their Premier Investment Choice Following Stellar Q1
- Positive Sentiment: Market momentum: Alphabet rallied sharply in April (+34% for the month) after the strong quarter, reinforcing momentum‑driven buying and technical strength. Alphabet (GOOGL) Stock Soars 34% in April Following Stellar Q1 Earnings
- Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet warned investors of a significant rise in 2027 capex as it builds AI infrastructure — long‑term growth investment that investors currently appear to accept, but that increases near‑term cash deployment. Google Just Warned of a Significant Increase in 2027 CapEx. Why GOOGL Stock Investors Don’t Seem to Care.
- Negative Sentiment: DeepMind employees in the U.K. voted to unionize over AI military contracts — a reputational and labor risk tied directly to the Pentagon work that could spark operational and public‑relations headwinds. UK Google DeepMind employees vote to unionize over its AI military deals
- Negative Sentiment: A trading analyst flagged technicals that could precede a sharp correction (a contrarian, high‑magnitude downside view) — a reminder that stretched momentum can attract short‑term profit‑taking. Trading expert sets date when Google stock will crash by 45%
- Negative Sentiment: Institutional flows are mixed: Mirae Asset disclosed a large GOOGL addition, but the State of Michigan retirement system trimmed its position — mixed signals that can influence intraday liquidity and volatility. Fund Update: STATE OF MICHIGAN RETIREMENT SYSTEM Just Disclosed New Holdings
About Alphabet
Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) is a multinational technology holding company headquartered in Mountain View, California. Formed in 2015 through a corporate restructuring of Google, Alphabet serves as the parent to Google LLC and a portfolio of businesses collectively known as “Other Bets.” Google was originally founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Alphabet is led by CEO Sundar Pichai, who oversees Google and the broader company while the founders remain prominent shareholders and influential figures in the company’s history.
Alphabet’s core business centers on internet search and advertising, with Google Search and the company’s ad platforms (including Google Ads and AdSense) generating the majority of revenue by connecting advertisers with consumers worldwide.
Further Reading
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