Royal London Asset Management Ltd. Acquires 67,949 Shares of Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL

Royal London Asset Management Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) by 1.0% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 7,081,882 shares of the information services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 67,949 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up about 4.7% of Royal London Asset Management Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Royal London Asset Management Ltd.’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $2,530,852,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,534,239,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its position in Alphabet by 855.3% in the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 14,525,280 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $4,546,413,000 after purchasing an additional 13,004,828 shares during the period. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Alphabet by 28.0% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 53,107,572 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $12,910,542,000 after purchasing an additional 11,605,785 shares during the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Alphabet by 28,950.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,291,926 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $2,671,986,000 after purchasing an additional 9,259,940 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Alphabet by 90.9% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 17,040,373 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $4,900,078,000 after purchasing an additional 8,112,680 shares during the period. 40.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alphabet Price Performance

Shares of GOOGL opened at $338.50 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.64 and a current ratio of 2.72. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $346.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $343.66. Alphabet Inc. has a 52-week low of $235.84 and a 52-week high of $408.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.14 trillion, a PE ratio of 17.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.22.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The information services provider reported $9.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $6.22. Alphabet had a net margin of 54.77% and a return on equity of 51.32%. The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $117.07 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio is 4.42%.

More Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Google agreed to secure nuclear power for 22 years, reportedly locking in roughly half of a plant’s output through 2049. The deal could provide more predictable electricity costs and reliable power for energy-intensive AI data centers, strengthening Alphabet’s infrastructure position. Alphabet Jumps 2.5% After Locking In 22 Years of Nuclear Power
• Positive Sentiment: Google completed its acquisition of AI startup Mechanize in a deal reportedly valued at more than $1.5 billion. Mechanize’s former CEO and other employees are joining Google, potentially adding talent focused on AI agents and automation. Google just completed its $1.5 billion-plus deal for AI startup Mechanize
• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary highlighted Alphabet’s strong AI and cloud outlook. Google Cloud is reportedly growing 82% year over year, while Alphabet’s Gemini technology is expanding into professional video-editing software, supporting the case that AI can broaden enterprise revenue beyond search advertising. Microsoft Vs. Alphabet: The Enterprise Fight No One Saw Coming
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage continues to present Alphabet as attractively valued relative to its growth prospects. The company’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with earnings of $9.11 per share versus a $2.89 consensus estimate and revenue of $119.8 billion versus $117.07 billion expected.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet’s inclusion among major AI and cloud beneficiaries, along with Berkshire Hathaway’s reported position in the company, may support investor interest but does not represent a new operating catalyst. Berkshire Hathaway Has a New Top Holding, and It Dominates Its Market
• Negative Sentiment: A law firm said it is continuing an investigation into possible federal securities-law violations involving Alphabet. The announcement does not establish wrongdoing, but it introduces a potential legal and reputational overhang. Securities Fraud Investigation Into Alphabet Continues
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet faces scrutiny over the scale of AI infrastructure spending, potential financing pressure across the AI industry, and electricity-demand concerns related to new data centers. Finland opposition parties have warned that Google’s expansion could strain local power supplies and raise energy costs. Finland Risks Strained Power Supply After Google AI Deal

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on GOOGL shares. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 price target (up from $435.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. BMO Capital Markets set a $465.00 price objective on Alphabet and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $395.00 price objective (down from $445.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $400.00 target price on shares of Alphabet and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $420.19.

Insider Transactions at Alphabet

In related news, insider John Walker sold 8,998 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $349.29, for a total value of $3,142,911.42. Following the sale, the insider owned 75,290 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,298,044.10. This trade represents a 10.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 196,931 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.46, for a total transaction of $3,832,277.26. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 451,925 shares of company stock valued at $12,371,544 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 11.61% of the company’s stock.

Alphabet Profile

Alphabet Inc is a technology and holding company founded in 2015 through a restructuring of Google. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and operates globally, serving consumers, businesses, advertisers and developers across numerous countries and regions.

Alphabet’s largest business is Google Services, which includes Google Search, online advertising, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play and hardware products such as Pixel devices. These products support activities including internet search, digital content distribution, mobile computing, online communications and advertising.