Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been given an average rating of “Buy” by the thirty-eight brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twenty-nine have given a buy recommendation and five have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $378.50.

GOOG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Truist Financial set a $430.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Needham & Company LLC set a $400.00 price target on shares of Alphabet and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of Alphabet to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 16th.

Alphabet Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ GOOG opened at $372.58 on Tuesday. Alphabet has a 1 year low of $163.33 and a 1 year high of $404.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.51 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $344.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $325.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.92 and a quick ratio of 1.92.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 analysts’ expectations of $106.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.81 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Alphabet will post 14.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. This is a boost from Alphabet’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 8th. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio is 6.71%.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway’s $10 billion commitment to Alphabet’s stock sale is a notable endorsement and suggests confidence in the company’s AI strategy. Berkshire invests extra $10 billion in Alphabet, deepening bet on AI
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said Google may be a key beneficiary of AI search adoption, reinforcing the view that Alphabet can defend its core search business even as competition in AI intensifies. Google Is the Clear Beneficiary,” Says Top Analyst as AI Search Takes Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet’s indirect exposure to private AI names such as Anthropic and SpaceX could provide long-term upside, but this is more of an optionality story than an immediate catalyst. Alphabet Stock Offers Exposure To SpaceX, Anthropic Before IPOs: What That Means For Investors
• Negative Sentiment: The $80 billion capital raise may weigh on the stock because it implies major AI spending needs and potential dilution for existing shareholders. Alphabet plans to raise $80 billion to pay for AI buildout
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported the EU may tighten cloud procurement rules in a way that could limit Google’s access to some strategic government contracts in Europe. EU cloud rules to curb Amazon, Google access to strategic tenders

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,993 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.89, for a total value of $2,481,078.77. Following the sale, the insider owned 51,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,293,309.12. The trade was a 14.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $393.26, for a total transaction of $412,923.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,531 shares in the company, valued at $995,341.06. This trade represents a 29.32% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 225,516 shares of company stock worth $27,142,399 in the last three months. Insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alphabet

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GOOG. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Alphabet by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 120,253 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $22,901,000 after acquiring an additional 6,410 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Alphabet by 76.2% during the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 1,865,304 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $330,886,000 after acquiring an additional 806,681 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 2nd quarter valued at $658,000. Financial Advisors Network Inc. grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Advisors Network Inc. now owns 7,945 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,409,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 37,310 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $6,618,000 after purchasing an additional 3,616 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 27.26% of the company’s stock.

Alphabet Company Profile

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.