5,180 Shares in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Purchased by Merrithew & Thorsten Inc

Merrithew & Thorsten Inc purchased a new position in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 5,180 shares of the information services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,625,000. Alphabet comprises approximately 1.7% of Merrithew & Thorsten Inc’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of GOOG. Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC boosted its stake in Alphabet by 12,325.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC now owns 1,491 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $468,000 after purchasing an additional 1,479 shares in the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. increased its stake in Alphabet by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 83,263 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $26,128,000 after purchasing an additional 6,707 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 4th quarter valued at about $204,000. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC increased its stake in Alphabet by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC now owns 88,815 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $27,870,000 after purchasing an additional 1,211 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in Alphabet by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 29,194 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $9,161,000 after purchasing an additional 1,278 shares in the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Alphabet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ GOOG opened at $393.32 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $327.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $317.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company has a market cap of $4.77 trillion, a PE ratio of 30.00, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.25. Alphabet Inc. has a 52-week low of $163.33 and a 52-week high of $399.93.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $2.43. The firm had revenue of $109.90 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $106.96 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 37.92% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 21.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.81 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.29 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 8th. This is a boost from Alphabet’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Alphabet’s payout ratio is 6.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on GOOG. Pivotal Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 price objective (up from $420.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $348.00 price objective (up from $345.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $370.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Alphabet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 16th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $385.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $363.40.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and other analysts are expecting major Gemini AI announcements at Google I/O, which could reinforce Alphabet’s leadership in AI and support the stock. BofA Sends Blunt Message for Alphabet Investors Ahead of Google I/O
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target on Alphabet, and Erste Group also lifted earnings estimates, signaling stronger profit expectations ahead of Google I/O. Alphabet had its price target raised by Oppenheimer Holdings, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Several investors and funds, including Goldman Sachs and Egerton Capital, disclosed larger Alphabet stakes, suggesting continued institutional confidence. Fund Update: GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC Just Disclosed New Holdings
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Google’s Gemini Flash model is quietly gaining AI customers and that Alphabet is expanding AI infrastructure point to improving enterprise demand for its AI products. Google has been quietly gaining AI customers, even before big releases next week
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet completed a record 576.5 billion yen bond offering to fund AI capex, showing it still has strong access to capital for its infrastructure buildout. Alphabet completes record-breaking yen bond issuance
• Neutral Sentiment: News that Google is in talks with SpaceX to launch data centers into space is intriguing, but it is still early-stage and speculative. Google in Talks with SpaceX to Launch Data Centers into Space
• Neutral Sentiment: Isomorphic Labs raised $2.1 billion to use AI for drug discovery, which highlights Alphabet’s broader AI ecosystem, but the direct stock impact is limited for now. Isomorphic Labs Raises $2.1 Billion to End Disease With AI
• Negative Sentiment: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square sharply cut its GOOG and GOOGL positions, adding to concern that some large investors may be taking profits after the run-up. Fund Update: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. Just Disclosed New Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary says Alphabet’s heavy AI and cloud spending is pressuring free cash flow, raising questions about near-term margins and valuation. 6.7% AA2 Bond Yield From Alphabet, But There Is a Catch

Insider Activity

In other news, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,993 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.89, for a total transaction of $2,481,078.77. Following the sale, the insider owned 51,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,293,309.12. This trade represents a 14.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 32,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.89, for a total transaction of $10,006,425.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,642,060 shares in the company, valued at approximately $505,573,853.40. The trade was a 1.94% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 157,953 shares of company stock worth $47,767,818. 12.99% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.