Van ECK Associates Corp Decreases Holdings in Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL

Van ECK Associates Corp decreased its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) by 40.0% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 570,006 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 380,026 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $203,703,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new position in Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in Alphabet in the third quarter worth $53,000. 40.03% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 196,931 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.46, for a total transaction of $3,832,277.26. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.20, for a total transaction of $149,606.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 27,386 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,125,015.20. The trade was a 1.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 451,925 shares of company stock worth $12,371,544 in the last 90 days. 11.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Alphabet Trading Up 1.8%

NASDAQ:GOOGL opened at $338.50 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $4.14 trillion, a P/E ratio of 17.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.22. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $346.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $343.66. Alphabet Inc. has a 1 year low of $235.84 and a 1 year high of $408.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 2.72 and a quick ratio of 2.64.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The information services provider reported $9.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $6.22. The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $117.07 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 51.32% and a net margin of 54.77%. As a group, analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.52 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on GOOGL shares. Phillip Securities upgraded Alphabet from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $445.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. DZ Bank raised Alphabet to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Alphabet from $425.00 to $445.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alphabet currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $420.19.

Trending Headlines about Alphabet

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

Alphabet Company 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.