Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) Director Frances Arnold Sells 82 Shares

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Director Frances Arnold sold 82 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $337.71, for a total value of $27,692.22. Following the sale, the director directly owned 18,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,414,801.45. This represents a 0.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Frances Arnold also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, July 30th, Frances Arnold sold 82 shares of Alphabet stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.39, for a total transaction of $27,337.98.
• On Tuesday, June 30th, Frances Arnold sold 112 shares of Alphabet stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $351.28, for a total transaction of $39,343.36.

Alphabet Stock Performance

Alphabet stock traded down $7.47 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $335.41. 23,154,609 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 21,026,871. Alphabet Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.96 and a 52-week high of $404.47. The stock has a market cap of $4.10 trillion, a P/E ratio of 16.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.23. 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 firm’s 50 day moving average is $347.79 and its 200 day moving average is $340.08.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $9.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $6.24. Alphabet had a net margin of 54.77% and a return on equity of 51.32%. The business had revenue of $119.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $116.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.31 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 24.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GOOG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Roth Capital increased their target price on Alphabet from $435.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. KeyCorp set a $445.00 price target on Alphabet in a research note on Friday, July 10th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $475.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Alphabet from $418.00 to $411.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Alphabet from $415.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $415.55.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alphabet

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Alphabet by 0.3% in the first quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,508 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $3,094,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 4,844 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,390,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Wisconsin Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wisconsin Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,223 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $785,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Cannon Financial Strategists Inc. increased its position in shares of Alphabet by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Cannon Financial Strategists Inc. now owns 1,589 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $499,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Enhancement Group LLC raised its stake in Alphabet by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Financial Enhancement Group LLC now owns 1,323 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $380,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.26% of the company’s stock.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Alphabet’s outlook. Citizens analyst Andrew Boone expects the stock to reach a new all-time high over the next 12 months, while recent analyst targets for the company’s share classes generally imply substantial upside. Wall Street analyst sets Google price target
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet’s strong cloud growth and expanding AI investments remain important bullish arguments. Investors are debating whether its large capital-expenditure program will strengthen Google Cloud, Search and Gemini, or weigh on free cash flow before the benefits materialize. One Magnificent Seven stock to watch
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional activity was mixed but included sizable second-quarter purchases by JPMorgan, Invesco, Berkshire Hathaway and other large investors, suggesting some long-term buyers view the recent pullback as an opportunity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet-backed Jio Platforms received regulatory approval for an Indian IPO. The listing could highlight the value of Alphabet’s investment, although the direct near-term earnings effect is unclear. Jio Platforms receives IPO approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Google Maps began displaying “Lake America” instead of “Lake Ontario” for U.S. users following a U.S. government renaming order, triggering backlash in Canada. The reputational impact appears limited but adds negative publicity. Google Maps displays Lake America
• Negative Sentiment: OpenAI’s advertising run rate reportedly reached $1 billion, raising concerns that AI-driven search and advertising competition could erode Google’s dominant position. Bernstein also warned that Meta could surpass Google in search-ad revenue this year. Alphabet and OpenAI advertising growth
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet agreed to a £260 million U.K. app-store settlement and changed European search practices to avoid a potential fine tied to its market position. The concessions may reduce regulatory risk but could pressure future distribution, advertising or app-store economics. Google UK app-store settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Data also shows repeated open-market insider selling, including sales by CEO Sundar Pichai, adding to investor caution even though such transactions may reflect scheduled compensation plans.

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.