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

Key Points

• Alphabet has an average analyst rating of "Buy" from 38 brokerages, with 28 buy ratings and 6 strong buy ratings. The consensus 12-month price target is about $372.65.
• The company delivered a strong quarterly earnings beat, posting $5.11 EPS versus $2.68 expected and revenue of $109.9 billion, up 21.8% year over year.
• Alphabet is leaning heavily into AI, with recent updates highlighting Gemini-related ad tools and broader AI momentum, though investors still face regulatory overhangs including antitrust risk and a potential EU fine.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Buy" by the thirty-eight brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-eight have issued a buy rating and six have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $372.6452.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Phillip Securities lowered shares of Alphabet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Needham & Company LLC set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Alphabet in a report on Monday, April 20th. Freedom Capital lowered shares of Alphabet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alphabet

In other news, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 87,475 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.75, for a total transaction of $2,077,531.25. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 32,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,642,060 shares in the company, valued at approximately $505,573,853.40. The trade was a 1.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 226,481 shares of company stock worth $27,422,061. 12.99% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GOOG. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Alphabet in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. purchased a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Towne Trust Company N.A raised its holdings in Alphabet by 34.0% in the fourth quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 134 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet highlighted new AI-powered ad formats at Google Marketing Live, including Gemini-linked tools that could improve ad targeting, conversion rates, and monetization across search and shopping. Google rolls out AI-powered ad formats at Marketing Live
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on Google I/O takeaways that suggest stronger Gemini adoption and broader AI product momentum, which could help Alphabet defend its search and cloud businesses. Google I/O Key Takeaways: Gemini's Growth, Smart Glasses & Ties to Space Economy
• Positive Sentiment: Several analyst-style articles argued that Alphabet’s AI ecosystem, cloud growth, and expanding Gemini usage make the stock look stronger over the long term. Google Made a Bigger AI Push with Gemini Spark. Alphabet (GOOG) Looks Stronger for It
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary from investors and stock screeners continued to describe Alphabet as a high-quality growth name, but these pieces are more opinion-based than company-specific catalysts. ‘The Path Is Clear,’ Says Investor About Alphabet Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Some media reports noted concerns from publishers that Google’s AI-driven search changes could reduce referral traffic, which is a longer-term industry risk rather than an immediate earnings issue. Google Search AI Overhaul Leaves Publishers Bracing For ‘Google Zero’
• Negative Sentiment: The EU fine report is the clearest negative catalyst: a large penalty would add to regulatory uncertainty and reinforce concerns that Alphabet’s search dominance is under pressure in Europe. EU plans to fine Google high triple-digit million euro sum, Handelsblatt reports
• Negative Sentiment: Google’s appeal of the U.S. search monopoly ruling keeps antitrust risks front and center for investors. Google Appeals Court Decision on Search Monopoly
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Stanley Druckenmiller dumped Alphabet may also weigh on sentiment, though this is more a signaling factor than a fundamental change. Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller Just Dumped Alphabet (Google) and Picked Up 2 Stocks That Are Direct Bets on Agentic AI

Alphabet Price Performance

Alphabet stock opened at $379.38 on Tuesday. Alphabet has a 12-month low of $163.33 and a 12-month high of $404.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.60 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.25. The firm's 50-day moving average is $337.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $321.78. 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 - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $2.43. The company had revenue of $109.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $106.96 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 37.92% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 21.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.81 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Alphabet will post 14.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 8th. This is an increase from Alphabet's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Alphabet's payout ratio is currently 6.41%.

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.

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