Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Alphabet now has a consensus "Buy" rating from 36 brokerages, with 27 buy ratings and 5 strong buys; the average 12-month price target is about $378.53.
• Recent analyst activity has stayed mostly bullish, including upgrades and higher price targets tied to Alphabet’s AI, cloud, and digital advertising prospects ahead of its July 22 earnings report.
• The company recently beat earnings expectations, reporting $5.11 EPS on $109.9 billion in revenue, while also raising its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Buy" by the thirty-six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-seven have issued a buy rating and five have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $378.5312.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on GOOG. Phillip Securities cut shares of Alphabet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Pivotal Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $470.00 price objective (up from $420.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $420.00 price objective on Alphabet in a report on Wednesday, May 20th.

Alphabet News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Alphabet (GOOG) to a Strong Buy, citing improving earnings expectations and bullish near-term sentiment. Alphabet (GOOG) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here's What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Alphabet’s AI and cloud outlook, with earnings preview articles pointing to Google Cloud and ad strength as potential drivers of another beat when results are reported on July 22. Google Stock Earnings Preview: Can Google Cloud Power Alphabet’s Next Earnings Beat?
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports framed Alphabet as a preferred AI and digital advertising name, noting resilient search traffic, strong ad monetization, and growing investor interest in its TPU and cloud strategy. Bet on 4 Cloud Computing Stocks to Hedge Against Volatile Markets
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage also pointed out that Alphabet is a trending stock and has recently outperformed the broader market, reflecting strong investor attention rather than a specific new catalyst. Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) Exceeds Market Returns: Some Facts to Consider
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet also drew favorable commentary from Jim Cramer and other market voices, who described Google’s long-term contract and AI position as compelling, but these were mostly opinion-based rather than new business updates. Jim Cramer Reveals Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)’s “Best Contract in the World”
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure remains a headwind, with Google facing a new AI training lawsuit from publishers and separate scrutiny in Switzerland and Germany over Android search defaults and AI Overviews. Google faces another AI training lawsuit from major publishers
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns about data-center expansion and related costs also weighed on sentiment after New York imposed a moratorium on certain data centers, potentially affecting hyperscaler growth plans. AMZN, GOOGL, META: Hyperscalers Hit as New York State Imposes Moratorium on Data Centers

Alphabet Trading Up 1.9%

NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $357.33 on Wednesday. Alphabet has a 1 year low of $181.50 and a 1 year high of $404.47. The stock has a market cap of $4.33 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 1.92. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $368.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $335.92.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 37.92%.The business had revenue of $109.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $106.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.81 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 21.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Alphabet will post 14.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 8th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 8th. This is an increase from Alphabet's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Alphabet's payout ratio is 6.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Frances Arnold sold 112 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $351.28, for a total value of $39,343.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 18,833 shares in the company, valued at $6,615,656.24. The trade was a 0.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,998 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $349.29, for a total value of $3,142,911.42. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 75,290 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,298,044.10. This represents a 10.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 159,415 shares of company stock valued at $7,672,279 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Alphabet during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Towne Trust Company N.A increased its stake in shares of Alphabet by 34.0% during the fourth quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 134 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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