Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) Stock Rating Lowered by Freedom Capital

Key Points

• Freedom Capital downgraded Alphabet from a "strong‑buy" to a "hold" in a client research note, marking a notable change in at least one sell‑side view of the stock.
• Alphabet beat Q1 estimates (EPS $5.11 vs. $2.68 consensus; revenue $109.9B vs. $106.96B) and still holds a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Buy" with a $362.73 average price target, supported by strong cloud growth and recent momentum.
• Potential headwinds include heavy insider selling (191,053 shares worth ~$58.8M over 90 days), a warned increase in 2027 capex for AI infrastructure, and reputational/labor risk from DeepMind unionization related to defense contracts.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Freedom Capital from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $395.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $425.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Alphabet to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $345.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Alphabet presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $362.73.

Alphabet Price Performance

GOOG stock opened at $379.64 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $312.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $308.65. The company has a market capitalization of $4.59 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.96, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.25. Alphabet has a 52-week low of $149.49 and a 52-week high of $384.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 1.92.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $2.43. Alphabet had a net margin of 37.92% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The firm had revenue of $109.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $106.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.81 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 21.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Alphabet will post 12.78 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,993 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.89, for a total value of $2,481,078.77. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 51,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,293,309.12. This represents a 14.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 102 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $371.00, for a total transaction of $37,842.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 18,621 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,908,391. The trade was a 0.54% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 191,053 shares of company stock worth $58,845,206. Company insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alphabet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tradewinds LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 2,134.8% in the third quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 45,098 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $10,984,000 after buying an additional 43,080 shares during the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 8.5% in the fourth quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 29,896 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $9,381,000 after buying an additional 2,341 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 31.3% in the third quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 354,529 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $86,345,000 after buying an additional 84,553 shares during the last quarter. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 0.9% in the third quarter. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 221,391 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $53,920,000 after buying an additional 2,009 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 2.2% in the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 157,143 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $38,272,000 after buying an additional 3,444 shares during the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet won a classified AI contract with the U.S. Department of Defense — a validation of its secure/compute capabilities that could lead to high‑margin, strategic revenue and stronger ties with Washington. Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) Signs Classified AI Contract With US DoD
• Positive Sentiment: A top analyst raised a street‑high $515 price target, highlighting the value of Alphabet’s custom AI investments — signaling stronger buy‑side conviction and upward pressure on estimates. ‘This Is Bigger Than It Looks,’ Says Top Analyst on Alphabet Stock (GOOGL), Sets Street-High $515 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: J.P. Morgan and other sell‑side upgrades following the Q1 beat (Cloud revenue +63%, backlog surge) are lifting sentiment and supporting higher price targets — a catalyst for continued inflows. Alphabet (GOOGL) Stock Surges as J.P. Morgan Declares It Their Premier Investment Choice Following Stellar Q1
• Positive Sentiment: Market momentum: Alphabet rallied sharply in April (+34% for the month) after the strong quarter, reinforcing momentum‑driven buying and technical strength. Alphabet (GOOGL) Stock Soars 34% in April Following Stellar Q1 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet warned investors of a significant rise in 2027 capex as it builds AI infrastructure — long‑term growth investment that investors currently appear to accept, but that increases near‑term cash deployment. Google Just Warned of a Significant Increase in 2027 CapEx. Why GOOGL Stock Investors Don’t Seem to Care.
• Negative Sentiment: DeepMind employees in the U.K. voted to unionize over AI military contracts — a reputational and labor risk tied directly to the Pentagon work that could spark operational and public‑relations headwinds. UK Google DeepMind employees vote to unionize over its AI military deals
• Negative Sentiment: A trading analyst flagged technicals that could precede a sharp correction (a contrarian, high‑magnitude downside view) — a reminder that stretched momentum can attract short‑term profit‑taking. Trading expert sets date when Google stock will crash by 45%
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional flows are mixed: Mirae Asset disclosed a large GOOGL addition, but the State of Michigan retirement system trimmed its position — mixed signals that can influence intraday liquidity and volatility. Fund Update: STATE OF MICHIGAN RETIREMENT SYSTEM Just Disclosed New Holdings

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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