Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) Trading Up 1.8% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• AI catalysts — Shares rose 1.8% as positive developments (DoD approval of Google’s Gemini for Government, reports of a multibillion Anthropic commitment, and a new AI campus in South Korea) plus upbeat analyst positioning boosted sentiment.
• Near-term risks — Alphabet faces upcoming Q1 earnings volatility (report due April 29) amid rising AI capex/depreciation, EU antitrust guidance that could limit product advantages, and notable insider and institutional selling.
• Valuation and analyst view — The stock trades around $348 with a $4.22 trillion market cap and P/E of 32.24; consensus is a "Buy" with an average price target near $351.73, while the dividend yield is about 0.2% and the price sits above its 50/200-day moving averages.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) was up 1.8% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $350.90 and last traded at $348.52. Approximately 17,352,045 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 20,842,355 shares. The stock had previously closed at $342.32.

Key Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. Department of Defense approved Google’s Gemini for Government models for the military’s secure GenAI.mil platform — a direct commercial/government endorsement that can boost Google Cloud AI credibility and sales. What's Behind The Boost In Alphabet Stock Today?
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Alphabet is linked to a very large Anthropic investment/partnership (widely cited as a multibillion cloud/AI commitment) have reinforced the AI monetization narrative and lifted sentiment around Google Cloud demand. Alphabet (GOOGL) Surges to Record High on Massive $40B Anthropic Investment
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street positioning remains favorable: multiple recent buy/outperform ratings and elevated price targets (median ~$380) support upside expectations into earnings and beyond. That analyst momentum helps underpin today’s gains. $GOOGL stock is up 2% today. Here's what we see in our data.
• Positive Sentiment: Google agreed to build an AI campus in South Korea, expanding R&D footprint and local partnerships — a strategic move that supports long-term AI talent and product development. Google to build AI campus in South Korea, presidential office says
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings risk: investors are positioning for Alphabet’s Q1 report (scheduled April 29 after the close). Pre-earnings commentary highlights AI-driven Cloud/search engagement but also flags the potential for volatility around guidance and margin commentary. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Alphabet Stock Before Q1 Earnings?
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure: EU antitrust officials issued guidance directing Google to help rivals access services used by its Gemini model — a reminder of potential rules or remedies that could limit product bundling or competitive advantages in Europe. Google gets pointers from EU regulators on helping AI rivals access services
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and fund flows show selling pressure: public filings/data show heavy insider sales (no recent insider buys) and some institutional reductions, which can weigh on sentiment heading into earnings. $GOOGL stock is up 2% today. Here's what we see in our data.
• Negative Sentiment: Cost/earnings risk: some analysts highlight rising depreciation and AI capex as a near-term headwind that could pressure Q1 EPS, creating downside risk if results or guidance disappoint. Alphabet Q1: First Signs Of Depreciation Pressuring EPS Are Here

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on GOOG shares. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $348.00 price target (up from $345.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Truist Financial set a $385.00 price target on Alphabet in a report on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC set a $400.00 price target on Alphabet and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Alphabet in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Alphabet from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $315.00 to $400.00 in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $351.73.

Alphabet Trading Up 1.8%

The stock has a market cap of $4.22 trillion, a P/E ratio of 32.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $308.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $305.44.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The information services provider reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $113.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.24 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 35.01% and a net margin of 32.81%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 18.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.15 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 11.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Alphabet's payout ratio is currently 7.77%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider John Kent Walker sold 47,574 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $301.45, for a total transaction of $14,341,182.30. Following the transaction, the insider owned 13,227 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,987,279.15. The trade was a 78.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Amie Thuener O'toole sold 955 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.00, for a total value of $284,590.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,918 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,955,564. This represents a 8.78% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,037,294 shares of company stock worth $94,216,897. Company insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alphabet

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GOOG. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in Alphabet in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Alphabet in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Institutional investors own 27.26% of the company's stock.

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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