Alphabet Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:GOOGL)

Key Points

• Alphabet Inc. saw a **59% increase** in call options trading, with **707,834 call options** purchased, compared to an average of **445,609**.
• The company's shares are currently priced at **$206.09**, experiencing a **3.2% increase**, with a **market cap** of **$2.49 trillion** and a **P/E ratio of 21.95**.
• Alphabet declared a **quarterly dividend** of **$0.21 per share** set to be paid on **September 15th**, representing an annual yield of **0.4%** with a payout ratio of **8.95%**.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock investors bought 707,834 call options on the stock. Thisisanincreaseof59% compared to the average volume of 445,609 call options.

Alphabet Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of GOOGL stock opened at $206.09 on Friday. Alphabet has a 12 month low of $140.53 and a 12 month high of $208.54. The stock has a market cap of $2.49 trillion, a P/E ratio of 21.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $186.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.37.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $2.31 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.16. Alphabet had a net margin of 31.12% and a return on equity of 34.31%. The business had revenue of $96,428,000 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $93.60 billion. On average, research analysts expect that Alphabet will post 8.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Monday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio is presently 8.95%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,000 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction on Friday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $200,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,383,200. The trade was a 12.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider John Kent Walker sold 23,820 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.70, for a total transaction of $4,637,754.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 42,999 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,371,905.30. The trade was a 35.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 254,719 shares of company stock valued at $47,223,172 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 11.64% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alphabet

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GOOGL. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in Alphabet by 242.9% in the first quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. now owns 168 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. von Borstel & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Alphabet in the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. IMA Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Alphabet in the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. NBZ Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Alphabet by 85.7% in the 1st quarter. NBZ Investment Advisors LLC now owns 195 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. 40.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on GOOGL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Alphabet from $200.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 24th. Roth Capital raised their target price on Alphabet from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Alphabet from $200.00 to $218.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Bank of America raised their target price on Alphabet from $210.00 to $217.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on Alphabet from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Alphabet currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $211.53.

Alphabet Company Profile

Alphabet Inc offers various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments. The Google Services segment provides products and services, including ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Play, Search, and YouTube.

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