Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Shares Acquired by Kestra Advisory Services LLC

Key Points

• Kestra Advisory Services increased its Alphabet stake by 4.9% in the third quarter, adding 40,011 shares to hold 850,477 shares valued at about $289.8 million.
• Alphabet’s latest quarter fell short of expectations: earnings per share were $2.12 versus a $3.01 consensus, while revenue was $127.58 billion versus $127.97 billion expected. Revenue still grew 24.7% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with an average price target of $413.38; Alphabet also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share.

Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 4.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 850,477 shares of the information services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 40,011 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up approximately 0.8% of Kestra Advisory Services LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Kestra Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Alphabet were worth $289,791,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of GOOG. Claro Advisors Inc. raised its position in Alphabet by 4.1% in the third quarter. Claro Advisors Inc. now owns 31,238 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $10,644,000 after acquiring an additional 1,218 shares in the last quarter. Genesis Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Alphabet by 4.0% in the third quarter. Genesis Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,108 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $1,059,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Gutierrez Wealth Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Alphabet by 54.7% in the third quarter. Gutierrez Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 1,326 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $452,000 after acquiring an additional 469 shares during the period. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. boosted its position in shares of Alphabet by 33.2% during the 3rd quarter. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. now owns 361 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $123,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Alphabet by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. now owns 11,113 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $3,787,000 after purchasing an additional 1,253 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Frances Arnold sold 83 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.45, for a total value of $28,257.35. Following the sale, the director directly owned 19,076 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,494,424.20. This represents a 0.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 247 shares of company stock valued at $79,238. 12.99% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on GOOG shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $375.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. DZ Bank raised shares of Alphabet from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. HSBC set a $515.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of Alphabet from $375.00 to $350.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $413.38.

Alphabet Stock Up 0.8%

GOOG opened at $283.93 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average is $329.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $337.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 2.69 and a current ratio of 2.79. The company has a market cap of $3.47 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.82, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.21. Alphabet Inc. has a one year low of $271.41 and a one year high of $404.47.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The information services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.01 by ($0.89). Alphabet had a net margin of 50.03% and a return on equity of 43.33%. The firm had revenue of $127.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $127.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.87 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 24.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Alphabet Inc. will post 19.80 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 14th. Investors of record on Monday, December 7th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 7th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Alphabet's payout ratio is currently 4.59%.

Key Stories Impacting Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Google’s Cloud, Gemini, advertising and streaming businesses are showing improving demand, according to market commentary. Reports also cite more than 1 billion Gemini app users and rapid Google Cloud growth, supporting the case that AI can create revenue beyond traditional Search. Article: GOOGL Cloud Momentum Clashes with Google Search Concerns
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet disclosed a roughly $548 million Qualcomm stake, which could strengthen its AI data-center supply and technology relationships. Article: Alphabet discloses $548 million worth of Qualcomm stake
• Neutral Sentiment: Google acquired Crusoe’s planned Wyoming data-center site as part of a reported $17 billion expansion, with a pledge to cover the facility’s power costs. More capacity could support AI and cloud growth, while the scale of investment and energy needs add to concerns about spending and infrastructure constraints. Article: Google acquires Wyoming data center site from AI infrastructure firm Crusoe
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet’s Wing plans to invest up to $125 million in a Texas manufacturing facility, expanding its drone-delivery capacity. It offers longer-term growth potential but is a relatively small, multi-year investment compared with Alphabet’s core businesses. Article: Alphabet's Drone Unit to Invest Up to $125 Million in New Texas Facility
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to question whether AI assistants could weaken Search growth and how effectively Alphabet can monetize AI search. Heavy data-center spending also raises concerns about cash flow, electricity availability and potential regulation. Article: Are the Fears Around Alphabet’s Search Slowdown Warranted?
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized an existing securities class action alleging investor harm during May–July 2026; the claims remain allegations, but the publicity may add a legal overhang. Separately, parents’ claims over an AI chatbot’s alleged role in a student’s suicide attempt raise potential safety and reputational concerns. Article: Google faces claims student used AI chat on US school laptop to plan suicide attempt

About Alphabet

Alphabet is a technology holding company whose primary business is Google. Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google became part of Alphabet when the company adopted a holding-company structure in 2015. Sundar Pichai leads Alphabet and Google as chief executive officer.

Google offers internet search, online advertising, cloud computing, and software and hardware products. Its services and products include Google Search, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play, and Google Cloud.

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