Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Shares Sold by Harspring Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Harspring Capital Management cut its Alphabet position by 50% in the second quarter, selling 25,000 shares and retaining 25,000 shares worth approximately $8.8 million. Alphabet remains the fund’s second-largest holding and represents 16.4% of its portfolio.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 24.2% year over year to $119.8 billion and EPS of $9.11, surpassing analyst expectations. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with Alphabet receiving an average “Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $415.55, although several firms recently lowered their targets. Key risks include intensifying AI and advertising competition, regulatory scrutiny and heavy AI-related capital spending.

Harspring Capital Management LLC lessened its position in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 50.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,000 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 25,000 shares during the quarter. Alphabet comprises 16.4% of Harspring Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Harspring Capital Management LLC's holdings in Alphabet were worth $8,833,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GOOG. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management lifted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management now owns 275,943 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $86,596,000 after buying an additional 2,850 shares during the period. Heck Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Alphabet by 298.2% in the 2nd quarter. Heck Capital Advisors LLC now owns 22,229 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $7,854,000 after buying an additional 16,647 shares in the last quarter. Violich Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Violich Capital Management Inc. now owns 340,776 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $106,936,000 after purchasing an additional 3,378 shares during the last quarter. Montchanin Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the 1st quarter worth approximately $7,075,000. Finally, Sax Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Alphabet by 13.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 30,489 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $10,773,000 after purchasing an additional 3,575 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Alphabet Price Performance

GOOG opened at $335.41 on Tuesday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $347.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $340.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.64 and a current ratio of 2.72. Alphabet Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.96 and a 1 year high of $404.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.10 trillion, a PE ratio of 16.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.23.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $9.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $6.24. Alphabet had a net margin of 54.77% and a return on equity of 51.32%. The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $116.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.31 earnings per share. Alphabet's revenue for the quarter was up 24.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.5 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Alphabet's payout ratio is currently 4.42%.

Insider Transactions at Alphabet

In related news, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.20, for a total value of $149,606.80. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 27,386 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,125,015.20. This trade represents a 1.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 118,138 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.90, for a total value of $2,232,808.20. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 451,925 shares of company stock worth $12,371,544 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Alphabet News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Alphabet’s outlook. Citizens analyst Andrew Boone expects the stock to reach a new all-time high over the next year, while recent GOOG targets have a median of $455, well above recent trading levels. Wall Street analyst sets Google price target
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet’s record cloud growth, Gemini development and expanding AI infrastructure continue to support the bullish case. Investors are debating whether the company’s large AI spending program will produce durable growth, but some analysts view the recent pullback as an opportunity. One Mag 7 stock to watch
• Positive Sentiment: Meta- and Google-backed Jio Platforms received regulatory approval for an Indian IPO, potentially creating value for Alphabet’s investment and increasing visibility into one of its strategic holdings. Jio Platforms receives IPO approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Frances Arnold sold 82 shares for approximately $27,700, reducing her position by only 0.43%. The small transaction is unlikely to materially change Alphabet’s investment outlook, though broader insider activity has consisted entirely of sales during the past six months. Alphabet SEC insider filing
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are increasingly concerned that Meta’s AI-powered advertising products could challenge Google Search’s advertising dominance. OpenAI’s reported $1 billion advertising run rate adds to fears that competition for digital-ad budgets is intensifying. Bernstein warns on Meta competition
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure remains a major overhang. Google avoided a potential European penalty by changing search rules, while a £260 million U.K. app-store settlement adds another direct cost and highlights continuing scrutiny of its business practices. Google changes European search rules
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet’s aggressive AI capital expenditures are raising concerns about free-cash-flow pressure and future margins, particularly as investors compare its spending strategy with Amazon’s. Alphabet and Amazon AI capital spending
• Negative Sentiment: Google Maps’ decision to display “Lake America” for U.S. users has triggered backlash in Canada, creating reputational and political risk, although the immediate financial impact appears limited. Google Maps Lake America controversy

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on GOOG shares. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $395.00 price objective (down from $445.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of Alphabet from $430.00 to $420.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $450.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Alphabet from $415.00 to $400.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, HSBC set a $515.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alphabet presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $415.55.

Alphabet Profile

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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