Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Shares Sold by Moran Wealth Management LLC

Key Points

• Moran Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in Alphabet by 15.5% in Q4, selling 15,800 shares and retaining 86,356 shares valued at about $27.10 million (Alphabet is ~0.8% of the firm's holdings and its 18th largest position).
• Analysts are broadly bullish on GOOG, with MarketBeat showing an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $351.73; several firms reiterated Outperform/Overweight calls and Raymond James upgraded to a Strong Buy with a $400 target.
• Company insiders have been net sellers recently—2,037,294 shares worth $94.22 million were sold over the past 90 days, including sales by Director John L. Hennessy and CAO Amie Thuener O'toole, reducing their holdings.

Moran Wealth Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 15.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 86,356 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 15,800 shares during the quarter. Alphabet comprises about 0.8% of Moran Wealth Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Moran Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Alphabet were worth $27,099,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Towne Trust Company N.A increased its stake in shares of Alphabet by 34.0% during the 4th quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 134 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Tripletail Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 1,438.5% during the 4th quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 200 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on GOOG shares. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $395.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $345.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Alphabet from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $315.00 to $400.00 in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alphabet has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $351.73.

Insider Transactions at Alphabet

In other Alphabet news, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.41, for a total value of $318,580.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,631 shares in the company, valued at $1,405,091.71. This represents a 18.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Amie Thuener O'toole sold 955 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.00, for a total value of $284,590.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 9,918 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,955,564. This represents a 8.78% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 2,037,294 shares of company stock worth $94,216,897 over the last 90 days. 12.99% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Google confirmed a planned up to $40 billion commitment to AI startup Anthropic — $10B invested now and up to $30B contingent on performance — signaling a deep strategic partnership that should drive Google Cloud revenue, TPU demand and long‑term AI market share. PYMNTS: Google Doubles Down on Anthropic
• Positive Sentiment: Market and media reaction pushed GOOGL coverage higher today: outlets and traders flagged the deal as bullish for Google Cloud, TPU sales and infrastructure partners, contributing to the stock uptick. Blockonomi: Stock Climbs on $40B Anthropic Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet’s recent fundamentals and AI product momentum (Gemini, TPU launches, Cloud partnerships) give investors confidence the Anthropic deal can translate into higher monetization and ad/search engagement — analysts have raised targets and reiterated buys ahead of Q1 earnings. ProactiveInvestors: Buy Rating Ahead of Q1
• Neutral Sentiment: The additional $30B is contingent on milestones — positive if targets are met, but it spreads the cash out over time and ties part of the commitment to execution risk and market conditions. TechCrunch: Google to Invest Up to $40B in Anthropic
• Neutral Sentiment: Global AI competition is intensifying (including from Chinese players) — this validates demand but keeps pricing and product dynamics uncertain. Yahoo Finance: China’s DeepSeek Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: the EU is pressing Google to give AI rivals access to Android features — any mandated access could weaken parts of Google’s mobile moat and limit competitive advantage for Gemini on Android. PYMNTS: EU Pressure on Android Access
• Negative Sentiment: Scale of AI spending and infrastructure roll‑outs raises CapEx and free‑cash‑flow pressure; investors should watch upcoming Q1 results and FCF guidance for signs the investments are converting into profitable growth. Seeking Alpha: Q1 Preview — CapEx Risks

Alphabet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $342.32 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.14 trillion, a P/E ratio of 31.67, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.13. Alphabet Inc. has a 1 year low of $149.49 and a 1 year high of $350.15. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $308.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $305.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a current ratio of 2.01.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The information services provider reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $113.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $111.24 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 35.01% and a net margin of 32.81%.Alphabet's quarterly revenue was up 18.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.15 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Alphabet Inc. will post 11.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.77%.

Alphabet Company 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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