Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Shares Sold by Ninety One UK Ltd

Key Points

• Ninety One UK Ltd reduced its position in Alphabet by 20.4% in Q4, selling 24,325 shares and ending the quarter with 95,012 shares worth about $29.8 million.
• Insider selling is notable: John Kent Walker sold 8,993 shares for roughly $2.48 million, and insiders have sold 2,037,294 shares (~$94.2 million) in the last 90 days, leaving insiders with 12.99% ownership.
• Alphabet confirmed a planned up-to-$40 billion commitment to AI startup Anthropic ($10B now, up to $30B contingent), a development markets and analysts view as bullish for Google Cloud and AI monetization but one that raises execution, regulatory and CapEx risks.

Ninety One UK Ltd lowered its position in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 20.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 95,012 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 24,325 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd's holdings in Alphabet were worth $29,815,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of GOOG. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet during the third quarter worth $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet during the third quarter worth $32,000. Tripletail Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Alphabet in the third quarter valued at $40,000. Towne Trust Company N.A lifted its position in Alphabet by 34.0% in the fourth 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. Finally, Lynch Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Alphabet in the third quarter valued at $61,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.26% of the company's stock.

More Alphabet News

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,993 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.89, for a total value of $2,481,078.77. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 51,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,293,309.12. This represents a 14.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 112 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.99, for a total transaction of $33,934.88. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 18,418 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,580,469.82. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,037,294 shares of company stock valued at $94,216,897. 12.99% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Alphabet Price Performance

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

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

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on GOOG. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Scotiabank reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $400.00 price target (up from $375.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Alphabet from $385.00 to $395.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Alphabet from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $315.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $345.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $351.73.

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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