Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Shares Sold by Salem Investment Counselors Inc.

Key Points

• Salem Investment Counselors reduced its Alphabet position by 2,963 shares, or 0.6%, leaving it with 490,715 shares valued at approximately $167.2 million.
• Institutional ownership remains significant, with hedge funds and other institutions holding 27.26% of Alphabet’s stock; major investors including BlackRock and State Street increased their stakes.
• Wall Street remains broadly bullish, with a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $421.95. Alphabet also reported quarterly revenue growth of 24.2% and earnings that exceeded analysts’ expectations.

Salem Investment Counselors Inc. decreased its position in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 0.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 490,715 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 2,963 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up approximately 4.1% of Salem Investment Counselors Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Salem Investment Counselors Inc.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $167,206,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Readystate Asset Management LP purchased a new position in Alphabet in the second quarter worth about $45,352,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 1.4% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 369,922,502 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $130,704,718,000 after buying an additional 5,164,200 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 2.8% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 190,923,442 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $67,458,980,000 after buying an additional 5,208,690 shares during the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 38,409.2% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 179,836,276 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $5,643,262,000 after buying an additional 179,369,280 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 24,595,622 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $7,693,281,000 after buying an additional 508,718 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on GOOG. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Alphabet from $430.00 to $420.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on Alphabet from $390.00 to $385.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Zacks Research downgraded Alphabet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities assumed coverage on Alphabet in a report on Thursday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $421.95.

Alphabet Price Performance

GOOG opened at $349.52 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.64 and a current ratio of 2.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.27 trillion, a P/E ratio of 17.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.19. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $341.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $347.94. Alphabet Inc. has a 52-week low of $241.18 and a 52-week high of $404.47.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $9.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $116.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.31 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 24.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.54 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 14th. Investors of record on Monday, September 7th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.42%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alphabet news, Director Frances Arnold sold 83 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.45, for a total value of $28,257.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 19,076 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,494,424.20. The trade was a 0.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.20, for a total transaction of $149,606.80. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 27,386 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,125,015.20. This represents a 1.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 441,399 shares of company stock worth $8,677,053. 12.99% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Google launched Gemini 4 Argon for developers, businesses and paying users. The model is being marketed as particularly strong in coding and finance and legal knowledge work, potentially improving Alphabet’s competitive position in generative AI. Google launches flagship AI model Gemini 4 Argon for developers, businesses
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst said Alphabet’s internally developed AI chips could generate as much as $100 billion in value by 2028, while investors also remain focused on Google Cloud growth and rising AI demand. BNP Paribas reportedly raised its price target, adding to the bullish tone. Alphabet Could Unlock $100 Billion From AI Chips by 2028, Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet and Unity announced Unity Spark, an AI-powered game-creation platform that will let users build games with natural-language prompts. The partnership could broaden Alphabet’s AI distribution and user reach. Alphabet backs AI game creation platform
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet’s Chrome security program awarded XBOW $250,000 for identifying a major exploit. The recognition supports Google’s security efforts but is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. XBOW Rewarded for Exploit Affecting a Billion Users
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a securities class action alleging Alphabet misrepresented development progress for Gemini 3.5 Pro, including training setbacks and a missed launch timetable. The case covers purchases from May 19 through July 16, 2026, with lead-plaintiff deadlines around December 1. Although the announcements largely repeat existing claims, they reinforce legal and reputational overhang. Alphabet AI issues and securities fraud class action
• Negative Sentiment: Apple introduced HomeView and a more personalized Siri for smart homes, increasing competitive pressure on Google’s smart-home and AI ecosystems. Investors also remain sensitive to Alphabet’s substantial AI data-center spending and the gap between operating cash flow and free cash flow. Apple's HomeView takes on Amazon and Google

Alphabet Profile

Alphabet Inc is a technology holding company best known as the parent company of Google. Established in 2015 through a corporate restructuring, Alphabet oversees Google and a collection of businesses focused on technology, innovation and emerging industries. Sundar Pichai serves as Alphabet's chief executive officer and also leads Google.

Google is Alphabet's primary business and operates an internet ecosystem that includes Google Search, online advertising, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play and Google Photos.

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