Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Stock Holdings Lifted by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Key Points

• Wedbush Securities increased its Alphabet stake by 2.4% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 134,323 shares valued at approximately $45.8 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 27.26% of Alphabet.
• Wall Street sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $421.85; six analysts rate the stock a Strong Buy and 34 rate it a Buy.
• Alphabet faces competing forces ahead of earnings: strong Google Cloud and AI growth prospects are offset by concerns over heavy infrastructure spending, margin pressure, competition and potential legal risks. Shares opened at $314.19, down 1.0%.

Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 2.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 134,323 shares of the information services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 3,192 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up 1.1% of Wedbush Securities Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Wedbush Securities Inc.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $45,769,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of GOOG. Denali Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 14.8% during the 2nd quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 105,988 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $37,449,000 after buying an additional 13,700 shares in the last quarter. Heck Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 298.2% during 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 during the period. Montchanin Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the 1st quarter valued at $7,075,000. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Alphabet by 13.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 30,489 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $10,773,000 after acquiring an additional 3,575 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in shares of Alphabet by 96.9% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 201,002 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $57,660,000 after acquiring an additional 98,921 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on GOOG. Rosenblatt Securities began coverage on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Roth Capital raised their price target on shares of Alphabet from $435.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "buy" rating and issued a $475.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Phillip Securities raised shares of Alphabet from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and decreased their price target for the company from $450.00 to $425.00 in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $417.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $421.85.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.20, for a total value of $149,606.80. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 27,386 shares in the company, valued at $9,125,015.20. This represents a 1.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 83 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.45, for a total transaction of $28,257.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 19,076 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,494,424.20. The trade was a 0.43% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 696 shares of company stock worth $232,894 over the last ninety days. 12.99% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet’s Google Cloud business remains a major growth driver. Cloud revenue reportedly grew 82% in the second quarter, while its backlog reached approximately $514 billion. Anthropic’s IPO filing also disclosed roughly $114.5 billion in non-cancelable cloud commitments with Alphabet, potentially providing substantial long-term revenue visibility. Alphabet Has $514 Billion in Cloud Orders
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investment managers continue to identify Alphabet as a potential leader in AI assistants, with growth prospects supported by resilient advertising, Google Cloud expansion and increasing Gemini adoption. Some long-term forecasts anticipate significant earnings growth over the next five years. Alphabet Stock: 3 Reasons Why GOOGL Is a Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet’s upcoming quarterly results are the central near-term catalyst. Investors are focused on Search growth, Google Cloud margins, Gemini monetization and management’s capital-expenditure outlook. The stock has historically moved inconsistently after earnings, increasing the risk of a sharp reaction in either direction. Expected Alphabet Earnings Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Anthropic’s IPO filing supports demand for Alphabet’s cloud infrastructure, but it also highlights the cost of serving AI customers. Investors will need evidence that heavy data-center investment can translate into expanding cloud margins and free cash flow.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that elevated AI infrastructure spending could pressure margins and free cash flow, similar to the negative market reaction following Alphabet’s second-quarter results. Competition from Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Anthropic adds to uncertainty around returns on AI investment.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized securities-fraud class actions alleging Alphabet misled investors about AI progress during the May 19–July 16 period. Although the announcements do not establish liability, the repeated legal headlines add reputational and potential financial risk. Alphabet Securities Class Action Deadline

Alphabet Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $314.19 on Tuesday. 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 52-week low of $264.94 and a 52-week high of $404.47. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $339.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $338.81. The firm has a market cap of $3.84 trillion, a P/E ratio of 15.78, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.19.

Alphabet Company Profile

Alphabet Inc is a technology holding company best known as the parent organization of Google. Founded in 2015 through a corporate restructuring, Alphabet oversees Google and a collection of businesses focused on technology, online services, communications, artificial intelligence, and other emerging areas.

Google's principal products and services include its internet search engine, digital advertising platforms, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play, and Google Workspace. The company also provides cloud computing, data storage, cybersecurity, productivity, and artificial intelligence services through Google Cloud.

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