Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL is Groupe la Francaise's 5th Largest Position

Key Points

• Groupe la Francaise increased its Alphabet stake by 13.8% in the second quarter to 845,464 shares valued at approximately $299.3 million, making Alphabet its fifth-largest portfolio holding.
• Alphabet reported quarterly EPS of $9.11, well above the $2.89 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $119.8 billion versus expectations of $117.07 billion. Analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with an average price target of $422.16.
• Despite strong institutional interest, Alphabet insiders sold 450,875 shares worth nearly $12 million over the past 90 days. Investors are also weighing growth opportunities from AI chips and Waymo against regulatory restrictions, higher rates and elevated AI infrastructure spending.

Groupe la Francaise raised its position in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Free Report) by 13.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 845,464 shares of the information services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 102,643 shares during the quarter. Alphabet accounts for approximately 3.6% of Groupe la Francaise's portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. Groupe la Francaise's holdings in Alphabet were worth $299,345,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of GOOGL. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new position in Alphabet in the second quarter valued at $401,138,000. Financial Insights Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 23.2% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Insights Inc. now owns 3,993 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $1,427,000 after acquiring an additional 751 shares during the last quarter. Carlson Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet in the 2nd quarter valued at $607,000. Tanager Wealth Management LLP grew its stake in Alphabet by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Tanager Wealth Management LLP now owns 35,636 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $12,735,000 after buying an additional 1,293 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trans Canada Capital Inc. acquired a new position in Alphabet in the second quarter valued at $21,226,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.03% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other 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 transaction of $149,606.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 27,386 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,125,015.20. This represents a 1.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider John Walker sold 8,998 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $349.29, for a total transaction of $3,142,911.42. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 75,290 shares in the company, valued at $26,298,044.10. The trade was a 10.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 450,875 shares of company stock valued at $11,984,482. 11.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Alphabet Price Performance

GOOGL stock opened at $349.54 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.27 trillion, a PE ratio of 17.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a quick ratio of 2.64, a current ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Alphabet Inc. has a 52-week low of $235.84 and a 52-week high of $408.61. The stock's 50 day moving average is $345.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $344.91.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The information services provider reported $9.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.89 by $6.22. The business had revenue of $119.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $117.07 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 51.32% and a net margin of 54.77%. Analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on GOOGL shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Alphabet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $425.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wedbush reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $445.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $425.00 price objective (up from $405.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price objective on Alphabet from $425.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $422.16.

Key Stories Impacting Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI chip sales add a new revenue stream: Alphabet began recognizing revenue from sales of its internally developed AI chip systems in the second quarter. Investors may view the business as both a potential growth driver and a way to monetize Google’s technology infrastructure. 2 Stocks to Buy as Google Starts Selling Its AI Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst raises price target: Tigress Financial Partners increased its price target for GOOGL to $485, reflecting confidence in Alphabet’s Search, Cloud, YouTube, Gemini and custom-chip opportunities. Alphabet Price Target Raised to $485
• Positive Sentiment: Waymo expands internationally: Alphabet’s autonomous-driving unit plans to launch an all-electric robotaxi service in Singapore by 2028, strengthening the long-term investment case for Alphabet’s “Other Bets” portfolio. Waymo to Bring Autonomous Ride-Hailing to Singapore
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity signals bullish positioning: Investors purchased roughly 520,000 Alphabet call options, above typical volume, indicating increased speculative interest in further upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ad-tech ruling avoids a breakup but imposes restrictions: A federal judge ordered Google to share more auction data with publishers and appoint an antitrust monitor, but rejected a forced breakup. Avoiding structural separation limits the immediate risk to Alphabet’s advertising business, while the behavioral remedies could pressure operations and margins. Tech Watchdogs Criticize Google Adtech Ruling
• Negative Sentiment: Higher rates and AI spending remain risks: The Federal Reserve’s rate increase and Alphabet’s heavy investment in AI infrastructure could keep pressure on free cash flow and valuation, even as Cloud backlog and AI demand remain strong.

Alphabet Profile

Alphabet Inc is a technology and holding company founded in 2015 through a restructuring of Google. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and operates globally, serving consumers, businesses, advertisers and developers across numerous countries and regions.

Alphabet's largest business is Google Services, which includes Google Search, online advertising, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play and hardware products such as Pixel devices. These products support activities including internet search, digital content distribution, mobile computing, online communications and advertising.

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