Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL Shares Sold by Violich Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Violich Capital Management reduced its Alphabet position by 2% in the third quarter, selling 6,370 shares and retaining 314,208 shares worth approximately $108.1 million. Alphabet remains the firm’s second-largest holding.
• Alphabet reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with $119.8 billion in revenue and $9.11 earnings per share, while analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $425.60.
• AI growth prospects remain balanced against rising risks: new Gemini tools and Google Cloud expansion could drive future growth, but surging AI capital expenditures are pressuring free cash flow and regulatory and litigation challenges remain.

Violich Capital Management Inc. lowered its position in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Free Report) by 2.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 314,208 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 6,370 shares during the quarter. Alphabet accounts for about 11.7% of Violich Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Violich Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $108,113,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Alphabet by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 238,977,259 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $85,403,303,000 after acquiring an additional 12,718,127 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Alphabet by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 45,394,474 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $14,208,470,000 after purchasing an additional 208,362 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Alphabet by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 38,106,033 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $11,927,189,000 after purchasing an additional 583,078 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its stake in Alphabet by 4.6% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 33,203,350 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $11,865,809,000 after purchasing an additional 1,457,371 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen LLC boosted its holdings in Alphabet by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 29,166,806 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $9,129,210,000 after purchasing an additional 478,848 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.03% of the company's stock.

Alphabet News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New Gemini model could strengthen Google’s enterprise AI position. Alphabet unveiled Gemini 4 Argon, designed to handle complex, multistep work in software engineering, cybersecurity, financial research and legal services. A successful enterprise rollout could support cloud growth and create new monetization opportunities. Google unveils Gemini 4 Argon as AI race shifts to autonomous work
• Positive Sentiment: Profit growth supports the bullish long-term thesis. Alphabet’s operating income reportedly increased 30% year over year in each of the first two quarters of 2026. Analysts and investors are increasingly suggesting that continued earnings growth could eventually push the company toward a $5 trillion valuation. Prediction: Alphabet’s Profit Growth Carries It to $5 Trillion Before 2028
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet could benefit from an eventual Anthropic IPO. As an investor in Anthropic, Alphabet may realize substantial returns if the AI company goes public. Anthropic’s additional capital could also increase demand for cloud computing and AI infrastructure, areas in which Alphabet participates. 4 Major Winners From an Anthropic IPO
• Positive Sentiment: Free AI video tools may drive usage of Google’s ecosystem. Making Google Vids available at no cost could increase Gemini adoption and generate more demand for storage, cloud services and content delivery.
• Neutral Sentiment: Google Cloud remains a key strategic trade-off. Google Cloud is growing faster than Amazon’s cloud business, but Amazon currently generates substantially more cloud operating profit. The comparison highlights both Alphabet’s growth opportunity and the heavy investment required to compete in AI infrastructure. Amazon vs. Alphabet: Which AI Cloud Stock Makes the Better Case After the Spending Bill?
• Negative Sentiment: AI spending is pressuring free cash flow. Alphabet’s second-quarter capital expenditures surged roughly 100% year over year to $44.92 billion. Reports warn that free cash flow could turn materially negative, including a projected $32.4 billion deficit in 2027, raising concerns about returns on AI investment. Alphabet Reported Negative Free Cash Flow for the First Time Ever
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and litigation exposure remains elevated. Google executives are scheduled to testify before New York City officials about AI risks, while UK consumers are pursuing a £1 billion claim alleging excessive Play Store commissions. These developments could increase compliance costs or constrain monetization. Google faces £1 billion legal claim from UK consumers over Play Store fees

Alphabet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ GOOGL opened at $343.50 on Monday. Alphabet Inc. has a 12-month low of $235.84 and a 12-month high of $408.61. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $344.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $348.00. The company has a quick ratio of 2.64, a current ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company has a market cap of $4.20 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.21.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The information services provider reported $9.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $6.22. Alphabet had a net margin of 54.77% and a return on equity of 51.32%. The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $117.07 billion. On average, research analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $420.00 price objective (down from $435.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and issued a $515.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Alphabet from $425.00 to $445.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. BMO Capital Markets set a $465.00 price objective on Alphabet and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $425.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-six have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $425.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alphabet news, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.20, for a total transaction of $149,606.80. Following the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 83 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 19,076 shares in the company, valued at $6,494,424.20. The trade was a 0.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 441,399 shares of company stock worth $8,677,053 in the last quarter. Insiders own 11.61% of the company's stock.

About Alphabet

Alphabet Inc is a technology and internet services company best known as the parent company of Google. Its primary business, Google Services, includes online search, digital advertising, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play, and a range of hardware and subscription products.

Alphabet also operates Google Cloud, which provides infrastructure, data analytics, cybersecurity, productivity software, and artificial intelligence services to businesses, governments, and other organizations.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.