Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL Stock Position Cut by Argus Investors Counsel Inc.

Key Points

• Argus Investors Counsel Inc. cut its Alphabet stake by 11.5% in the first quarter, selling 2,057 shares and leaving it with 15,901 shares worth about $4.57 million. Alphabet remained its second-largest holding.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $5.11 versus expectations of $2.64 and revenue of $109.9 billion, topping analyst estimates. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share from $0.21.
• Despite some insider selling and recent stock weakness, analysts remain bullish on Alphabet, with multiple firms raising price targets and MarketBeat showing an average rating of “Moderate Buy” with a target of $413.73. Institutional investors continue to own more than 40% of the stock.

Argus Investors Counsel Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Free Report) by 11.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,901 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 2,057 shares during the quarter. Alphabet comprises about 4.1% of Argus Investors Counsel Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Argus Investors Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $4,572,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Alphabet by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 110,330 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $20,886,000 after purchasing an additional 4,110 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Alphabet by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 14,930 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $2,826,000 after purchasing an additional 506 shares during the period. Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY boosted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 17.6% in the 2nd quarter. Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY now owns 3,888 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $685,000 after buying an additional 581 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 11.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 485,486 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $85,557,000 after buying an additional 48,805 shares during the period. Finally, United Bank grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 6.9% during the second quarter. United Bank now owns 48,204 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $8,495,000 after buying an additional 3,120 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.03% of the company's stock.

Alphabet Stock Down 1.3%

GOOGL opened at $352.51 on Tuesday. Alphabet Inc. has a one year low of $179.68 and a one year high of $408.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 1.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.27 trillion, a P/E ratio of 26.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.24. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $371.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $336.90.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.64 by $2.47. The firm had revenue of $109.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $106.98 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 37.92%. Analysts anticipate that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.32 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 8th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 8th. This is an increase from Alphabet's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio is currently 6.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on GOOGL. CICC Research upped their target price on shares of Alphabet from $388.00 to $407.91 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price target on shares of Alphabet from $415.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Alphabet from $400.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. China Renaissance raised their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $400.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Arete Research raised their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $405.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $413.73.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 87,475 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.75, for a total value of $2,077,531.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $368.63, for a total transaction of $387,061.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,481 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $545,941.03. This trade represents a 41.49% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 160,465 shares of company stock valued at $8,020,511. 11.61% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Google held steady in June while Claude and Gemini posted strong user growth, and it reiterated a Buy rating, citing Alphabet executives’ comments that Search is in an “expansionary moment” that could support results into 2026. Google holds steady as Claude, Gemini surge in June user growth
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Alphabet (GOOG) to Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting improved earnings optimism and potentially supporting near-term sentiment. Alphabet (GOOG) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here's What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent pieces highlighted Alphabet’s AI and custom-chip strengths, including the company’s TPU strategy and potential cost advantages from in-house processors, which could improve margins over time. Google's In-House AI Chip Strategy Could Be a Bigger Threat to Nvidia Than Investors Think. Here's Why.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet remains one of the market’s most closely watched AI and mega-cap tech names, with multiple articles noting strong investor attention and ongoing debate about its long-term growth profile. Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are still focused on Alphabet’s rising capital expenditures, which were raised to $180 billion-$190 billion this year, with analysts also expecting second-quarter capex near $44.9 billion; that spending pressure can weigh on margins and sentiment. Alphabet's $1 Trillion Ad Dominance Is Facing New Threats
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet’s core advertising dominance is also facing more scrutiny from competitive and structural threats, which may be contributing to the stock’s softer tone despite upbeat AI commentary. Alphabet Vs. Broadcom: Rotate Out of AVGO and into GOOG as a Custom Chip Creator and Hyperscaler Partner

About Alphabet

Alphabet Inc is the holding company created in 2015 to organize Google and a portfolio of businesses developing technologies beyond Google's core internet services. Its principal operations are led by Google, which builds and operates consumer-facing products such as Google Search, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps and Google Workspace, as well as advertising platforms (Google Ads and AdSense) that historically generate the majority of its revenue. Google also develops consumer hardware (Pixel phones, Nest smart-home devices, Chromecast) and developer and distribution platforms such as Google Play.

Beyond Google's consumer and advertising businesses, Alphabet invests in enterprise and infrastructure offerings through Google Cloud, which provides cloud computing, data analytics and productivity services to businesses and institutions.

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