Ancora Advisors LLC Decreases Stock Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL

Key Points

• Ancora Advisors reduced its Alphabet stake by 3.8% in the second quarter, selling 3,519 shares and retaining 88,308 shares valued at approximately $31.6 million.
• Other institutional investors largely increased their positions, and hedge funds and other institutions collectively own 40.03% of Alphabet. Insiders sold 451,925 shares worth $12.4 million over the past 90 days.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $9.11 versus the $2.89 consensus and revenue of $119.8 billion versus $117.07 billion expected. Analysts maintain an overall “Buy” rating with a consensus price target of $420.19.

Ancora Advisors LLC decreased its position in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Free Report) by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 88,308 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 3,519 shares during the quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC's holdings in Alphabet were worth $31,559,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in GOOGL. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Alphabet by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 110,330 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $20,886,000 after buying an additional 4,110 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Alphabet by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 14,930 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $2,826,000 after buying an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY boosted its position in 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 last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in 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 last quarter. Finally, United Bank grew its stake 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 valued at $8,495,000 after acquiring an additional 3,120 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.03% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Frances Arnold sold 82 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $337.71, for a total transaction of $27,692.22. Following the sale, the director directly owned 18,995 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,414,801.45. This represents a 0.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.20, for a total value of $149,606.80. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 27,386 shares in the company, valued at $9,125,015.20. This trade represents a 1.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 451,925 shares of company stock worth $12,371,544. 11.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Google agreed to secure nuclear power for 22 years, reportedly locking in roughly half of a plant’s output through 2049. The deal could provide more predictable electricity costs and reliable power for energy-intensive AI data centers, strengthening Alphabet’s infrastructure position. Alphabet Jumps 2.5% After Locking In 22 Years of Nuclear Power
• Positive Sentiment: Google completed its acquisition of AI startup Mechanize in a deal reportedly valued at more than $1.5 billion. Mechanize’s former CEO and other employees are joining Google, potentially adding talent focused on AI agents and automation. Google just completed its $1.5 billion-plus deal for AI startup Mechanize
• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary highlighted Alphabet’s strong AI and cloud outlook. Google Cloud is reportedly growing 82% year over year, while Alphabet’s Gemini technology is expanding into professional video-editing software, supporting the case that AI can broaden enterprise revenue beyond search advertising. Microsoft Vs. Alphabet: The Enterprise Fight No One Saw Coming
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage continues to present Alphabet as attractively valued relative to its growth prospects. The company’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with earnings of $9.11 per share versus a $2.89 consensus estimate and revenue of $119.8 billion versus $117.07 billion expected.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet’s inclusion among major AI and cloud beneficiaries, along with Berkshire Hathaway’s reported position in the company, may support investor interest but does not represent a new operating catalyst. Berkshire Hathaway Has a New Top Holding, and It Dominates Its Market
• Negative Sentiment: A law firm said it is continuing an investigation into possible federal securities-law violations involving Alphabet. The announcement does not establish wrongdoing, but it introduces a potential legal and reputational overhang. Securities Fraud Investigation Into Alphabet Continues
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet faces scrutiny over the scale of AI infrastructure spending, potential financing pressure across the AI industry, and electricity-demand concerns related to new data centers. Finland opposition parties have warned that Google’s expansion could strain local power supplies and raise energy costs. Finland Risks Strained Power Supply After Google AI Deal

Alphabet Stock Up 1.8%

NASDAQ:GOOGL opened at $338.50 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.14 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.22. Alphabet Inc. has a one year low of $235.84 and a one year high of $408.61. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $346.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $343.66. 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 (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The information services provider reported $9.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $6.22. Alphabet had a return on equity of 51.32% and a net margin of 54.77%.The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $117.07 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 7th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. Alphabet's payout ratio is 4.42%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on GOOGL shares. UBS Group dropped their target price on Alphabet from $400.00 to $379.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $445.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley set a $400.00 price objective on Alphabet and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. DA Davidson set a $350.00 price objective on Alphabet and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Truist Financial set a $420.00 target price on Alphabet and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $420.19.

About Alphabet

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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