Ascentis Independent Advisors Purchases 20,560 Shares of Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL

Key Points

• Ascentis Independent Advisors increased its Alphabet stake by 38.1% in the first quarter, buying 20,560 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 74,478 shares worth about $21.4 million.
• Alphabet continues to attract attention from other institutional investors and analysts, with several firms recently adding positions and the stock currently carrying a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $413.73.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, while also raising its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share; however, investors remain focused on rising capital expenditures and competitive pressure on its ad business.

Ascentis Independent Advisors boosted its position in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Free Report) by 38.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 74,478 shares of the information services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 20,560 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up approximately 1.6% of Ascentis Independent Advisors' holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Ascentis Independent Advisors' holdings in Alphabet were worth $21,418,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. PMV Capital Advisers LLC bought a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter worth $38,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Alphabet during the fourth quarter worth $52,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.03% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Alphabet

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

Alphabet Price Performance

NASDAQ:GOOGL opened at $352.51 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.27 trillion, a PE ratio of 26.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.24. Alphabet Inc. has a 12 month low of $179.68 and a 12 month high of $408.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company's 50-day moving average price is $371.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $336.90.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.64 by $2.47. The company had revenue of $109.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $106.98 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 37.92% and a return on equity of 38.99%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 8th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This is a boost from Alphabet's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 8th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio is currently 6.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alphabet

In other Alphabet news, Director Frances Arnold sold 112 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $351.28, for a total value of $39,343.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 18,833 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,615,656.24. The trade was a 0.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $368.63, for a total value of $387,061.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,481 shares in the company, valued at approximately $545,941.03. This represents a 41.49% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 160,465 shares of company stock worth $8,020,511 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 11.61% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on GOOGL shares. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $445.00 price target (up from $425.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Monday, June 1st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Alphabet from $435.00 to $416.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Wolfe Research lowered their target price on shares of Alphabet from $390.00 to $360.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Arete Research increased their price target on shares of Alphabet from $405.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised their price target on shares of Alphabet from $380.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $413.73.

Alphabet Profile

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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