Clark Asset Management LLC Raises Holdings in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• Clark Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Alphabet by 32.8% in Q4, owning 11,926 shares worth about $3.742 million after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares.
• Company insiders sold a substantial amount recently—2,037,294 shares worth approximately $94.22 million in the last quarter, while insiders still own about 12.99% of the stock.
• Analysts are broadly positive with an average rating of Buy and a mean price target of $351.73, supported by catalysts like a classified AI deal with the U.S. Department of Defense and large AI investments, though regulatory and employee backlash pose risks.

Clark Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 32.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,926 shares of the information services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares during the period. Clark Asset Management LLC's holdings in Alphabet were worth $3,742,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Tripletail Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Towne Trust Company N.A boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 34.0% during the 4th quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 134 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lynch Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the third quarter worth approximately $61,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alphabet news, major shareholder 2017 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 1,845,308 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.00, for a total value of $35,060,852.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.41, for a total value of $318,580.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,631 shares in the company, valued at $1,405,091.71. This trade represents a 18.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 2,037,294 shares of company stock worth $94,216,897 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GOOG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $348.00 price objective (up from $345.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $375.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Alphabet to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 16th. Pivotal Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $420.00 price target (up from $400.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $370.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Alphabet presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $351.73.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet secured classified AI access for the U.S. Department of Defense, opening a potential high‑margin, recurring revenue channel for Google Cloud that helps diversify beyond advertising. Google signs classified AI deal with Pentagon
• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc recently raised its price target on Alphabet, signaling some analysts expect more upside from Google Cloud and AI monetization. KeyBanc Raised the Price Target on Alphabet
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet’s big strategic AI investments — including a reported multi‑billion investment relationship with Anthropic — underpin long‑term growth optionality in models and cloud compute demand. Alphabet To Invest Up To $40 Billion In Anthropic
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 earnings and the Cloud margin story are the immediate catalysts — analysts expect strong revenue growth but will scrutinize capex, depreciation and margin guidance tied to heavy AI investment. Alphabet Earnings Preview: Q1 Earnings Hinge On Margins And The Cloud
• Neutral Sentiment: Google is contributing agentic commerce/authentication work to industry standards (FIDO Alliance), a technical positive for enterprise adoption but unlikely to move near‑term revenue materially. Google and Mastercard Contribute Agentic Commerce Standards to FIDO Alliance
• Negative Sentiment: Employee objections and public criticism over the Pentagon deal have surfaced; internal unrest can create reputational and executional distractions. A Google researcher says they're 'ashamed' after the company signed a Pentagon deal
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet unexpectedly exited a $100M Pentagon drone AI competition after ethics concerns, a signal that some defense opportunities may be inconsistent with internal governance and could limit revenue capture. Alphabet Stock Dips as Google Exits $100M Pentagon AI Drone Contract
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk is rising: the EU is shifting enforcement toward cloud and AI services, which could pressure product access and competitive positioning in Europe. EU rules reining in Big Tech will now target cloud services and AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some funds disclosed reductions in GOOGL holdings ahead of earnings, indicating profit‑taking and positioning risk into results. Fund Update: Handelsbanken Fonder AB Disclosed New Holdings

Alphabet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ GOOG opened at $347.50 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $310.00 and a 200 day moving average of $306.97. The company has a current ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.20 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.13. Alphabet Inc. has a 12-month low of $149.49 and a 12-month high of $350.90.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The information services provider reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $113.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.24 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 32.81% and a return on equity of 35.01%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 18.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.15 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Alphabet Inc. will post 11.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Profile

Alphabet Inc NASDAQ: GOOG is a multinational technology holding company headquartered in Mountain View, California. Formed in 2015 through a corporate restructuring of Google, Alphabet serves as the parent to Google LLC and a portfolio of businesses collectively known as "Other Bets." Google was originally founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Alphabet is led by CEO Sundar Pichai, who oversees Google and the broader company while the founders remain prominent shareholders and influential figures in the company's history.

Alphabet's core business centers on internet search and advertising, with Google Search and the company's ad platforms (including Google Ads and AdSense) generating the majority of revenue by connecting advertisers with consumers worldwide.

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