Dodge & Cox Sells 186,686 Shares of Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• Dodge & Cox trimmed its position in Alphabet by 186,686 shares (a 1.3% reduction) in Q3, leaving it with 13,992,737 shares worth about $3.41 billion — Alphabet is ~1.8% of Dodge & Cox’s portfolio and its 15th largest holding.
• Alphabet beat Q4 estimates with EPS of $2.82 (vs. $2.59) and revenue of $113.83 billion (+18% YoY), reporting a ~32.8% net margin and strong return on equity.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.21 (annualized $0.84, ~0.3% yield), while insiders sold roughly 2.11 million shares (~$118.6 million) during the quarter, including a 47,574‑share sale by John Kent Walker.

Dodge & Cox lowered its position in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,992,737 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 186,686 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up approximately 1.8% of Dodge & Cox's portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Dodge & Cox owned approximately 0.12% of Alphabet worth $3,407,931,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Robinson Smith Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Alphabet by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Robinson Smith Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,070 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $504,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Searle & CO. raised its stake in shares of Alphabet by 0.6% in the third quarter. Searle & CO. now owns 5,703 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $1,389,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. raised its stake in shares of Alphabet by 0.6% in the third quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. now owns 5,846 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $1,424,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. BankPlus Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 1.2% during the third quarter. BankPlus Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,143 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $766,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Alphabet by 0.5% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 7,997 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $1,948,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alphabet Stock Down 0.6%

NASDAQ GOOG opened at $301.46 on Friday. Alphabet Inc. has a 52 week low of $142.66 and a 52 week high of $350.15. The company has a quick ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a market capitalization of $3.65 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.10. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $319.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $289.75.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The information services provider reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.23. Alphabet had a net margin of 32.81% and a return on equity of 35.01%. The company had revenue of $113.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.15 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 18.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 8.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be paid a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio is 7.77%.

Insider Transactions at Alphabet

In other Alphabet news, insider John Kent Walker sold 47,574 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $301.45, for a total value of $14,341,182.30. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 13,227 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,987,279.15. This represents a 78.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 112 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.99, for a total value of $33,934.88. Following the sale, the director directly owned 18,418 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,580,469.82. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 2,112,493 shares of company stock valued at $118,605,094. Company insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: GFiber is combining with Astound Broadband with Stonepeak as majority owner while Alphabet keeps a minority stake — this monetizes Google’s fiber asset, reduces future capex burden and leaves Alphabet with upside exposure to a larger independent broadband operator. Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)’s Expanding Horizons: AI, Cloud, and Broadband Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Gemini AI is being added to Google Maps via “Ask Maps,” increasing product differentiation and engagement across a high-traffic app — a direct example of AI driving user value and monetization opportunities. Google (GOOGL) Adds Its Gemini AI Model to Google Maps to Allow More Detailed Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Google completed the acquisition of Wiz (~$32B), strengthening cloud security offerings — a strategic tuck-in that can help win larger enterprise cloud deals and justify higher cloud multiple over time. Google Just Closed Its $32 Billion Wiz Deal. How Should You Play GOOGL Stock Here?
• Positive Sentiment: Google changed Android billing rules, cut developer fees and resolved the Epic/Fortnite dispute — removing a legal overhang and improving developer economics for Play Store, which supports long-term app revenue resilience. Google (GOOGL) App Store Brings Back Fortnite, Changes Fee Structure
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamentals and analyst sentiment remain supportive — recent coverage highlights strong Q4 results, cash-rich balance sheet and a consensus “Buy” tilt with several elevated price targets. This underpins medium-term investor confidence. Alphabet Q4: A Fairly Valued Tech Titan To Buy Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Social and options flow show heightened bullish conviction around Gemini and cloud, but this is sentiment-driven and can amplify short-term volatility rather than change fundamentals. Alphabet Stock (GOOG) Opinions on Gemini AI Advancements
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent short-interest data in feeds appears noisy/invalid and does not signal a meaningful squeeze or covering dynamic at present.
• Negative Sentiment: U.K. regulator warnings on protecting children online increase the risk of tighter rules and compliance costs for big tech — a regulatory backdrop that could pressure valuations if enforcement or new rules accelerate. Big tech given warning - and deadline - by UK regulator

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on GOOG shares. Scotiabank reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $400.00 price objective (up from $375.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on shares of Alphabet from $330.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Loop Capital raised shares of Alphabet from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $345.71.

Alphabet Company 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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