Financial Strategies Group Inc. Reduces Stock Holdings in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• Financial Strategies Group Inc. cut its Alphabet stake by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,936 shares and leaving it with 42,964 shares valued at about $13.5 million.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $5.11 beating estimates of $2.68 and revenue of $109.9 billion topping forecasts, while revenue rose 21.8% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share from $0.21, and Wall Street remains broadly bullish with an average analyst rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $372.65.

Financial Strategies Group Inc. reduced its holdings in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 12.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 42,964 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 5,936 shares during the period. Alphabet comprises 2.4% of Financial Strategies Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Financial Strategies Group Inc.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $13,514,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GOOG. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 421,013,782 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $132,114,125,000 after acquiring an additional 8,128,234 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 99,529,742 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $24,240,469,000 after acquiring an additional 7,904,434 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet in the 3rd quarter valued at $678,198,000. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet in the 4th quarter valued at $869,781,000. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet in the 2nd quarter valued at $455,745,000. 27.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alphabet Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ GOOG opened at $379.38 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $335.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $320.81. The company has a market capitalization of $4.60 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.92 and a quick ratio of 1.92. Alphabet Inc. has a 1 year low of $163.33 and a 1 year high of $404.47.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $2.43. The business had revenue of $109.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $106.96 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 37.92% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The business's revenue was up 21.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.81 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 8th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. This is an increase from Alphabet's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Alphabet's payout ratio is 6.41%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GOOG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Freedom Capital cut shares of Alphabet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $395.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating and set a $425.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $372.65.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary says Alphabet was one of the biggest winners among the Mag 7 this earnings season, helped by accelerating Google Cloud sales and broader AI-driven strength. Alphabet and NVIDIA: The Biggest Mag 7 Winners This Earnings Season
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Alphabet’s new AI ad formats and shopping tools as potential catalysts for stronger search monetization, higher conversion rates, and increased ad spending. Alphabet's new AI ad formats seen boosting conversions and spending
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet also announced a large $15 billion data center and AI infrastructure investment in Missouri, reinforcing investor confidence in its cloud and AI buildout. Google Deepens Missouri Roots with New Data Center, Energy, and Community Investments
• Neutral Sentiment: Google unveiled new AI search and agent features at I/O, which could improve engagement over time, but the rollout also raised concerns about complexity and possible disruption to the traditional search experience. You can no longer Google the word ‘disregard’
• Neutral Sentiment: Waymo temporarily paused some robotaxi and freeway services after safety issues in flooded roads and construction zones; while this is not core to Alphabet’s profits, it adds execution risk and negative headlines. Waymo suspends freeway rides, pauses Atlanta operations amid safety fixes
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet has appealed the U.S. search-monopoly ruling, keeping antitrust overhang and potential remedies in focus for investors. Google appeals US court ruling on search monopoly

Insider Buying and Selling at Alphabet

In other news, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,993 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.89, for a total transaction of $2,481,078.77. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 51,808 shares in the company, valued at $14,293,309.12. This trade represents a 14.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 102 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $371.00, for a total transaction of $37,842.00. Following the sale, the director owned 18,621 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,908,391. This represents a 0.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 226,481 shares of company stock worth $27,422,061. Insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GOOG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.