KBC Group NV reduced its position in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,738,815 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 152,356 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up about 6.3% of KBC Group NV's investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. KBC Group NV owned approximately 0.07% of Alphabet worth $2,742,240,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of GOOG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 8.6% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 99,529,742 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $24,240,469,000 after purchasing an additional 7,904,434 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in Alphabet by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 40,032,291 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $9,749,864,000 after purchasing an additional 2,209,203 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in Alphabet by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 32,583,332 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $7,935,671,000 after buying an additional 223,743 shares during the period. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in Alphabet by 1.9% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 28,625,464 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $6,971,769,000 after buying an additional 539,679 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Alphabet by 3.6% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 21,531,348 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $5,243,960,000 after buying an additional 756,602 shares in the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Alphabet Stock Performance
Shares of GOOG opened at $342.32 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.14 trillion, a PE ratio of 31.67, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a current ratio of 2.01. The company's 50 day moving average price is $308.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $304.62. Alphabet Inc. has a 52 week low of $149.49 and a 52 week high of $350.15.
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 analysts' consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $113.83 billion during 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 revenue was up 18.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.15 EPS. Research analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 11.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Alphabet Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.77%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $375.00 target price (up from $365.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Phillip Securities lowered Alphabet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Wedbush reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $370.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Alphabet from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $315.00 to $400.00 in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $351.73.
Get Our Latest Report on Alphabet
Key Alphabet News
Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Google confirmed a planned up to $40 billion commitment to AI startup Anthropic — $10B invested now and up to $30B contingent on performance — signaling a deep strategic partnership that should drive Google Cloud revenue, TPU demand and long‑term AI market share. PYMNTS: Google Doubles Down on Anthropic
- Positive Sentiment: Market and media reaction pushed GOOGL coverage higher today: outlets and traders flagged the deal as bullish for Google Cloud, TPU sales and infrastructure partners, contributing to the stock uptick. Blockonomi: Stock Climbs on $40B Anthropic Partnership
- Positive Sentiment: Alphabet’s recent fundamentals and AI product momentum (Gemini, TPU launches, Cloud partnerships) give investors confidence the Anthropic deal can translate into higher monetization and ad/search engagement — analysts have raised targets and reiterated buys ahead of Q1 earnings. ProactiveInvestors: Buy Rating Ahead of Q1
- Neutral Sentiment: The additional $30B is contingent on milestones — positive if targets are met, but it spreads the cash out over time and ties part of the commitment to execution risk and market conditions. TechCrunch: Google to Invest Up to $40B in Anthropic
- Neutral Sentiment: Global AI competition is intensifying (including from Chinese players) — this validates demand but keeps pricing and product dynamics uncertain. Yahoo Finance: China’s DeepSeek Preview
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: the EU is pressing Google to give AI rivals access to Android features — any mandated access could weaken parts of Google’s mobile moat and limit competitive advantage for Gemini on Android. PYMNTS: EU Pressure on Android Access
- Negative Sentiment: Scale of AI spending and infrastructure roll‑outs raises CapEx and free‑cash‑flow pressure; investors should watch upcoming Q1 results and FCF guidance for signs the investments are converting into profitable growth. Seeking Alpha: Q1 Preview — CapEx Risks
Insider Activity
In other Alphabet news, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.65, for a total value of $348,232.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,581 shares in the company, valued at $1,187,638.65. The trade was a 22.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Amie Thuener O'toole sold 617 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.63, for a total value of $178,701.71. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 10,093 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,923,235.59. This trade represents a 5.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,037,294 shares of company stock valued at $94,216,897. 12.99% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Alphabet Company Profile
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Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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