Liontrust Investment Partners LLP Sells 28,107 Shares of Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• Liontrust Investment Partners cut its Alphabet position by 67.5% in the first quarter, selling 28,107 shares and retaining 13,515 shares valued at approximately $3.9 million. Other institutional investors increased their holdings, while institutions collectively own 27.26% of the stock.
• Alphabet insiders have also been net sellers, with executives selling 600,547 shares worth $16.3 million over the past three months. Director John L. Hennessy and insider John Kent Walker each reduced their positions in June.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable despite the selling. Alphabet reported quarterly EPS of $9.11 and revenue of $119.8 billion, exceeding estimates, while analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with an average price target of $410.09.

Liontrust Investment Partners LLP trimmed its position in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 67.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,515 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 28,107 shares during the quarter. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP's holdings in Alphabet were worth $3,877,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. January Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the first quarter valued at approximately $4,303,000. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC increased its position in shares of Alphabet by 0.6% during the first quarter. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC now owns 10,979 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $3,150,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. TrueWealth Financial Partners raised its holdings in Alphabet by 992.0% in the 1st quarter. TrueWealth Financial Partners now owns 7,644 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $2,193,000 after acquiring an additional 6,944 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Alphabet by 17.0% in the 1st quarter. Pathway Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,324 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $4,396,000 after acquiring an additional 2,224 shares during the last quarter. Finally, E20 Capital Ltd lifted its position in Alphabet by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. E20 Capital Ltd now owns 87,755 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $25,173,000 after acquiring an additional 7,898 shares in the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $368.63, for a total transaction of $387,061.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,481 shares of the company's stock, valued at $545,941.03. This represents a 41.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,998 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $349.29, for a total transaction of $3,142,911.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 75,290 shares in the company, valued at $26,298,044.10. This trade represents a 10.68% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 600,547 shares of company stock valued at $16,255,540. Insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on GOOG shares. Zacks Research upgraded Alphabet from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Wolfe Research set a $460.00 price target on Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Alphabet from $418.00 to $411.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Citigroup reiterated a "market outperform" rating on shares of Alphabet in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $410.09.

Alphabet Price Performance

NASDAQ GOOG opened at $333.68 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $356.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $337.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.04 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.76, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 2.72 and a quick ratio of 2.64. Alphabet Inc. has a 1-year low of $188.70 and a 1-year high of $404.47.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The information services provider reported $9.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.87 by $6.24. Alphabet had a return on equity of 51.32% and a net margin of 54.77%.The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $116.53 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.31 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 24.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 7th will be given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.42%.

Alphabet News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet is expanding its AI capabilities. Google DeepMind introduced Gemini Robotics 2, designed to control the full bodies of humanoid robots, while Google said internal AI tools helped it fix more Chrome security bugs in June than during the previous two years. These developments highlight potential long-term opportunities beyond search and advertising. Gemini Robotics 2
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable. Erste Group raised its FY2026 earnings forecast to $20.50 per share from $14.27, above the roughly $20.15 consensus. Separate reports also cited upgrades and price targets materially above recent trading levels.
• Neutral Sentiment: Google is committing further capital to AI infrastructure. Banks are reportedly discussing up to $15 billion in financing for an Anthropic data center backed by Google, potentially strengthening Google Cloud’s strategic position. However, guarantees for power and lease obligations could increase Alphabet’s financial commitments. Anthropic data center financing
• Negative Sentiment: AI Overviews may be disrupting Google’s referral ecosystem. Reddit’s CEO said AI Overviews have not generated value comparable to the traditional “10 blue links,” while Reddit is receiving less referral traffic. This raises questions about publisher relationships, content supply and the potential effect of AI search on Google’s broader web ecosystem. Reddit CEO comments on AI Overviews
• Negative Sentiment: Microsoft’s stronger market reaction underscored investor concerns. Microsoft’s Azure and Copilot results reinforced its AI leadership, highlighting the competitive challenge to Google Cloud. At the same time, Alphabet insiders and several funds reported share sales, adding to cautious sentiment after the earnings-related pullback.

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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