Northstar Group Inc. Cuts Stock Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL

Key Points

• Northstar Group Inc. trimmed its Alphabet stake by 2.8% in the first quarter, selling 2,075 shares and ending with 72,923 shares worth about $20.97 million. Alphabet remains its 7th-largest holding and makes up roughly 3.0% of the portfolio.
• Alphabet posted a strong latest quarter, with EPS of $5.11 versus analyst expectations of $2.64 and revenue of $109.9 billion, ahead of estimates. Analysts still see solid upside potential, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $413.73.
• Sentiment around the stock is mixed: Alphabet recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share, but investors are also watching higher capital expenditures and competitive pressure on its core ad business. Insider selling and some analyst target cuts have added to the cautious tone.

Northstar Group Inc. reduced its position in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Free Report) by 2.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 72,923 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 2,075 shares during the quarter. Alphabet accounts for approximately 3.0% of Northstar Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Northstar Group Inc.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $20,970,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at about $416,217,000. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its position in Alphabet by 11.8% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 887,209 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $277,696,000 after buying an additional 93,293 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors grew its stake in Alphabet by 9.2% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 274,761 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $86,000,000 after acquiring an additional 23,107 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC grew its stake in Alphabet by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 89,299 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $25,679,000 after acquiring an additional 2,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,902,000. Institutional investors own 40.03% of the company's stock.

More Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Google held steady in June while Claude and Gemini posted strong user growth, and it reiterated a Buy rating, citing Alphabet executives’ comments that Search is in an “expansionary moment” that could support results into 2026. Google holds steady as Claude, Gemini surge in June user growth
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Alphabet (GOOG) to Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting improved earnings optimism and potentially supporting near-term sentiment. Alphabet (GOOG) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here's What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent pieces highlighted Alphabet’s AI and custom-chip strengths, including the company’s TPU strategy and potential cost advantages from in-house processors, which could improve margins over time. Google's In-House AI Chip Strategy Could Be a Bigger Threat to Nvidia Than Investors Think. Here's Why.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet remains one of the market’s most closely watched AI and mega-cap tech names, with multiple articles noting strong investor attention and ongoing debate about its long-term growth profile. Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are still focused on Alphabet’s rising capital expenditures, which were raised to $180 billion-$190 billion this year, with analysts also expecting second-quarter capex near $44.9 billion; that spending pressure can weigh on margins and sentiment. Alphabet's $1 Trillion Ad Dominance Is Facing New Threats
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet’s core advertising dominance is also facing more scrutiny from competitive and structural threats, which may be contributing to the stock’s softer tone despite upbeat AI commentary. Alphabet Vs. Broadcom: Rotate Out of AVGO and into GOOG as a Custom Chip Creator and Hyperscaler Partner

Alphabet Stock Performance

Shares of GOOGL stock opened at $352.51 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.27 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.89, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.24. Alphabet Inc. has a 52-week low of $179.68 and a 52-week high of $408.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company's 50 day moving average is $371.97 and its 200 day moving average is $336.90.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.64 by $2.47. The company had revenue of $109.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $106.98 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 37.92%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 8th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 8th. This is a positive change from Alphabet's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.71%.

Insider Transactions at Alphabet

In other Alphabet news, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 87,475 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.75, for a total value of $2,077,531.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,998 shares of Alphabet 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 directly owned 75,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,298,044.10. The trade was a 10.68% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 160,465 shares of company stock worth $8,020,511. Company insiders own 11.61% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on GOOGL shares. Wolfe Research lowered their price target on Alphabet from $390.00 to $360.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $450.00 price objective (up from $375.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Freedom Capital lowered Alphabet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on Alphabet from $415.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $413.73.

About Alphabet

Alphabet Inc is the holding company created in 2015 to organize Google and a portfolio of businesses developing technologies beyond Google's core internet services. Its principal operations are led by Google, which builds and operates consumer-facing products such as Google Search, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps and Google Workspace, as well as advertising platforms (Google Ads and AdSense) that historically generate the majority of its revenue. Google also develops consumer hardware (Pixel phones, Nest smart-home devices, Chromecast) and developer and distribution platforms such as Google Play.

Beyond Google's consumer and advertising businesses, Alphabet invests in enterprise and infrastructure offerings through Google Cloud, which provides cloud computing, data analytics and productivity services to businesses and institutions.

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