Saudi Central Bank Boosts Stake in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Saudi Central Bank grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 80.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 323,561 shares of the information services provider's stock after buying an additional 143,940 shares during the quarter. Alphabet accounts for about 1.5% of Saudi Central Bank's investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Saudi Central Bank's holdings in Alphabet were worth $114,324,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of GOOG. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Alphabet in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Timbuktu Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Alphabet Stock Down 2.1%

GOOG opened at $328.38 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $345.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $341.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.49, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.21. Alphabet Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $236.58 and a fifty-two week high of $404.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.64 and a current ratio of 2.72.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $9.11 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 analysts' expectations of $116.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.31 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 24.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 7th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Alphabet's payout ratio is 4.42%.

Insider Activity at Alphabet

In other news, Director Frances Arnold sold 82 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $337.71, for a total transaction of $27,692.22. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 18,995 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,414,801.45. The trade was a 0.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 118,138 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.90, for a total transaction of $2,232,808.20. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 451,925 shares of company stock valued at $12,371,544. 12.99% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on GOOG shares. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wedbush initiated coverage on Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $445.00 target price on the stock. HSBC set a $515.00 price target on Alphabet in a research report on Friday, August 14th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Alphabet to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "buy" rating and set a $475.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $415.55.

Alphabet News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet announced at least €13 billion (about $15.1 billion) for AI data centers and digital infrastructure in Finland during 2027–2028. The investment will support Gemini, Search, Maps and YouTube, while a 22-year agreement with Fortum for nuclear power could provide reliable, lower-carbon electricity for energy-intensive AI operations. Google to invest $15 billion AI infrastructure in Finland
• Positive Sentiment: Google Cloud and Accenture are creating a group of 1,000 engineers to help customers deploy AI agents. The initiative may accelerate enterprise adoption of Google’s cloud, AI software and custom chips, strengthening the growth outlook for the Cloud segment. Accenture and Google are teaming up to send 1,000 engineers into the field
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and other commentary pointed to resilient web traffic despite rising AI competition, offering reassurance that Google’s core search business has not yet been materially displaced. Bank of America Spots Reassuring Signal for Google Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Anthropic joined a Canadian data-center development pledge. The agreement supports broader AI infrastructure expansion, although it does not immediately change Alphabet’s earnings outlook. HIVE joins Google, Microsoft and Amazon in new Canada data center pledge
• Negative Sentiment: The Finland commitment reinforces concerns that surging AI capital expenditures could pressure free cash flow before revenue and profits fully scale. Investors are increasingly focused on whether Alphabet can earn attractive returns on its massive infrastructure buildout. Alphabet's ROIC Is Strong, but Is GOOGL Stock a Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet warned that changes to European search results required by the Digital Markets Act could reduce search quality and increase costs for businesses, creating potential pressure on user engagement, monetization and regulatory expenses. Google warns of lower quality as it revamps Europe search results
• Negative Sentiment: Meta’s launch of its paid Muse AI agent heightened fears that autonomous assistants could bypass traditional search pages and weaken Alphabet’s search advertising model. Separately, delays affecting Alphabet and Blackstone’s Project Braid data-center venture underscore execution risks in the AI expansion. Meta rises as Muse AI agent arrives

Alphabet Profile

Alphabet Inc is a technology holding company best known as the parent company of Google. It was established in 2015 as part of a corporate restructuring intended to separate Google's core internet businesses from a collection of other ventures. Google remains Alphabet's largest business and serves users, advertisers, businesses and developers worldwide.

Google's principal products and services include its internet search engine, online advertising platforms, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play and Google Photos.

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