Syntax Research Inc. Reduces Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• Syntax Research cut its Alphabet stake by 44.6% in the second quarter, selling 7,945 shares and retaining 9,868 shares valued at approximately $3.49 million.
• Institutional sentiment was mixed: Worldquant Millennium Advisors increased its Alphabet holdings by 76.2%, while overall institutional investors owned 27.26% of the stock.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 24.2% year over year and earnings well above estimates. Wall Street maintains a “Buy” consensus with an average price target of $415.55, although heavy AI spending and recent insider selling remain potential concerns.

Syntax Research Inc. reduced its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 44.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,868 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 7,945 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up 2.6% of Syntax Research Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Syntax Research Inc.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $3,487,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of GOOG. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Alphabet by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 120,253 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $22,901,000 after purchasing an additional 6,410 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Alphabet by 76.2% in the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 1,865,304 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $330,886,000 after buying an additional 806,681 shares during the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Alphabet in the second quarter worth approximately $658,000. Financial Advisors Network Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 7.7% in the second quarter. Financial Advisors Network Inc. now owns 7,945 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $1,409,000 after buying an additional 565 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 10.7% in the second quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 37,310 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $6,618,000 after buying an additional 3,616 shares in the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Alphabet News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet unveiled Gemini 3.8 Flash and its Fairwind program, developments that could strengthen its position in AI applications and increase monetization opportunities across Google’s ecosystem. Google Unveils Gemini 3.8 Flash and Fairwind Program
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlights Google Cloud’s growth reportedly running at roughly twice Azure’s rate while Alphabet trades at a lower valuation multiple, suggesting investors may be underestimating the company’s cloud and AI potential. Alphabet May Be the Mag 7 Stock Investors Are Underestimating
• Positive Sentiment: Reports say Berkshire Hathaway has accumulated a substantial Alphabet position, with Warren Buffett confirming he initiated the investment. The endorsement supports confidence in Alphabet’s long-term earnings power and valuation. Warren Buffett and Berkshire’s Alphabet Bet
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet is also being presented as a potential “quiet winner” in the AI arms race, because its infrastructure, cloud business, and AI services could benefit even though it is not primarily a chip supplier. Alphabet as a Potential AI Arms-Race Winner
• Neutral Sentiment: Google is expanding an AI trial with Cathay Pacific to reduce aircraft contrails. The project reinforces Alphabet’s applied-AI capabilities but is unlikely to have a material near-term effect on revenue. Cathay Pacific and Google Expand AI Trials
• Negative Sentiment: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square reportedly sold its entire Alphabet stake and bought Netflix instead, potentially weighing on sentiment. The report cited Alphabet’s aggressive AI infrastructure spending as a source of volatility. Bill Ackman Sells Alphabet Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts see strong revenue growth but a more muted earnings outlook, while massive AI investment is pressuring returns on capital and could raise concerns about profitability and capital efficiency. Alphabet Offers Revenue Growth but Muted Earnings Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: A law firm announced a securities-fraud investigation on behalf of Alphabet shareholders. No wrongdoing has been established, but the announcement creates a potential legal and reputational overhang. Alphabet Shareholder Securities-Fraud Investigation

Insider Transactions at Alphabet

In other Alphabet news, Director John Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $368.63, for a total value of $387,061.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,481 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $545,941.03. This represents a 41.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.20, for a total value of $149,606.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 27,386 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,125,015.20. This represents a 1.61% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 451,925 shares of company stock valued at $12,371,544 over the last 90 days. 12.99% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Alphabet Stock Performance

Shares of GOOG stock opened at $335.31 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.64, a current ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $346.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $341.18. Alphabet Inc. has a 52 week low of $232.38 and a 52 week high of $404.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.10 trillion, a PE ratio of 16.84, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.21.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $9.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.87 by $6.24. Alphabet had a net margin of 54.77% and a return on equity of 51.32%. The company had revenue of $119.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $116.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.31 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 24.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on GOOG. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $450.00 price objective on Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $379.00 target price (down from $400.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their price target on Alphabet from $375.00 to $350.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Alphabet presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $415.55.

About Alphabet

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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