US Bancorp DE Lowers Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• US Bancorp DE trimmed its Alphabet stake by 1.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 36,984 shares and ending with 1,902,067 shares valued at about $596.9 million. Alphabet remained its 27th-largest holding.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $5.11 versus expectations of $2.68 and revenue of $109.9 billion, up 21.8% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share from $0.21.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish on GOOG, with six Strong Buy and 28 Buy ratings and an average price target of $362.73. Recent commentary highlighted Alphabet’s AI strength and access to capital for continued AI investment.

US Bancorp DE cut its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,902,067 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 36,984 shares during the period. Alphabet accounts for approximately 0.7% of US Bancorp DE's portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest position. US Bancorp DE's holdings in Alphabet were worth $596,870,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Towne Trust Company N.A lifted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 34.0% during the fourth quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 134 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lynch Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the third quarter valued at approximately $61,000. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Alphabet

In other news, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.65, for a total transaction of $348,232.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 3,581 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,187,638.65. The trade was a 22.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 32,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.92, for a total transaction of $9,877,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,818,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $856,605,814.08. The trade was a 1.14% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 158,553 shares of company stock valued at $47,951,856. Company insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Sundar Pichai said Google is having a “terrific start” to the year, reinforcing the view that Alphabet’s core business and AI initiatives are performing well and helping support the stock’s recent strength. CEO Sundar Pichai Says Google Is Having a ‘Terrific Start’ to the Year. Mag-7 Investors Agree as GOOGL Stock Leads the Way.
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street observers remain constructive on Alphabet as an AI winner, citing its ability to benefit across the “AI stack” from models to cloud infrastructure. How High Can Alphabet Stock (GOOGL) Rise? Goldman Sachs Weighs In
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet reportedly raised more than $17 billion through euro-denominated bonds and Canadian-dollar notes, showing it has access to cheap capital to fund AI investments and expand its competitive position. Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) Raises Over $17 billion Through Euro-denominated Bonds
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet is now exploring a first-ever yen bond sale, which would add another funding source for AI growth; investors may view this as strategic, but it also signals higher capital needs. GOOGL Stock Falls as Alphabet Explores First Yen Bond Sale to Fund AI Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge-fund filings showed mixed activity in Alphabet shares, with some managers adding while others trimmed positions, suggesting no clear change in the long-term story. Sands Capital’s Frank Sands Boosts Alphabet Class A Stake Suncoast Equity Management Trims Alphabet Class A Position

Alphabet Price Performance

NASDAQ GOOG opened at $397.05 on Monday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $317.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $311.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.80 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.29, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.92 and a quick ratio of 1.92. Alphabet Inc. has a 1-year low of $153.83 and a 1-year high of $398.37.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $2.43. The firm had revenue of $109.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $106.96 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 37.92%.The company's revenue was up 21.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.81 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GOOG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $425.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Freedom Capital lowered shares of Alphabet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. KeyCorp set a $370.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating and set a $425.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $362.73.

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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