Van Den Berg Management I Inc. Sells 11,347 Shares of Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• Van Den Berg Management I Inc. cut its Alphabet stake by 19.6% in the first quarter, selling 11,347 shares and retaining 46,423 shares valued at approximately $13.3 million.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly results, with revenue rising 24.2% year over year to $119.8 billion and earnings of $9.11 per share, surpassing analyst expectations.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with the stock carrying an average “Buy” rating and a $410.09 price target; Alphabet also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share.

Van Den Berg Management I Inc. decreased its holdings in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 19.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 46,423 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 11,347 shares during the quarter. Alphabet accounts for approximately 3.1% of Van Den Berg Management I Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Van Den Berg Management I Inc.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $13,317,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Alphabet during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Towne Trust Company N.A grew its stake in shares of Alphabet by 34.0% in the 4th 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 period. 27.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 87,475 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.75, for a total value of $2,077,531.25. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 112 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $351.28, for a total value of $39,343.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 18,833 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,615,656.24. This represents a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 159,415 shares of company stock valued at $7,672,279 in the last 90 days. 12.99% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Alphabet Stock Up 2.3%

NASDAQ GOOG opened at $326.57 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $3.96 trillion, a PE ratio of 16.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.23. Alphabet Inc. has a one year low of $188.70 and a one year high of $404.47. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $359.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $337.61. 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 (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 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $116.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.31 EPS. The business's revenue was up 24.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Alphabet Inc. will post 17.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet reported a strong second quarter, with revenue up 24% year over year to $119.8 billion and earnings of $9.11 per share, well above estimates. Google Cloud growth, reported at approximately 82%, and continued strength in Search and YouTube reinforced the company’s AI monetization story. Alphabet Stock Is Gaining Monday: What's Going On?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and portfolio managers largely continue to support Alphabet’s long-term outlook. Bullish arguments point to enterprise AI adoption, a roughly $514 billion Cloud backlog, improving Cloud margins and early evidence that AI features can strengthen Search and other services. Berkshire Hathaway’s substantial Alphabet position also provides a notable vote of confidence. Alphabet Q2 Strength Reinforces the Bullish Case
• Positive Sentiment: YouTube reached a multiyear agreement with NBCUniversal to include Peacock content for U.S. YouTube Premium subscribers beginning in 2027. The deal could improve subscription value, engagement and YouTube’s competitive position in streaming. NBCUniversal and YouTube Ink Peacock Deal

Analyst Ratings Changes

GOOG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $395.00 target price (down from $445.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday. 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 research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $475.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $420.00 price objective (down from $435.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group set a $450.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $410.09.

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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