Whittier Trust Co. Increases Stock Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• Whittier Trust increased its stake in Alphabet by 2.3% in Q4, adding 34,754 shares to hold 1,566,242 shares worth about $492.7 million, which represents roughly 5.3% of the firm's holdings and is its second-largest position.
• Alphabet confirmed an up-to-$40 billion commitment to AI startup Anthropic ($10B invested now, up to $30B contingent), a move viewed as bullish for Google Cloud and TPU demand but subject to milestone execution, regulatory scrutiny, and higher CapEx/FCF pressure.
• Alphabet recently beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.82 vs. $2.59; revenue $113.8B), pays a $0.21 quarterly dividend (0.2% yield), and retains broadly positive analyst coverage with an average target near $351.73.

Whittier Trust Co. boosted its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,566,242 shares of the information services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 34,754 shares during the period. Alphabet accounts for about 5.3% of Whittier Trust Co.'s holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Whittier Trust Co.'s holdings in Alphabet were worth $492,662,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in GOOG. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet in the third quarter worth about $32,000. Tripletail Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Towne Trust Company N.A raised its position in Alphabet by 34.0% in the fourth quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 134 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, Lynch Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Alphabet in the third quarter worth about $61,000. Institutional investors own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Key Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Google confirmed a planned up to $40 billion commitment to AI startup Anthropic — $10B invested now and up to $30B contingent on performance — signaling a deep strategic partnership that should drive Google Cloud revenue, TPU demand and long‑term AI market share. PYMNTS: Google Doubles Down on Anthropic
• Positive Sentiment: Market and media reaction pushed GOOGL coverage higher today: outlets and traders flagged the deal as bullish for Google Cloud, TPU sales and infrastructure partners, contributing to the stock uptick. Blockonomi: Stock Climbs on $40B Anthropic Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet’s recent fundamentals and AI product momentum (Gemini, TPU launches, Cloud partnerships) give investors confidence the Anthropic deal can translate into higher monetization and ad/search engagement — analysts have raised targets and reiterated buys ahead of Q1 earnings. ProactiveInvestors: Buy Rating Ahead of Q1
• Neutral Sentiment: The additional $30B is contingent on milestones — positive if targets are met, but it spreads the cash out over time and ties part of the commitment to execution risk and market conditions. TechCrunch: Google to Invest Up to $40B in Anthropic
• Neutral Sentiment: Global AI competition is intensifying (including from Chinese players) — this validates demand but keeps pricing and product dynamics uncertain. Yahoo Finance: China’s DeepSeek Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: the EU is pressing Google to give AI rivals access to Android features — any mandated access could weaken parts of Google’s mobile moat and limit competitive advantage for Gemini on Android. PYMNTS: EU Pressure on Android Access
• Negative Sentiment: Scale of AI spending and infrastructure roll‑outs raises CapEx and free‑cash‑flow pressure; investors should watch upcoming Q1 results and FCF guidance for signs the investments are converting into profitable growth. Seeking Alpha: Q1 Preview — CapEx Risks

Alphabet Price Performance

GOOG opened at $342.32 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.14 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.67, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $308.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $305.02. Alphabet Inc. has a twelve month low of $149.49 and a twelve month high of $350.15.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The information services provider reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $113.83 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.24 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 32.81% and a return on equity of 35.01%. The company's revenue was up 18.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.15 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 11.53 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.77%.

Insider Transactions at Alphabet

In other news, CAO Amie Thuener O'toole sold 955 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.00, for a total value of $284,590.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,918 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,955,564. This trade represents a 8.78% 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, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.41, for a total transaction of $318,580.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,631 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,405,091.71. This trade represents a 18.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 2,037,294 shares of company stock valued at $94,216,897. 12.99% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GOOG has been the topic of several research reports. KeyCorp set a $370.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $370.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $365.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $330.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $375.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alphabet currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $351.73.

Alphabet Company 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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