Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) Stock Price Up 1.9% – Still a Buy?

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares were up 1.9% on Monday . The company traded as high as $345.17 and last traded at $344.90. Approximately 22,323,239 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 8% from the average daily volume of 20,673,430 shares. The stock had previously closed at $338.53.

More Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waymo raised $16 billion in a financing that values the unit around $126 billion — a large liquidity/valuation event that de-risks Alphabet’s self‑driving investment and creates a clearer monetization pathway for the Waymo asset. Waymo valued at $126 billion in latest financing
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary point to AI-powered Search, YouTube, and Cloud strength that could drive a strong Q4 print; bullish previews are supporting optimism into the company’s Feb. 4 earnings release. Will Alphabet’s Q4 Earnings Send GOOGL Stock Higher?
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet dodged a proposed $2.36 billion class‑action penalty in a favorable court ruling — reduces a regulatory/legal overhang and potential near‑term cash risk. Google dodges $2.36B class action penalty
• Neutral Sentiment: The options market is pricing elevated volatility into the post‑earnings move (roughly a mid‑single‑digit implied swing), so traders are positioning for a meaningful reaction to Q4 results rather than a clear directional consensus. Options market braces for a ~6% swing
• Neutral Sentiment: AI competitor developments (e.g., reports of Claude 5 launch odds) increase the headline noise for the AI narrative — could amplify trading volatility but not yet a proven earnings/R&D threat to Alphabet. Claude 5 launch probability rises
• Negative Sentiment: Several institutional 13F filings and fund updates show modest trimming of GOOG/GOOGL positions (Provident Trust, STRS Ohio, Fifth Third among others), which can add selling pressure and suggest some positioning reduction ahead of earnings. PROVIDENT TRUST CO fund update
• Negative Sentiment: A major shareholder disclosed a roughly $35M sale — a direct supply event that can weigh on near‑term liquidity and contribute to intraday weakness if follow‑through selling occurs. Major shareholder sale disclosed

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on GOOG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Alphabet from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Pivotal Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price target (up previously from $350.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price objective on Alphabet from $330.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $365.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $300.00 price objective on Alphabet in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Alphabet currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.83.

Alphabet Stock Up 1.9%

The company has a market cap of $4.16 trillion, a P/E ratio of 34.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $320.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $266.82.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th were issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.28%.

Insider Activity

In other Alphabet news, CAO Amie Thuener O’toole sold 2,778 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $312.30, for a total value of $867,569.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,962 shares in the company, valued at $2,798,832.60. This represents a 23.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider John Kent Walker sold 17,829 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $314.89, for a total value of $5,614,173.81. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 42,972 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,531,453.08. The trade was a 29.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 2,069,531 shares of company stock worth $104,158,826 over the last quarter. 12.99% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alphabet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ring Mountain Capital LLC boosted its position in Alphabet by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Ring Mountain Capital LLC now owns 3,554 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $1,174,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Alphabet by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,231 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,014,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Avaii Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Avaii Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,437 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $451,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the period. Accel Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 4,068 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $1,276,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. Finally, Accelerate Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Accelerate Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,166 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $993,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.