Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL Shares Sold by Middleton & Co. Inc. MA

Middleton & Co. Inc. MA decreased its holdings in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 226,152 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 7,261 shares during the quarter. Alphabet accounts for approximately 5.9% of Middleton & Co. Inc. MA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Middleton & Co. Inc. MA’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $54,978,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 1.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 516,559,609 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $91,033,300,000 after buying an additional 6,733,278 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Alphabet by 1.8% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 229,954,269 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $40,524,841,000 after purchasing an additional 4,008,374 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Alphabet by 3.1% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 141,615,284 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $24,857,017,000 after purchasing an additional 4,224,497 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet in the second quarter worth about $21,944,208,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Alphabet by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 44,151,820 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $7,780,875,000 after purchasing an additional 503,306 shares during the period. 40.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alphabet Price Performance

Shares of GOOGL opened at $343.69 on Tuesday. Alphabet Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $140.53 and a fifty-two week high of $344.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.15 trillion, a PE ratio of 33.89, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.09. The company’s 50-day moving average is $320.73 and its 200-day moving average is $267.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.75.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $375.00 price target (up previously from $330.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Monday, December 1st. CICC Research increased their target price on Alphabet from $240.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Wolfe Research boosted their target price on Alphabet from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Citizens Jmp upped their price objective on Alphabet from $340.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $365.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-two have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Alphabet has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $335.90.

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 Alphabet self‑driving unit at about $126 billion — a material de‑risk / value‑creation event for Alphabet that could crystallize value in a high‑growth AI/robotics segment. Waymo fundraising
• Positive Sentiment: Google Cloud signed a five‑year strategic deal with Liberty Global to deploy Gemini models and cloud tools across its European operations — a tangible commercial win for Google Cloud and proof of enterprise demand for Gemini that supports revenue growth for one of Alphabet’s fastest‑growing segments. Cloud partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Google is embedding more Gemini AI features into Chrome, broadening end‑user reach for Gemini and increasing monetization opportunities across search, ads and consumer products. This deepens the AI moat and supports assumptions of higher ad/engagement monetization. Gemini in Chrome
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile bullish commentary (Jim Cramer) suggests Alphabet may be capturing more AI‑driven revenue than peers like Meta — a market‑narrative tailwind that can attract momentum flows into the stock. Cramer on AI revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target to $400 and kept a Buy rating — a bullish analyst move that can support further upside and fund flows into GOOGL. Jefferies PT raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet reports Q4 after the close; traders expect a sizable move — this event creates short‑term volatility risk but could validate the AI/revenue narrative if results beat. Earnings move expectation
• Neutral Sentiment: Sanford Bernstein raised its price target to $335 but maintained a “market perform” rating — mixed signal (higher PT but conservative stance), so watch guidance and margins for conviction. Bernstein note
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media pieces highlight strong AI/search/cloud momentum but caution on rising costs and competition — useful framing for investors ahead of earnings. Zacks analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet agreed to pay $135 million to resolve an Android data‑transfer lawsuit — a modest but tangible legal cost and reminder of regulatory/legal exposure. Android settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling of roughly $35M was reported — while not uncommon at large caps, insiders selling can weigh on sentiment if it accelerates. Insider sale

Insider Buying and Selling at Alphabet

In other Alphabet news, Director Frances Arnold sold 102 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.00, for a total value of $34,680.00. Following the sale, the director owned 18,307 shares in the company, valued at $6,224,380. This trade represents a 0.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director John L. Hennessy sold 600 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $337.52, for a total transaction of $202,512.00. Following the sale, the director owned 21,224 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,163,524.48. This represents a 2.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 2,066,753 shares of company stock worth $103,358,040 over the last quarter. 11.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Alphabet Profile

Alphabet Inc is the holding company created in 2015 to organize Google and a portfolio of businesses developing technologies beyond Google’s core internet services. Its principal operations are led by Google, which builds and operates consumer-facing products such as Google Search, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps and Google Workspace, as well as advertising platforms (Google Ads and AdSense) that historically generate the majority of its revenue. Google also develops consumer hardware (Pixel phones, Nest smart-home devices, Chromecast) and developer and distribution platforms such as Google Play.

Beyond Google’s consumer and advertising businesses, Alphabet invests in enterprise and infrastructure offerings through Google Cloud, which provides cloud computing, data analytics and productivity services to businesses and institutions.