Alphabet Inc. $GOOG is VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s 7th Largest Position

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al increased its stake in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 991,500 shares of the information services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,700 shares during the quarter. Alphabet accounts for approximately 1.6% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest position. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $241,480,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Alphabet by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 24,138 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $5,879,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Alphabet by 3.4% during the third quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management now owns 273,963 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $66,724,000 after acquiring an additional 8,965 shares during the period. Lewis Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Alphabet by 7.7% during the third quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC now owns 19,636 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $4,782,000 after purchasing an additional 1,401 shares in the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Alphabet by 14.5% in the third quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,094 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,971,000 after purchasing an additional 1,023 shares during the period. Finally, Kingsman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Alphabet by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter. Kingsman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 5,820 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,417,000 after purchasing an additional 477 shares in the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 32,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $299.80, for a total transaction of $9,743,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,239,619 shares in the company, valued at approximately $671,437,776.20. This trade represents a 1.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John L. Hennessy sold 600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.19, for a total value of $184,914.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 3,916 shares in the company, valued at $1,206,872.04. This trade represents a 13.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 195,465 shares of company stock worth $57,056,497 in the last quarter. Insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on GOOG. Hsbc Global Res raised Alphabet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Alphabet from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. Bank of America raised their target price on Alphabet from $280.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Alphabet from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $313.04.

Alphabet Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of GOOG stock opened at $315.32 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.80 trillion, a P/E ratio of 31.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. Alphabet Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $142.66 and a fifty-two week high of $328.67. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $302.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $244.72.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The information services provider reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.29 by $0.58. The firm had revenue of $102.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $99.90 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 32.23% and a return on equity of 35.00%. The firm’s revenue was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.12 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Alphabet Inc. will post 8.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Alphabet’s payout ratio is presently 8.28%.

Alphabet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI momentum & monetization — Coverage highlights faster Gemini adoption, stronger YouTube/search integration and improving ad + cloud monetization that underpin revenue upside and multiple expansion. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and institutional backing — Several firms have raised targets and big holders (including UBS AM and Berkshire additions reported last quarter) continue to build positions, supporting sentiment and limiting downside. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity/earnings plays — Several retail/strategy pieces outline income and defined‑risk option trades (one‑month OTM puts, butterfly spreads) ahead of earnings; these signal increased short‑term options flow and hedging but not a directional fundamental change. Butterfly spread idea
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term tech positioning — Pieces comparing legacy tech vs. pure‑play quantum note Alphabet as a lower‑risk way to get quantum/AI exposure, which appeals to investors preferring large‑cap stability over speculative small caps. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling headlines — Recent director and executive stock sales have been reported (SEC filings / press coverage); while routine for executives, high‑profile sell activity can weigh on near‑term sentiment. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory / lobbying overhang — New lobbying disclosures and reports of DOJ interest in company practices are drawing attention; escalation of enforcement or broad probes would increase volatility and could pressure multiples. Article

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.