Sterling Investment Management LLC Reduces Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Sterling Investment Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,626 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 4,579 shares during the quarter. Alphabet makes up about 3.3% of Sterling Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Sterling Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $5,511,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Higgins & Schmidt Wealth Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 2.2% in the third quarter. Higgins & Schmidt Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 1,818 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $443,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Meritas Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Meritas Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,458 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $355,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. First Financial Bank Trust Division grew its stake in Alphabet by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 7,208 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,756,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Falcon Wealth Planning raised its holdings in Alphabet by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Falcon Wealth Planning now owns 11,881 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $2,894,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Trust Co of the South lifted its position in Alphabet by 0.5% during the third quarter. Trust Co of the South now owns 8,800 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $2,143,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 27.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Alphabet

In other Alphabet news, Director Frances Arnold sold 102 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $313.45, for a total transaction of $31,971.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 18,205 shares in the company, valued at $5,706,357.25. This represents a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Amie Thuener O’toole sold 2,778 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were 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 approximately $2,798,832.60. This represents a 23.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 195,465 shares of company stock worth $57,056,497 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Alphabet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ GOOG opened at $315.32 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $302.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $245.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.80 trillion, a PE ratio of 31.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.75. Alphabet Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $142.66 and a fifty-two week high of $328.67.

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

Alphabet Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were given a $0.21 dividend. 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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GOOG has been the topic of several research reports. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Alphabet in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. DA Davidson set a $300.00 price objective on Alphabet in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Alphabet from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Alphabet from $285.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alphabet presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $313.04.

About Alphabet

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.