Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Sets New 12-Month High Following Analyst Upgrade

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday after Bank of America raised their price target on the stock from $335.00 to $370.00. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the stock. Alphabet traded as high as $340.49 and last traded at $335.97, with a volume of 33457810 shares. The stock had previously closed at $331.86.

GOOGL has been the topic of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Alphabet from $340.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Truist Financial set a $350.00 price objective on Alphabet and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Alphabet from $215.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, September 22nd. DZ Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated a “positive” rating and issued a $350.00 price target (up previously from $268.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Monday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-five have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Alphabet has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $326.31.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Frances Arnold sold 102 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $313.45, for a total value of $31,971.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 18,205 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,706,357.25. This trade represents a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 32,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $321.21, for a total value of $10,439,325.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,244,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $720,914,730.12. This trade represents a 1.43% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 189,309 shares of company stock valued at $57,724,770. 11.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple selected Google’s Gemini models to power the next-generation Siri and other AI features, a multi-year licensing deal that validates Gemini at scale and creates a new non‑ad high‑margin revenue stream (analysts estimate ~ $1B/yr). Why Apple Chose Google to Power the Future of AI
• Positive Sentiment: Investor enthusiasm around AI pushed Alphabet into the $4 trillion market-cap club, a milestone that signals strong sentiment for continued growth in AI products and cloud infrastructure. Alphabet hits $4 trillion valuation as AI refocus lifts sentiment
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on Alphabet to $370 and maintained a Buy rating, giving the stock visible analyst upside and supporting demand. Benzinga coverage of price-target raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say Google will develop and manufacture high‑end phones in Vietnam this year — a strategic move to broaden hardware efforts and diversify supply chains, but one that is longer‑term in potential revenue impact. Google to develop, manufacture smartphones in Vietnam
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive AI initiatives from peers (e.g., Microsoft’s retail Copilot and Walmart integrations) highlight a crowded AI field; these developments are important for strategic positioning but are not an immediate earnings hit to Alphabet. Microsoft Wants to Power Retail Without Competing With It
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets and stock‑picker lists continue to include Alphabet among top growth/AI plays for 2026, reinforcing momentum but also reflecting high expectations that must be met in upcoming reports. Best Growth Stocks to Buy in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: High‑profile criticism (Elon Musk) of the Apple‑Google deal raises the profile of antitrust and concentration-of-power concerns — a reputational/regulatory risk investors should monitor as regulators scrutinize big‑tech partnerships. Elon Musk Slams Google, Apple Deal

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GOOGL. PMV Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet during the second quarter worth about $31,000. iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new position in Alphabet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $53,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Alphabet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, Corsicana & Co. purchased a new stake in Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $54,000. 40.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alphabet Stock Up 1.2%

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $308.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $252.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a current ratio of 1.75. The company has a market capitalization of $4.05 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.13, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.08.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The information services provider reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.58. Alphabet had a net margin of 32.23% and a return on equity of 35.00%. The company had revenue of $102.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $99.90 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 8.9 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.28%.

Alphabet Company 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.