First Horizon Corp Reduces Stake in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

First Horizon Corp cut its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 3.1% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 112,299 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 3,544 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up about 1.3% of First Horizon Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. First Horizon Corp’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $32,214,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of GOOG. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Alphabet in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Towne Trust Company N.A grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 34.0% in the fourth quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 134 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Alphabet Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $350.67 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $369.19 and its 200 day moving average is $335.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.92 and a quick ratio of 1.92. Alphabet Inc. has a 1 year low of $180.71 and a 1 year high of $404.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.25 trillion, a P/E ratio of 26.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.23.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $2.43. Alphabet had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 37.92%.The company had revenue of $109.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $106.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.81 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 21.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 8th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 8th. This is an increase from Alphabet’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alphabet

In related news, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 87,475 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.75, for a total transaction of $2,077,531.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $393.26, for a total transaction of $412,923.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,531 shares in the company, valued at approximately $995,341.06. The trade was a 29.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 160,465 shares of company stock worth $8,020,511. Insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GOOG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $450.00 price target (up from $400.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Alphabet from $425.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Phillip Securities downgraded Alphabet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $425.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alphabet has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $378.53.

Key Stories Impacting Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet received a fresh boost from analyst commentary and upgrades, including a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Bank of America’s view that Google search remains in an “expansionary moment,” which supports the case for continued earnings strength. Article: Alphabet (GOOG) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Reports highlighted continued user and traffic gains for Google, while new AI chip initiatives suggest Alphabet could expand its TPU business and strengthen its position in cloud AI infrastructure. Article: Google holds steady as Claude, Gemini surge in June user growth
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles framed Alphabet as a key AI beneficiary with custom chips, hyperscaler scale, and potential upside into its July 22 earnings report, which may be helping support the shares. Article: Google (GOOGL) Wants a Bigger Piece of Nvidia’s AI Chip Market – Here’s Its Plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching Alphabet closely because it is a heavily followed “trending stock,” with attention building ahead of earnings rather than on a single new fundamental catalyst. Article: Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the bullish AI narrative, multiple reports point to a large and rising capex burden—analysts expect roughly $44.9 billion in Q2 capital spending—raising concerns that heavy AI investment could pressure near-term margins and cash flow. Article: Big Tech’s Massive AI Spending Is Just Starting. Earnings Will Show It.
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet also faces broader investor concern that its ad dominance could come under threat and that the market may be discounting the payoff from its spending surge until earnings confirm the growth story. Article: Alphabet’s $1 Trillion Ad Dominance Is Facing New Threats

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.