Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Stake Decreased by Salem Investment Counselors Inc.

Salem Investment Counselors Inc. decreased its holdings in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 0.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 490,715 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 2,963 shares during the quarter. Alphabet accounts for about 4.1% of Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $167,206,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GOOG. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC raised its position in Alphabet by 26.4% in the third quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 8,352 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $2,846,000 after acquiring an additional 1,745 shares during the period. BigSur Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. BigSur Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,701 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $6,031,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Krilogy Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 58,052 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $20,258,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. RHS Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 47.2% during the 3rd quarter. RHS Financial LLC now owns 1,498 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $510,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the period. Finally, Fluent Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Alphabet by 35.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fluent Financial LLC now owns 1,104 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $376,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Alphabet Price Performance

NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $349.52 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.64, a current ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $341.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $347.94. The stock has a market cap of $4.27 trillion, a PE ratio of 17.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.19. Alphabet Inc. has a 52 week low of $241.18 and a 52 week high of $404.47.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $9.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $6.24. The business had revenue of $119.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $116.53 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 51.32% and a net margin of 54.77%. The business’s revenue was up 24.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.31 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 14th. Investors of record on Monday, September 7th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 4th. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.42%.

More Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Google launched Gemini 4 Argon for developers, businesses and paying users. The model is being marketed as particularly strong in coding and finance and legal knowledge work, potentially improving Alphabet’s competitive position in generative AI. Google launches flagship AI model Gemini 4 Argon for developers, businesses
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst said Alphabet’s internally developed AI chips could generate as much as $100 billion in value by 2028, while investors also remain focused on Google Cloud growth and rising AI demand. BNP Paribas reportedly raised its price target, adding to the bullish tone. Alphabet Could Unlock $100 Billion From AI Chips by 2028, Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet and Unity announced Unity Spark, an AI-powered game-creation platform that will let users build games with natural-language prompts. The partnership could broaden Alphabet’s AI distribution and user reach. Alphabet backs AI game creation platform
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet’s Chrome security program awarded XBOW $250,000 for identifying a major exploit. The recognition supports Google’s security efforts but is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. XBOW Rewarded for Exploit Affecting a Billion Users
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a securities class action alleging Alphabet misrepresented development progress for Gemini 3.5 Pro, including training setbacks and a missed launch timetable. The case covers purchases from May 19 through July 16, 2026, with lead-plaintiff deadlines around December 1. Although the announcements largely repeat existing claims, they reinforce legal and reputational overhang. Alphabet AI issues and securities fraud class action
• Negative Sentiment: Apple introduced HomeView and a more personalized Siri for smart homes, increasing competitive pressure on Google’s smart-home and AI ecosystems. Investors also remain sensitive to Alphabet’s substantial AI data-center spending and the gap between operating cash flow and free cash flow. Apple’s HomeView takes on Amazon and Google

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alphabet news, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.20, for a total transaction of $149,606.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 27,386 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,125,015.20. This trade represents a 1.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 83 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.45, for a total transaction of $28,257.35. Following the sale, the director directly owned 19,076 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,494,424.20. This trade represents a 0.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 441,399 shares of company stock valued at $8,677,053. Corporate insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on GOOG. DZ Bank raised Alphabet from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $425.00 target price (up from $405.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Zacks Research lowered Alphabet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $421.95.

Alphabet Profile

Alphabet Inc is a technology holding company best known as the parent company of Google. Established in 2015 through a corporate restructuring, Alphabet oversees Google and a collection of businesses focused on technology, innovation and emerging industries. Sundar Pichai serves as Alphabet’s chief executive officer and also leads Google.

Google is Alphabet’s primary business and operates an internet ecosystem that includes Google Search, online advertising, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play and Google Photos.