Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Stock: Retirement Systems of Alabama Increases Holdings

Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 0.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,651,460 shares of the information services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,876 shares during the period. Alphabet comprises approximately 1.6% of Retirement Systems of Alabama’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Retirement Systems of Alabama’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $562,718,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 135.5% in the third quarter. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC now owns 73 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in Alphabet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp acquired a new position in Alphabet during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Timbuktu Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Alphabet in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Institutional investors own 27.26% of the company’s stock.

Alphabet Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $284.92 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $327.64 and its 200 day moving average is $336.57. Alphabet Inc. has a 12-month low of $271.41 and a 12-month high of $404.47. The stock has a market cap of $3.50 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.87, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 2.69, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The information services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.01 by ($0.89). The firm had revenue of $127.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $127.97 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 43.33% and a net margin of 50.03%. The business’s revenue was up 24.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.87 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Alphabet Inc. will post 19.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 7th. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio is 4.59%.

More Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Anthropic investment and cloud ties could add value. Alphabet plans to invest $10 billion in Anthropic at its IPO, on top of prior commitments. Anthropic also has large Google Cloud infrastructure commitments, potentially supporting cloud revenue and giving Alphabet a valuable stake if the IPO valuation holds. Those gains remain contingent on the offering and valuation. Article: Anthropic’s Trillion-Dollar IPO Could Give Cloud Giants a Double Win
• Positive Sentiment: Google is expanding its AI hardware and model lineup. New TPU variants target confidential computing and larger AI workloads, potentially helping Google Cloud compete and reduce reliance on outside chips. Google also made Gemini 4 Carbon available to developers and businesses. Article: Google broadens its AI hardware portfolio with two new specialized chips Article: Google Launches Gemini 4 Carbon
• Neutral Sentiment: Pixel Tag adds a new consumer product. Google’s $30 item tracker is now available for Android users, but its effect on Alphabet’s overall results is likely limited. Article: Pixel Tag is now available
• Negative Sentiment: Investors face renewed securities-fraud lawsuit headlines. Multiple law firms publicized a pending class action alleging misleading statements about the Gemini 3.5 Pro launch timeline. The lead-plaintiff deadline is December 1. The notices are largely legal solicitations, but the underlying allegations can add uncertainty and reputational risk. Article: Alphabet securities-fraud lawsuit deadline
• Negative Sentiment: AI competition is intensifying. Anthropic is reportedly developing workplace tools, including a spreadsheet product that could compete with Google Sheets, while its Claude assistant is expanding into Google Meet. This highlights both competitive pressure and the risk of depending on a partner that also competes with Google. Article: Anthropic brings Claude to Google Meet
• Negative Sentiment: Waymo faces a safety and privacy overhang. Federal scrutiny over robotaxis’ school-bus behavior and added privacy protections related to Spirit Airlines employee data create regulatory and reputational risks. Article: Federal Government Probes Waymo Over School-Bus Safety

Analyst Ratings Changes

GOOG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Scotiabank reiterated a “sector outperform” rating and issued a $375.00 target price (down from $450.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. HSBC set a $515.00 price target on Alphabet in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Citigroup cut Alphabet from a “market outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alphabet presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $413.38.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Frances Arnold sold 83 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $340.45, for a total value 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. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 247 shares of company stock valued at $79,238 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Alphabet Company Profile

Alphabet is a technology holding company whose primary business is Google. Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google became part of Alphabet when the company adopted a holding-company structure in 2015. Sundar Pichai leads Alphabet and Google as chief executive officer. Google offers internet search, online advertising, cloud computing, and software and hardware products. Its services and products include Google Search, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play, and Google Cloud.