Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Shares Sold by Aberdeen Group plc

Aberdeen Group plc decreased its stake in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 1.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,679,982 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 113,655 shares during the quarter. Alphabet comprises 2.6% of Aberdeen Group plc’s holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position. Aberdeen Group plc’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $1,626,910,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Alphabet by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 120,253 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $22,901,000 after purchasing an additional 6,410 shares during the period. Ignite Planners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 14,506 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $2,697,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 594,959 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $105,540,000 after buying an additional 41,132 shares during the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $174,516,000. Finally, Schubert & Co acquired a new position in Alphabet in the second quarter valued at approximately $310,000. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director John L. Hennessy sold 600 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.73, for a total value of $184,038.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 20,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,325,999.52. This trade represents a 2.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 32,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.18, for a total transaction of $10,893,350.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,179,372 shares in the company, valued at $730,481,906.96. The trade was a 1.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 2,032,408 shares of company stock valued at $94,926,707. 12.99% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI momentum: Analysts and commentators are highlighting Gemini and Google Cloud as major growth drivers (upgrades and optimistic forecasts tied to AI-driven revenue and margin improvements). This narrative is supporting the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: YouTube ad strength and double‑digit cloud revenue gains are being cited as near-term earnings/revenue support that helped lift sentiment. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/ratings momentum: DZ Bank and other firms have issued bullish takes (upgrades/strong‑buy calls), which can attract buyers after recent pullbacks. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional conviction: Some large managers (e.g., Royal Bank of Canada) added to GOOG in 13F filings and Berkshire Hathaway kept its Google exposure — signals that long‑term holders remain constructive. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Product cadence: Google set I/O for May 19–20 and is broadly expected to show new AI hardware (smart glasses) — a medium‑term catalyst, but timing and monetization remain speculative. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/watch items: Waymo defended its use of remote assistance before Congress; it’s a reputational/regulatory story to watch but not immediate earnings pressure. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional trimming: Multiple big funds trimmed GOOGL in recent 13F filings (Ameriprise, Northern Trust, Veritas, First Pacific), which creates supply pressure and suggests some profit‑taking/rebalancing. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: CapEx and margin concerns: Coverage highlights heavy AI/dc spending across hyperscalers; investors are treating elevated 2026 capex as a near‑term headwind that can cap multiples even if it supports long‑term moat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and high‑profile trims: A board director sold 600 shares (disclosed) and prominent value managers (e.g., Terry Smith, Bill Ackman) reduced GOOGL exposure in filings — signals that can amplify near‑term selling. Article Title

Alphabet Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $303.94 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.68 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.10. Alphabet Inc. has a 1 year low of $142.66 and a 1 year high of $350.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 2.01 and a quick ratio of 2.01. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $321.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $277.91.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The information services provider reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $113.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $111.24 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 32.81% and a return on equity of 35.01%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 18.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.15 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 8.89 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be given a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GOOG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $400.00 target price (up previously from $375.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Loop Capital raised Alphabet from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $280.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Mizuho set a $325.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $360.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alphabet has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $343.90.

Alphabet Company Profile

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.