Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL Stock: Howard Financial Services LTD. Raises Holdings

Howard Financial Services LTD. boosted its position in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) by 15.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,357 shares of the information services provider’s stock after buying an additional 2,539 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up approximately 0.7% of Howard Financial Services LTD.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Howard Financial Services LTD.’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $6,660,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Core Capital Management & Research inc. bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Premier Financial Group acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet during the second quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Van Den Berg Management I Inc. raised its position in shares of Alphabet by 319.6% during the first quarter. Van Den Berg Management I Inc. now owns 214 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. 40.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alphabet Stock Down 2.5%

GOOGL traded down $8.63 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $340.59. 28,484,155 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 26,079,582. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.64 and a current ratio of 2.72. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $344.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $351.32. The company has a market cap of $4.17 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.21. Alphabet Inc. has a one year low of $244.15 and a one year high of $408.61.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The information services provider reported $9.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $6.22. Alphabet had a return on equity of 51.32% and a net margin of 54.77%. The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $117.07 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.54 EPS for the current year.

Alphabet Announces Dividend

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

Alphabet News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong cloud and AI momentum: Recent commentary highlights approximately 24% overall revenue growth and an 82% increase in Google Cloud, suggesting that cloud demand and AI monetization may be offsetting concerns about rising capital expenditures. Alphabet’s Cloud Surge and AI Dominance Overshadow Capex Fears
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan remains bullish: JPMorgan raised its Alphabet price target to $425 from $420 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying significant upside from the referenced price. The firm believes Google can withstand fears that generative AI will disrupt Search. JPMorgan Alphabet Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Waymo expansion: Alphabet’s autonomous-driving unit received approval to participate in Ontario’s automated-vehicle pilot program and is targeting a Toronto robotaxi launch in 2028, expanding a potential long-term growth business. Waymo Toronto Robotaxi Launch
• Positive Sentiment: Additional product and technology catalysts: Google launched its Universal Cart shopping tool in the U.S., while reports of progress in quantum-computing error reduction and a multiyear CNN AI partnership support Alphabet’s efforts to broaden AI-related revenue.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention is elevated: Zacks reported unusually heavy searches for both GOOGL and GOOG, reflecting strong interest but not necessarily a change in fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: Capex and profitability concerns: Investors remain concerned that Alphabet’s large data-center and AI investments could pressure free cash flow and take time to generate adequate returns. A reported multibillion-dollar computing arrangement with SpaceX adds to scrutiny of spending discipline.
• Negative Sentiment: Litigation over AI disclosures: Several law firms publicized a securities-fraud class action covering investors who bought shares from May 19 through July 16, 2026. The allegations reportedly involve representations about Gemini 3.5 Pro training results; the repeated notices add headline and potential liability risk, although they do not establish wrongdoing.
• Negative Sentiment: Other risks: Google warned that suspected China-linked hackers could exploit a BeyondTrust software flaw, while political and regulatory uncertainty could affect Search, advertising and the profits funding Alphabet’s AI buildout.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 118,138 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.90, for a total value of $2,232,808.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 83 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.45, for a total value of $28,257.35. Following the transaction, the director owned 19,076 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,494,424.20. This trade represents a 0.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 420,865 shares of company stock worth $8,293,477. 11.61% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on GOOGL. Phillip Securities upgraded Alphabet from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Alphabet from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $417.00 price target (up from $411.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and set a $445.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-six have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Alphabet has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $425.04.

About Alphabet

Alphabet Inc is a technology and internet services company best known as the parent company of Google. Its primary business, Google Services, includes online search, digital advertising, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Maps, Google Play, and a range of hardware and subscription products.

Alphabet also operates Google Cloud, which provides infrastructure, data analytics, cybersecurity, productivity software, and artificial intelligence services to businesses, governments, and other organizations.