Johnson Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG – Free Report) by 3.4% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 91,543 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 3,176 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up approximately 1.0% of Johnson Financial Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Johnson Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $26,260,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new stake in Alphabet during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Alphabet in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Alphabet during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Towne Trust Company N.A lifted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 34.0% during 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 period. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Alphabet news, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $368.63, for a total value of $387,061.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,481 shares in the company, valued at approximately $545,941.03. The trade was a 41.49% 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. Also, CAO Marsida Saraci sold 449 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $341.72, for a total value of $153,432.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 27,348 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,345,358.56. This trade represents a 1.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 159,415 shares of company stock valued at $7,672,279 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.
Alphabet Price Performance
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The information services provider reported $9.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $6.24. The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $116.53 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 57.20% and a net margin of 54.77%.The business’s revenue was up 24.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.31 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.34 earnings per share for the current year.
Alphabet Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Investors of record on Monday, September 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.71%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several brokerages recently issued reports on GOOG. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $475.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday. Wedbush began coverage on Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $445.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Alphabet from $418.00 to $411.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. KeyCorp set a $445.00 price objective on Alphabet in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $425.00 price objective (up from $405.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $410.09.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Alphabet
More Alphabet News
Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Alphabet posted blockbuster Q2 results, with revenue up 24% to $119.8 billion and EPS of $9.11, while Google Cloud revenue jumped 82% year over year and YouTube ad revenue also remained strong.
- Positive Sentiment: Management and analysts said AI demand is still outpacing capacity, suggesting Alphabet’s spending is supporting long-term growth rather than just driving costs.
- Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms kept bullish ratings or raised targets, saying the pullback may be creating an attractive entry point despite near-term volatility.
- Positive Sentiment: Alphabet disclosed a large stake in SpaceX, which some investors view as an additional valuable asset on the balance sheet.
- Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet announced a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share, a modest capital-return move that is unlikely to be a major near-term driver given the stock’s much larger AI investment story.
- Neutral Sentiment: Several funds and institutions disclosed portfolio changes in GOOG, with some adding shares and others trimming, reflecting mixed but ongoing institutional interest.
- Neutral Sentiment: Google also rolled out small product updates such as selfie-video sign-in and easier iPhone-to-Android switching, which are positive for engagement but not material stock catalysts.
- Negative Sentiment: Investors are worried about Alphabet’s sharply higher capital spending guidance for 2026 and a first-ever quarterly negative free cash flow reading, raising concerns that AI investments may take longer to pay off.
- Negative Sentiment: Alphabet ended its long-running quarterly buyback pattern, which removes a steady source of support for the shares.
- Negative Sentiment: The company also faces fresh regulatory and legal pressure, including an about $1 billion EU antitrust fine and multiple securities-fraud investigations.
- Negative Sentiment: Reports of declining Google search traffic from AI overviews and concerns about publisher partnerships add another overhang to the core search business.
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.
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